Spanish town to put its pigeons on the pill

The Catalan town of Badia del Vallès announced the plan via a statement on the town hall website.

“Every morning, three automatic dispensers will scatter the required dosage to the pigeon population,” said the statement.

Each pigeon will be fed 10 grams of Ovistop, a product made of corn seeds covered in Nicarbazin, which acts as a contraceptive for the birds.

The first dispenser was installed on Monday July 13th near the town's Civil Guard headquarters, while the other two will be installed on school roofs next week.

The pigeons will be put on the birth control pill from July until December, the high season for pigeon breeding.

The pill is touted as being highly effective by town hall sources, who project that 80 percent of Badia’s pigeon population will have been eliminated within four to five years.

One pair of birds can produce 48 pigeons a year, which has led to an overpopulation of the species in the Catalan town.