Pigeon hunt at Cologne Cathedral

Those responsible for Cologne Cathedral would like to chase the pigeons away with birds of prey : a falconer helps.

Although the doves are actually Christian symbols and therefore fit very well with a hairy house of God, in reality they still represent a very large one for the world cultural heritage. Love and peace then cease when the pigeon droppings damage Cologne Cathedral . The building structure is severely attacked by the acid content in the pigeon's droppings. Furthermore, the feces also provide a great environment for parasites. Thus, the pigeons ultimately represent a health hazard for the visitors and the employees of the cathedral.

The defense

Those responsible at Cologne Cathedral are trying to fend off the pigeons in various ways. There are many safety nets and sharp nails that are supposed to ward off the pigeons . In addition, there are also their own pigeons at Cologne Cathedral. These live in their own nest boxes at the cathedral. The house pigeons should defend their territory and drive away the wild pigeons.

Professional falconer commissioned

A falconer was even hired to drive away the pigeons with his falcons. As early as 1979 there was a so-called Dom Falkner who had settled a pair of falcons on the cathedral. The names of the falcons were Agrippina and Arnold. This first pair and many other falcons had their nesting place on the north tower of the cathedral. However, since this is no longer available and so the cathedral falcons have moved to the neighboring church of Groß St. Martin.

Specialized falconer

The commissioned falconer has started his own business with his numerous birds of prey. He is assigned to chase away pigeons. He does this in the Cologne Bay or at Cologne-Bonn Airport. As natural enemies of the pigeons, these birds of prey automatically chase the pigeons away with their presence. After the birds have found the pigeons, the pigeons are chased away. As a rule, the pigeons are not killed.

The birds of prey are specially trained and such training can take up to three months. The birds of prey are trained on glass panes or other obstacles in order to avoid them perfectly. The falconer directs his birds of prey with whistles. In order to confuse the pigeons, the hunt always takes place at different times!

This work demands top performance from both the birds of prey and the falconer! Not only the birds, but also the falconer hunt at high speed along the cathedral. The falconer emphasizes that work is all about hunting and driving away the pigeons. A killing is not forced. The birds of prey are fed beforehand and only go hunting afterwards. We wish you every success with the hunt, so that the cathedral will keep its fantastic appearance for a long time.

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