How to Keep Birds and Pigeons Away From Your Awning
How to keep birds off an awning: where pigeons and sparrows settle on a storefront awning, how bird spikes and other deterrents keep them off, what bird spike installation costs, the federal rules on removing nests, and how to clean droppings without ruining the fabric.
Updated November 6, 2026
The Short Answer
- Block the spots, don't scare the birds. Pigeons and sparrows come back to the same ledge for years. Spikes, bird wire, netting and a closed awning frame stop them. Lights, foil and fake owls only work for a short time.
- Most of the problem is the frame, not the fabric. Birds sit on the top bar, inside an open frame and on the sign ledge above the awning.
- Bird spike installation starts at $1,500 per awning or sign, depending on length, equipment and labor.
- Check the nest before you touch it. Federal law protects most native birds' active nests. Rock pigeons, house sparrows and European starlings are the main exceptions.
- Wet droppings before you clean. Use mild soap and a soft brush. No pressure washer, no dry brushing.
Where Birds Settle on a Storefront Awning
To keep birds off an awning, you first need to know where they land. In New York City and New Jersey, the birds on most awnings are rock pigeons and house sparrows. Both nest on buildings year after year. An awning gives them three things: a dry roof, a flat bar to stand on, and a sheltered space under the fabric.
- The top bar and the wall joint where the awning meets the building. Flat, high and close to the wall.
- Inside an open frame. The cross bars under the fabric are a covered shelf. This is where most awning nests are built.
- The sign ledge or raceway above. Droppings from here land right on the awning.
- The front valance. Sparrows tuck into the fold between the slope and the valance.
Bird Deterrents That Work on Awnings
Physical deterrents last the longest because they take away the landing spot. Bird control makers such as Bird-B-Gone and Bird Barrier sell each of these for ledges, signs and canopies.
| DETERRENT | WHERE IT GOES | BEST FOR | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bird spikes | Top bar, wall joint, sign ledge | Pigeons | Stainless or polycarbonate strips. Fix to the frame or ledge, never to the fabric. |
| Bird wire | Long ledges and top bars | Pigeons | Thin tensioned wire on posts. Hard to see from the street. |
| Bird netting | Underside of an open frame | Pigeons and sparrows | Closes off the space under the fabric. The best fix for nests inside the frame. |
| Closed bottom panel | Underside of a box awning | All birds | A fabric or aluminum soffit under the frame. Easiest to add when the awning is built or refaced. |
| Bird slope | 90 degree ledges above the awning | Pigeons and sparrows | Angled panel that birds slide off. Good for sign ledges. |
| Repellent gel | Metal ledges only | Short-term use | Wears out with dust and sun. Keep it off the fabric; it stains. |
Clear plastic. Blends in on light ledges and sign tops.
Thin steel pins on a clear base. Hard to see from the street.
Where pigeons land most. Illustration.
Our crews install bird spikes on awning frames, light box signs and channel letters across NYC and New Jersey. We can add them to a new sign or awning, or to one you already have.
Ask your landlord before fastening anything to the façade. On landmark buildings, changes to the storefront may need Landmarks Preservation Commission approval.
Bird Deterrents That Work on Awnings
Starting at
The final price depends on three things:
- Length of the awning or sign. Longer top bars and ledges need more spike strips.
- Equipment needed. A ladder job costs less than one that needs a lift or scaffold over the sidewalk.
- Labor. Cleaning droppings first, working after hours, or fitting spikes on several surfaces adds time.
We install bird spikes across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island, and in New Jersey including Newark, Jersey City and Linden. Send a photo and the rough length for a firm quote. Spikes can also be added when we install or reface an awning, light box or channel letters.
What to Skip
These show up on every “keep birds away” list. On a busy NYC block, birds get used to them within days.
Works for a short time, looks messy on a storefront.
Feeding is the one habit that makes everything else fail. If customers or neighbors feed birds near the store, deterrents will not hold.
Nest Rules Before You Remove Anything
The Migratory Bird Treaty Act protects most native birds, their eggs and their nests. Audubon sums it up: active nests with eggs or young cannot be moved or removed without a federal permit, and scaring birds off an active nest is not allowed either. Rock pigeons, house sparrows and European starlings are non-native and are not covered.
How to Clean Bird Droppings Off an Awning
Droppings are acidic and set into fabric in the sun, so clean them early. In NYC, property owners must clean up unsanitary pigeon conditions on or coming from their property, and neighbors can report it through NYC 311.
- Step 1 Wet It First Mist dried droppings with water so dust doesn't get into the air.
- Step 2 Wear Gloves Add an N95 mask for heavy buildup. Large piles are a job for a cleaning crew.
- Step 3 Wash With Mild Soap Dish soap, lukewarm water and a soft brush. Sunbrella fabric can be cleaned on the frame.
- Step 4 Rinse and Air Dry Rinse until no soap is left. Leftover soap attracts dirt.
- Step 5 Re-Treat the Fabric Reapply the water repellent the fabric maker recommends.
Use bleach only if the fabric maker approves it. The CDC’s NIOSH guidance explains why stopping droppings from building up is the best protection.
When to Repair or Reface the Awning
If stains have set, the fabric is torn where birds nested, or the frame is open underneath, it is often cheaper to reface than to keep cleaning. Refacing keeps the frame and replaces the fabric, and it is the right time to close the bottom or add netting.
Awning Refacing
New fabric and lettering on your existing frame. See awning refacing.
Commercial Awnings
Box, slope or dome awnings with a closed bottom. See commercial awnings.
Send us a photo of your awning or sign
- Email photos to sales@signsny.com
- Text 347-389-5849
- Call 718-453-8300
Bird and Awning Questions, Answered
Ask a Sign Maker
Have a question about birds on your awning that this guide doesn't answer? Send it with a photo. A project manager answers by email within one business day.
Abie B. writes for Signs NYC. Signs NYC has built, refaced and repaired storefront awnings and signs in New York City since 1995. Signs and awnings are made in our Linden, NJ factory. About us
Sources and Further Reading
- Wikipedia: Awning · Rock dove · House sparrow · Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918