Pilot project in Marzahn-Hellersdorf: Berlin fights against flood of pigeons!
Pilot project in Marzahn-Hellersdorf: Berlin fights against flood of pigeons!
In the German capital, where pigeons are almost omnipresent in many districts, the Marzahn-Hellersdorf district is planning a new pilot project to control the city pigeon population. This project is promoted as part of a comprehensive pigeon management by the Senate Department for Justice and Consumer Protection. The aim of this project is to reduce the number of birds in the city and to minimize possible negative effects.
The planned pigeon stroke is built near the Alice Salomon Square in Hellersdorf, a place that is considered to be particularly busy by pigeons. A ban on feeding in the vicinity is also planned, but the more precise radius of which still has to be determined. In order to finance the project, the consumer protection administration has ensured start -up financing of 18,000 euros, while the annual maintenance costs are estimated at around 10,000 euros. However, it is not yet clear who will bear these costs.
challenges in pigeon management
The preparations for the project have already started. The responsible authorities are optimistic that the pigeon stroke will be purchased this year. This is followed by a report by Kathrin Herrmann, the Berlin State Animal Protection Officer, who already presented a concept for pigeon management in April 2023. However, Herrmann's approach considers the consumer protection administration to be too tight and plans to expand the concept.
The desired measures also include testing contraceptives for the pigeons and the inclusion of natural predators such as birds of prey. However, Herrmann has already expressed concerns that these strategies may not be expedient. The Senate Department is planning to develop a comprehensive concept with the districts and the urban society by the end of the year, but the previous invitations to working group sessions met with little interest and participation.
Experts estimate that around 19,000 city pigeons live in Berlin. These birds can cause significant problems: from pollution of public places to possible health risks for the residents. In addition, genetic studies have shown that city pigeons and local racing pigeons have a genetic similarity, which indicates that there has been mixing over the years. These overgrown animals are looking for the closeness of people, in contrast to real wild animals that avoid their natural habitats.
Some pigeon floors are not only composed of overgrown house pigeons, but also contain animals that flew out of private breeds. The influence of the racing pigeon has also contributed to the increase in the population, since stranded carrier pigeons often join the city groups. A legal report from 2021 has classified city pigeons as pets, which for the city and the districts means that special obligations towards these animals could exist. Nevertheless, the legal situation remains unclear, since the classification has not yet been clarified and different views exist.
Although the pilot project in Marzahn-Hellersdorf arouses many positive expectations, the response from the districts has so far been behind the expectations. It remains to be seen how these initiatives develop and whether they can show the hoped -for effect when checking the pigeon population. Further information on the ongoing developments are