Fight against pigeons

Birds of prey wanted as roommates in retirement home

Symbolic image

(Bild: APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER)

An invasion of pigeons is making life difficult for the residents of the Haus zum Leben near Vienna's Prater. The management of the retirement home has already tried many things - with only limited success. Now the residents are taking the initiative: they want to win over a pair of falcons as allies and roommates.

The opposite of "good" is sometimes "well-intentioned": since the renovation of the roof in Vienna's "Haus zum Leben Prater", the residents have been plagued by a plague of pigeons. Apparently, the former, ageing roof provided the animals with plenty of shelter, which they are now taking back elsewhere in the retirement home - especially on the balconies of the apartments. They are covered in feathers and droppings, which, in addition to the stench, also poses a health risk.

Unsuccessful retreat battles
Many residents resort to self-help and cover their balconies with nets, install wind chimes or hope for the deterrent effect of glittering objects on the balconies. Some have already given up and left the place to the pigeons. Director Claudio May has also been battling the problem since the summer: spikes have been installed in all sorts of places, but the pigeons still find plenty of space - partly because some residents won't stop feeding them.

The contamination caused by pigeon droppings is almost impossible to control.

(Bild: Zwefo)

The balconies are also cleaned regularly, but the senior citizens feel that the staff cannot be expected to do this. "Two minutes after they've finished, it already looks like it did before," shrugs Mrs. B. She doesn't want to cover her balcony with a net - "it makes me feel like I'm in a dungeon" - because she loves the view of the very area where she grew up over 80 years ago, albeit with lots of allotments back then, from which she used to secretly steal fruit as a girl.

Her apartment neighbor tried it with plastic bird dummies. "They and the pigeons are the best of friends! They sit right next to them on the balcony railing," says Ms. B., describing the unsuccessfulness of this attempt to get the pest under control. But then Mrs. B. remembered her previous apartment in a Viennese apartment building, where there had never been any problems with pigeons - because a pair of kestrels nested two houses away. An idea was born.

Secret weapon against pigeons

Kestrels can actually drive pigeons away in the long term. Wiener Wohnen also relies on this "biological secret weapon" and builds them nesting boxes. The effect is merely a deterrent: kestrels do not eat pigeons, but the pigeons cannot distinguish between kestrels and peregrine falcons, which would actually be a danger to them.

Together with her gang neighbor, the enterprising Mr. W., and other allies, Ms. B. urged Director May to adopt a pair of kestrels. He now hopes that this idea of the senior citizens will finally bring the desired success against the pigeon plague. He has already contacted the zoo in Schönbrunn for advice and assistance. Of course, the falcon faction among the senior citizens still has to convince their fellow residents: some fear that the young falcons could disturb their peace and quiet with their cries.