Honolulu urges residents to stop feeding feral chickens
City officials say public interference with traps and continued feeding keep the bird population high despite new control measures.
By Nour Haddad ·
The City and County of Honolulu is asking Oʻahu residents to stop feeding feral chickens and leave trapping equipment alone. The Department of Customer Services announced the request on Nov. 5, citing ongoing problems with the island's bird population.
Director Kim Hashiro stated that the city cannot manage the issue without public help. She said, “We need every segment of our community, from residents to business owners, to help us by not feeding these birds and letting our pest-control teams do their jobs safely.”
The city has introduced specific measures to control the birds. These include installing “Do Not Feed Feral Chicken” signs in public parks and on city buses. Staff also deployed specialized traps in problem areas. Private property owners can access discounted trapping and disposal services.
Despite these actions, official complaints about feral chickens on public property have dropped. However, the city’s pest-control contractor faces difficulties due to public interference. In some cases, individuals have vandalized or tampered with traps. Others have released captured chickens or continued feeding flocks.
Feeding the birds encourages them to stay in specific areas. This leads to excessive crowing, damage to public spaces, and unsanitary conditions from droppings. The birds also disturb household pets. The city is urging residents to refrain from feeding the birds and allow authorized crews to work.
