Buffalo, NY Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Feeding (2026)
Key Facts
- Street feeding restriction
- Prohibited where Commissioner of Police or Transportation determines traffic won't permit it
- Open-space feeding requirement
- Receptacle must be at least 48 inches above ground level
- Rat-infested area buffer
- No feeding within 500 feet of a declared rat-infested site
- Applies to
- Pigeons in public streets and open spaces
Summary
Pigeon feeding in Buffalo is restricted: prohibited on public streets where traffic conditions do not permit it; allowed in open spaces only from a receptacle at least 48 inches off the ground; and prohibited within 500 feet of any Health Department-declared rat-infested area.
No person shall feed any pigeon in any public street or place where traffic conditions will not warrant such feeding in the opinion of the Commissioner of Police or of the Commissioner of Transportation. No person shall feed any pigeon in any open space, except in a suitable receptacle placed at least 48 inches above the ground level. No person shall feed any pigeon within 500 feet of any location declared by the Department of Health to be rat-infested, within the meaning of § 356-2 of the Code of the City of Buffalo.
Full Breakdown
Buffalo declared uncontrolled pigeons a public health menace following investigations by the Department of Health. The restrictions stop short of an outright ban: pigeon feeding is permitted in open spaces via properly elevated receptacles. The Commissioner of Police or Commissioner of Transportation determines where traffic conditions prohibit street feeding. Areas declared rat-infested by the Health Department under § 356-2 trigger a 500-foot no-feeding buffer.
Violations & Fines
No specific fine amount stated in § 78-8. Violations are subject to the general penalty provisions of the City Code.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I feed pigeons in a Buffalo park?
Can I feed pigeons on the sidewalk?
Are there areas where pigeon feeding is always banned?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Buffalo
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