Between freedom and security, what makes a feral pigeon happier?
Grantee: Brandon Mak
Institution: Technical University of Munich, Germany
Grant amount: $10,900
Grant type: Seed grants
Focal species: Feral pigeon/rock dove (Columba livia domestica)
Conservation status: Least concern
Disciplines: Ornithology, animal behavior, physiology, population ecology, wildlife management
Research locations: Germany
Project summary
Feral pigeons in Germany are subject to the Augsburg model of non-lethal population control, which involves attracting them to breed in dovecots where food and nest sites are provided, and their eggs exchanged with dummies. Others are captured and housed in aviaries under similar conditions. While aimed at reducing pigeon populations, providing food, and reducing exposure to predators, it’s possible that these measures may incidentally alleviate chronic stress in free-living individuals. This project investigates the welfare implications of Germany’s non-lethal population control strategies. This is done by comparing the stress profiles of feral pigeons living “wild” in the streets, free-living pigeons breeding and feeding in dovecots, and formerly free-living pigeons translocated into aviaries. Fieldwork will be conducted to weigh pigeons (body mass measurement), collect egg and feather samples from their nests (corticosterone concentrations), and observe their behavior (locomotion and aggression).
Why we funded this project
This project will contribute to our understanding of the potential welfare effects of (non-chemical) fertility control in pigeons, a leading candidate for near-term interventions to improve welfare in urban contexts. It will also provide some information on the validity of egg corticosterone as a non-invasive indicator of stress by measuring it alongside other more established methods (feather corticosterone, morphological and behavioural indicators) for a more robust welfare assessment.