Combating Pigeon Misery: On the Road with the Egg Swappers - Wiesbaden's Pigeon Population Control: The Humane Egg-Swapping Method
Volunteers in Wiesbaden are combating the city's pigeon population by swapping real eggs with fake ones. This humane method aims to control the rapid reproduction of these urban birds, which often leads to suffering and deaths due to poor living conditions and diseases.
The initiative, led by Verena L. and Sina J., involves visiting active nests, even in unpleasant locations like abandoned parking garages. Using a homemade pole equipped with a whisk and pasta ladle, they carefully remove real eggs and replace them with plastic ones. This practice has proven effective in reducing the number of sick and injured chicks and overall pigeon population.
In 2023, over 1,600 eggs were swapped, with around 1,100 eggs replaced in 2024. This method has contributed to a significant decrease in the pigeon growth rate in Wiesbaden's city center, from over 40% in 2019 to just 5.5% in 2023. This success story has inspired other cities, with the Tierschutzverein Südthüringen advocating for the use of fake eggs to manage pigeon populations humanely. However, not all cities have embraced this method. In Limburg, a controversial plan to cull pigeons was later abandoned.
The egg-swapping initiative in Wiesbaden demonstrates a successful and humane approach to controlling urban pigeon populations. By reducing the number of chicks born, this method helps alleviate suffering and deaths among pigeons, while also managing the overall population. As more cities adopt similar strategies, it is hoped that the welfare of urban pigeons will improve, and the need for more drastic measures will decrease.
