Salinas, CA Animal Ordinances: Bird Protection (2026)
Key Facts
- Covered structures
- Buildings/structures overhanging public streets or sidewalks
- Covered trees
- Within 20 feet of a public street or sidewalk
- Enforcement tool
- Nuisance declaration + health officer abatement
- Default penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine / 6 months jail (Sec. 1-01.08)
- Enforcing agency
- Health officer
Summary
Salinas Municipal Code Sec. 16-41 through 16-43 require owners to keep any building or structure overhanging a public street or sidewalk, and any tree within twenty feet of one, free of pigeon nesting, roosting or harboring spots. A building, structure or tree that becomes a pigeon roost is declared a public nuisance the health officer can abate directly.
All portions of buildings and structures overhanging any public sidewalk, street, or place, in the city shall be continuously kept and maintained by the owner, the person in charge, or the occupant thereof, in such manner as to not afford nesting, roosting, or harboring places for pigeons... All trees located within twenty feet of any public sidewalk, street, or place, in the city shall be continuously kept and maintained by the owner, the person in charge, or the occupant thereof, in such manner as not to afford nesting, roosting, or harboring places for pigeons... All portions of buildings or structures which overhang any public sidewalk, street, or place, in the city which portions are roosting, harboring, or nesting places for pigeons, are hereby declared to be, and are, public nuisances, and the health officer is hereby authorized to abate the same.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 16-41 places a continuing duty on the owner, person in charge, or occupant of any building or structure overhanging a public sidewalk, street or place to maintain it so that it does not afford pigeons a place to nest, roost or take harbor. Sec. 16-42 extends the identical duty to trees: any tree located within twenty feet of a public sidewalk, street or place must be kept and maintained so it does not become a nesting, roosting or harboring spot for pigeons.
Sec. 16-43 backs both duties with a nuisance declaration. Any overhanging portion of a building or structure that is in fact being used by pigeons to roost, harbor or nest is declared a public nuisance, and the health officer is authorized to abate it. The same nuisance declaration and abatement authority applies to any qualifying tree within twenty feet of a public right-of-way that pigeons are using the same way. Because the ordinance frames the violation as a nuisance rather than a permit condition, the health officer can act directly against the condition on the property, ordering or carrying out abatement of the roosting site, rather than only issuing a citation to the owner.
These pigeon provisions sit in Chapter 16's health and sanitation article alongside the city's general rat-control rules (Sec. 16-44 through 16-46), reflecting a shared purpose of keeping buildings and street trees from harboring pest species near public rights-of-way.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 16 does not set a pigeon-specific fine; instead the health officer can abate the roosting condition directly under Sec. 16-43. Any separate violation of the underlying maintenance duty in Sec. 16-41 or 16-42 falls under the citywide general penalty in Sec. 1-01.08: a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 and six months in county jail, or, at the prosecutor's discretion, an infraction with a fine up to $500, with each continuing day a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Salinas require me to keep pigeons off my building?
What about a tree in my yard that pigeons are roosting in?
Can the city just remove a pigeon roost from my property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Salinas
California rules heatmap·Compare Salinas to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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