2,300 pigeons killed, 635,000 kilograms of bird poop cleared in Saskatoon bridge fix

SASKATOON—The City of Saskatoon says about 2,300 pigeons have been killed as part of a project to rehabilitate a major bridge.

The city says the dead birds have been removed from the Senator Sid Buckwold Bridge along with 635,000 kilograms of pigeon poop.

It says the birds and the poop had to go because they posed a health risk and the weight of the droppings — equivalent to 356 medium-sized vehicles — could compromise the structure of the bridge.

The city says a specialized pest control company was hired to trap and humanely euthanize the pigeons and barriers are now in place to prevent birds from roosting in the same areas again.

Killing the birds, removing the droppings and building the barriers cost $800,000.

The bridge was completed in 1966 and spans the South Saskatchewan River.

—With files from CTV Saskatoon