Vigil in Salzburg: City pigeons fight for survival!

Vigil in Salzburg: City pigeons fight for survival!

Schloss Mirabell, Salzburg, Österreich - On June 20, 2025, a vigil took place in Salzburg, which was organized by the association against animal factories (VGT) and the ARGE city pigeon Salzburg. The protest was directed against the inadequate supply of the city pigeons by the city administration. The participants of the commemoration called for urgent solutions and the establishment of a pigeon protection concept to support the needy animals. Feeding bans were mentioned as the main cause of the starvation of many pigeons, which the participants consider scandalous.

The organizers emphasized that the city does not meet their responsibility. "We commemorate the many victims of urban politics," said one of the spokesman. The vigil took place in front of Mirabell Castle, where the unusual picture of grave candles for the pigeons were incomprehensible to passers -by. The goal of the protest was not only the memory, but also an urgent appeal to politics to finally take measures.

claims for a sustainable solution

A central concern of the protesters is the creation of legal and controlled feeding places. This requirement is supported by the pigeon concept of the city of Augsburg, which serves as a positive model. In Augsburg, supervised pigeon strikes and species -appropriate feeding set new standards. There are even eggs replaced by plaster eggs to support population control.

Augsburg effectively reduced the problems with pollution and crowded places by implementing pigeon houses. According to the reports, the pigeons live in specially built houses, which increases the quality of life of the animals and counteracts the challenges of urban locations.

The situation in Salzburg

In Salzburg, on the other hand, the construction of a pigeon house has been discussed for years, but the last project was rejected. The city argues that the increase in illegal feeding caused by the feeding bans leads to pollution and also attracts rats. Reports on overfeeding have also led to concern about the poverty of movement and diseases of the pigeons. Activists temporarily fed between five and 15 kilograms of grain food every day at several locations.

The city has increased controls in the past and imposed punishments. A positive result of these measures can be seen in the fact that since March no feed residues have been found at the feeding places, which led to an equalization of the pigeon population. The rat problem in these places has also decreased.

collaboration for a solution

Despite the rejection of a central pigeon house, the idea is not completely rejected. Vice Mayor Kay-Michael Dankl expressed that several locations are suitable and a collaboration with students from the Salzburg University of Applied Sciences is sought to develop structural solutions. A crucial prerequisite for the implementation is the consent of the veterinary office.

The estimated annual costs for feeding and maintaining a pigeon house amount to around 200,000 to 300,000 euros, an investment that could be essential for the well -being of the animals and the quality of life of the cities.

The topic of city pigeons and their care once again shows the challenges that many cities are in modern urbanization. Cities like Augsburg have already successfully implemented concepts that reconcile both animal welfare and urban design. The augsburg.de describes the concept, while further information can be found on the Stadtaubenprojekt Berlin. In Salzburg, on the other hand, it remains to be hoped that the protest will be heard and that steps will finally be taken to improve the situation of the city pigeons.