Pigeons flock to Chai Chee HDB flat, neighbours plagued by droppings and uninvited winged visitors
Residents of a Chai Chee HDB flat raised concerns about a neighbour who allegedly feeds pigeons from their unit, with one neighbour reporting that the birds would fly in and leave droppings in her home.
When Stomp visited the HDB block at 9am on June 4, about five pigeons were perched on the unit’s window ledge, while some rested on the adjacent ledge. They did not appear to gather at other windowsills of the block.
The window ledge was heavily stained, while bird droppings were observed on neighbouring windows and on the walls.
Irene, a 70-year-old part-time teacher who lives directly below the unit where birds gathered, said that the issue has been going on for years.
“Just now I go and bathe, I forget to close the window, the window just open a little bit only, the bird fly in and shit already,” she told Stomp, adding that the windows were only open for about 30 minutes. “Just a while only, so I thought it’s okay.”
The resident, who has lived there for over 30 years, said she now keeps her windows shut to prevent such incidents. If she wanted to open them, she would have to sit by the windows and bang on them to scare the birds away.
Irene added that she had to clean her window ledge frequently, and it would take almost two days to remove the stains — left by bird droppings — each time.
Gregory, a resident who stays in the unit two floors above Irene, said the issue started about six years ago.
“It’s affecting everyone, because every time they feed, (the birds) will fly up, do their business at our ledge. Then we need to clean,” the 32-year-old engineer said, explaining that he had to clean the ledge almost every day.
He said he observed about one to two birds landing on the ledge every hour, prompting him to raise the issue with the town council.
Bird calls heard from inside flat
When Stomp visited the unit in question, bird calls could be heard emanating from the flat, and stains could be seen on the floor and corridor railings near the unit. When reporters knocked on the door, there was no reply.
Five passers-by whom Stomp spoke to said they often saw pigeons gathering in the area.
However, another resident from a neighbouring block said he did not experience similar issues.
“Birds can find their own food, why must they feed them?” he added.
Over 10 pigeons flying out of unit
A video of the unit in question was shared on the Singapore subreddit by user WeightLittle8210 on June 2. The footage zooms into a HDB unit’s windows where multiple pigeons had landed.
A pigeon flies into the flat through an open window, while 10 more birds flutter out of it.
The Reddit user, who wished to remain anonymous, told Stomp that he had spotted the birds flying out of the Chai Chee flat after he left a nearby gym at about 3pm on June 1.
“I saw it and figured it’s kind of a d*ck move to be feeding pigeons out of your house, especially that many,” he said.
He added that he had reported the case via the OneService platform, which allows residents to provide feedback about estate matters. He noted that the incident has since been referred to the town council.
Town council attempting to contact resident since February
In response to Stomp’s queries, an East Coast Town Council (ECTC) spokesperson said that it is working with the National Parks Board (NParks) and the National Environment Agency (NEA) to address the issue.
“Since February 2026, our officers have been attempting to engage the occupant of the unit. We have yet to succeed and will continue to reach out to the occupant,” the spokesperson said.
The representative added that measures have been put in place to improve the cleanliness of the estate, such as putting up notices advising residents not to feed birds and increasing the frequency of cleaning at the void deck and surrounding areas.
In a separate incident on May 9, Serangoon residents complained that an elderly woman was “attracting pigeons” by feeding them.
Stricter penalties for offenders convicted of intentionally feeding wildlife without approval will come into effect later this year, with first-time offenders facing fines of up to $10,000 and a jail term of up to 12 months.
See something interesting? Contribute your story to us.
