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They are one of the most common birds in the UK and unfortunately, also one of the least popular.

Pigeons are everywhere in this country, not just flocking in huge groups in city centres, but also seen bullying their way onto bird tables and leaving a mess all over your garden, whether you live in the city or the countryside.

It is thought pigeons are so abundant and so tame because they were bred in their thousands through most of human history, first as food and then as messenger birds, but they have unsurprisingly fallen out of favour since the advent of much faster ways to communicate.

That's why so many gardeners take a no tolerance approach to pigeons: unlike many other birds, they are not the least bit endangered and don't need any help to find food.

And unlike many other birds, they can make a lot of mess as they rummage through bins, or leave droppings all over lawns, patios and deckings.

That's why many people turn to garden experts seeking advice on how to get pigeons to fly away from their gardens, both in summer and winter.

According to Safeguard Pest Control, one of the best ways to get rid of pigeons naturally is by using reflective surfaces, such as tin foil.

In its online guidance, it advises gardeners: "The reflective surfaces of mirrors or other shiny objects will trigger a pigeon's flight response. As a result, having a reflective surface on a window sill or balcony rail can easily deter a pigeon from roosting or perching there.

"You can place a layer of shiny aluminium foil over a window sill and balcony rail very easily. With careful wrapping, it is entirely possible to create an undesirable perching space that does still looks good.

"For a larger space, such as a roof or the edges of solar panels, mirrors are a good option. A mirror will reflect light very well and provide an effective deterrent for pigeons. Small mirrors can work on a window sill."

If you want to go one step further, bird netting and bird spikes also work.

It adds: "Choosing bird netting is a very humane, cheap and instantly effective way of keeping pigeons away from an area. Bird netting is particularly effective on a balcony or near a bird table that is only meant for smaller birds.

"Bird spikes might look domineering and scary, but they do not harm the pigeons. Birds can navigate into many very tight spaces without any problem, and the spikes simply push them off of an area should they try to land."