How to control Berlin's pigeon population

DW (English)

Pigeons are an increasing nuisance in Berlin, leaving their droppings everywhere. Efforts to manage their numbers include installing pigeon lofts.

Transcript

00:00Pigeons. Some call them flying rats, others feral pets.

00:05Tens of thousands live in the German capital of Berlin.

00:09For 14 years, Doreen Rothe has fed them in the city centre.

00:13It may seem counterproductive, but she says it keeps them away from the public.

00:20They only eat grains. And so if we don't feed them,

00:24they have to be there where people eat, among places where restaurants are.

00:31And they search for food all day long among the legs of the people,

00:35and people don't like this, and it's not good for the pigeons.

00:39Eating greasy food from the trash is bad for the birds' digestion

00:43and makes them more of a nuisance to humans.

00:49It's a problem for the city because of the dirt they create,

00:52so about the food they find everywhere.

00:54So I know people don't like pigeons so much, but honestly I like pigeons.

00:58I love pigeons. They're part of the culture.

01:00I mean, you don't see enough of them to want to get rid of them.

01:02But yeah, they're peaceful beings.

01:05I think they're quite dangerous, not in the sense that they attack people,

01:10but in the sense that they spread diseases.

01:14It hasn't always been like this. Pigeons clogging our cities.

01:18This bird breed, the rock pigeon, originally lived wild in nature,

01:22on steep rocky cliffs and narrow edges.

01:25That is, until humans began domesticating them to raise for food

01:30and for delivering messages during wartime.

01:36And as a source of endless entertainment.

01:39Today's pigeons aren't as helpful.

01:47Roaming free in urban spaces, they're left to reproduce and leave their mark.

01:53So here, even in front of the elevator, there are many faeces.

01:57They poop every 15 to 30 minutes.

02:00There's no more danger than from normal wild birds.

02:05But if these faeces pile up, then it's really not nice.

02:10And there might be some bacteria like salmonella inside,

02:15and this could be a problem for humans and other animals.

02:19Limiting the number of pigeons in the city is tricky.

02:22One solution is to install spikes and netting in public spaces,

02:25so they can't roost as easily.

02:27To manage those feral pigeons is not an easy thing,

02:31because you have to get your hands on those pigeons

02:36and control the reproduction.

02:38And for that, it has been proven that pigeon lofts are quite suitable.

02:43A pigeon loft, where magic happens.

02:46A bird apartment to flock, feed and nest together.

02:50Dorin Rothe helps monitor this spot, one of three citywide.

02:55Next to a major train station, injured pigeons are also brought here.

03:03At first, they're isolated in cages, before they can join the others.

03:09Careful.

03:11Pigeons are known to have one mate for life.

03:14This loft is built for 120 pairs, but is home to even more.

03:18These narrow perches resemble the birds' natural habitat.

03:22The pink dye sprayed under the pigeons' wings confuses birds of prey and scares predators away.

03:32They all look different.

03:36And this is what makes it clear that it's not wild animals, but that it's domestic animals.

03:42Because we have different wild pigeons, like turtledoves or wood doves,

03:48and they all look the same.

03:50All wood doves look the same, or turtle doves look the same.

03:52But these are all different breed.

03:54The loft isn't just a cosy place that keeps birds off the street.

04:00What attracts them is the food.

04:02But they stay to nest.

04:04Pigeons lay two eggs every few weeks, all year round.

04:08To control the population, volunteers swap them for artificial eggs.

04:12So I just take out the egg, which normally is the real one, and then I have some artificial ones.

04:22It's a drop in the ocean considering all the eggs hatching in Berlin each day.

04:27What we see is that there are far less pigeons on the station, on the platforms,

04:33where they used to be, and this is very clear.

04:36But the reduction in the number can only start when there are enough lofts.

04:41But how realistic is that?

04:44Many German cities are testing different methods to limit the number of pigeons,

04:49but they haven't found the perfect solution yet.

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