The first municipal pigeon loft was installed on the roof of the municipal building on Kounicova last May, and began attracting the birds immediately. Nine months later, several individual pigeons inhabit the facility almost continuously, and more are coming all the time. This pilot project of the City of Brno is aimed at regulating the pigeon population in the city in a humane way.
“It’s about three quarters of a year since we finished the first city pigeon loft,” said Filip Chvátal, Deputy Mayor of Brno for the Environment. “The first pigeons discovered it even a few days before that. Now it’s winter, pigeons are sheltering here for a regular supply of food. Even though now is not the typical nesting period, even in January we noticed a clutch of eggs, which we exchanged for dummy eggs, to regulate the urban pigeon population. Despite these substitutions, this pair of pigeons is nesting in our loft for the fourth time.”
The idea for the lofts came from the Urban Pigeons Initiative, which was inspired by effective results from abroad (such as in Austria, Belgium or Brazil) and is cooperating with other municipalities in the Czech Republic, including Plzeň and Jevíčko. Three temporary workers from the initiative ensure the maintenance of the loft, visiting once a week to clean up and supplement the feed. The pigeons shelter mainly for the night, though three couples practically never leave, even during the day. The birds receive a high-quality and balanced diet which provides all necessary nutrients, and probiotics if necessary. The water left for them contains disinfectants. During nesting, the pigeon is allowed to hatch the first young, while subsequent eggs are exchanged for dummies.
“For preventive reasons, a parasitological examination of pigeon droppings was carried out in January,” said Michaela Klimsova from the Urban Pigeons Initiative. “The results are good. The findings were only harmless, the medicines we bought at the vet will be administered for two days. Due to the fact that the pigeons spend most of their time in the pigeon loft, we can control them in this way and address their health in time with suitable medicines and worming.”
