Mesa, AZ Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Feeding (2026)
Key Facts
- Prohibited act
- Knowingly feeding bird food to pigeons
- Exception
- Feeders designed to exclude pigeons
- First-offense fine
- $250–$1,500 civil sanction
- Enforcing office
- Code Compliance / Civil Hearing Officer
Summary
Mesa treats deliberately feeding pigeons as a public nuisance. Section 8-6-3(AB) makes it unlawful to knowingly provide bird food to pigeons on private or public property, though feeders built to keep pigeons out are exempt, so backyard birdfeeding of other species stays legal.
(AB) No person shall knowingly provide bird food to pigeons on any private or public property, except the feeding of birds using practices or devices designed or intended to prevent pigeons from obtaining the bird food.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 22).
Full Breakdown
" The rule targets only pigeons, and only knowing feeding, it does not ban backyard bird feeders generally, so long as the feeder or feeding practice is designed to keep pigeons from getting at the food, for example a caged or tube feeder pigeons cannot access. The provision sits alongside Mesa's other property-based nuisance rules, including the ban on accumulating garbage or junk under § 8-6-3(B) and the graffiti-removal duty under § 8-6-3(H), reflecting the Chapter's stated purpose in § 8-6-1(A)(1) of reducing conditions that cause "deteriorating conditions" and blight.
Because § 8-6-3 opens by declaring that the listed acts "constitute public nuisances, the existence of which are hereby prohibited and declared to be unlawful," a documented pattern of feeding pigeons, the kind of activity that draws large flocks, droppings and property damage to neighboring homes, is enforceable the same way as any other nuisance violation in the Chapter, through a Code Compliance citation rather than a criminal charge on the first offense.
Violations & Fines
A pigeon-feeding violation is processed as a civil nuisance citation under § 8-6-8: $250–$1,500 for a first finding under § 8-6-9(A), rising to $350–$2,500 for a second finding and $500–$2,500 for a third within 36 months, with repeat offenders risking habitual-offender misdemeanor prosecution under § 8-6-11.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I feed pigeons in my Mesa yard?
Does Mesa's pigeon rule ban all bird feeders?
What's the penalty for feeding pigeons in Mesa?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mesa
Compare Mesa to another location·View the Arizona animal ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Wildlife Feeding in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Maricopa County handle wildlife feeding.