A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon a note in the supermarket: someone was looking for help feeding the pigeons at Bahnhof Lichtenberg. I had never really thought about whether pigeons needed to be fed, so, out of curiosity, I started reading articles and papers about pigeons in Berlin. It turns out this is a surprisingly polarizing topic.

It’s estimated that Berlin has about 10,000 feral pigeons. Recently, a new legal report¹ was published examining the legal status of city pigeons as found animals. This report contains some fascinating points. It classifies city pigeons and their offspring as pets - that is, domestic animals - regardless of whether they have escaped or been released. Even after many generations, these pigeons do not lose their typical breeding behavior and do not mix genetically with the wild pigeon species found in Germany. Various scientific studies cited in the report show that the offspring of bred pigeons do not become “feral” either genetically or behaviorally over time. In addition, city pigeons are neither adapted to life in the wild nor suitable for it, due to their breeding, which often leads to poor health and a shorter life expectancy. Urban pigeons typically live only 2–3 years, compared to up to 15 years for well-cared-for domestic pigeons. Their high reproductive rate- a result of selective breeding - often leads to malnutrition and disease in the city environment. Unlike their wild relatives, they lay more eggs, even when food is scarce.