Columba livia var. domestica, feral pigeon, bydue

By far the most frequently seen bird in the centre of Oslo, and most cities, is the feral pigeon.



Lumix GH3 camera with Lumix G 14-140mm f/3.5-5.6 at ISO 200, 1/500s, 140mm, f/7.1.



The pigeons typically live for 3-4 years. They are monogamous, and the male watches over the female and the nest. The female usually lay eggs three-four times per year, with one-two eggs at a time.

In the city, the number of pigeons is often seen as a problem, and there are efforts to reduce their numbers. One is these towers, where the birds lay eggs. The eggs are then destroyed and replaced by porcelain dummies, hence avoiding that the number of pigeons accelerates too much:



The pigeons mostly rely on food from humans to survive. Feeding pigeons is generally discouraged, suggesting that rats, an even worse pest, end up eating the food:



The pigeons often dwell under bridges and on building facades.




To avoid having the pigeons living on a building, you often see metal rods mounted to flat, horizontal surfaces: