Pigeon Box Project
2010
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Design Intervention
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London, UK
Pigeons are seen everyday. With their exceptional adaptability, they nest in cavities of buildings, which resemble their original habitat of rocky cliffs, and live on both food waste as well as feeding from animal feeders. According to Haag-Wackernagel, the public fed pigeons regularly since the earlier eras. Feeding pigeons has been regarded as "an important spare-time activity to many people who enjoy animals and are looking for a form of relaxation … however, regular excessive public feeding is seriously not recommended" (Haag-Wackernagel, 2003). In spite of the fact that pigeon problem has essentially been associated with the high number of birds since the 1930s, only in 1980s it became apparent by a Swiss biologist Daniel Haag-Wackernagel that "the key to controlling a pigeon population is food (Blechman, 2006, p.142)." And to many people's surprise, killing of the birds, which has been practiced by many cities, actually had the counter effect of increasing the population.
The Measuring Boxes for Pigeon Feeders aim to encourage urban residents to rebuild the historic connection with the limited wildlife remaining in cities; persuade concerned individuals to participate in resolving the pigeon problem; facilitate ongoing interaction between feeders and the birds, while removing the label 'agitator'. The rise of the pigeon issue was caused by a lack of understanding and problematising of the pigeons. With thorough knowledge and proper practice, the relationship and environment can improve.