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Living harmoniously with wildlife has been a work in process for urbanites in Singapore.

Deterrent architecture is often used to prevent wild animals from entering premises, especially where hygiene is a concern.

Spikes are commonly seen on building structures, such as beams and roofs in residential areas, to prevent birds from resting there.

However, urban dwelling birds are highly adaptable.

Case in point:

In a Facebook post, Member of Parliament for Fernvale Gan Thiam Poh shared that a family of feathery residents had built a nest on the beam at the drop off point next to Blk 468 Fernvale Link despite the row of spikes placed on the structure.

The spikes were installed by the town council after receiving residents' feedback, Gan said. The beam in the picture is visibly dirtied by bird droppings.

Since the installation of spikes is ineffective at deterring birds from roosting on the roof of the drop off point, Gan assured residents that the town council will find another solution with their contractors.

In response, a few commenters pointed out that the birds were attracted to feeders which is the root of the problem.

These commenters suggest to isolate the food source and educate the bird feeders to resolve this issue.

Feeding wild animals is illegal in Singapore.

First-time offenders can be fined up to S$5,000 while repeat offenders can be fined up to S$10,000.

Top image via Gan Thiam Poh's Facebook