About Us
Stadttauben Schweiz
Founded in 2017 and run entirely by volunteers, Stadttauben Schweiz has around 200 members and advocates throughout Switzerland for effective and humane solutions for urban pigeon management.
We advise private individuals, public authorities and institutions, with a particular focus on managed pigeon lofts based on the Augsburg Model. As a national point of contact, we connect committed individuals and organisations, promote the exchange of experience and expertise, and work to raise public awareness and understanding.
Our goal is to achieve lasting change in the way urban pigeons are treated: moving away from short-term measures such as deterrence or culling and towards humane solutions that are effective in the long term.
Our Mission
We advocate for sustainable and humane urban pigeon management. At the heart of our approach are managed pigeon lofts based on the Augsburg Model: they combine appropriate care for the pigeons with targeted population management through egg swapping. At the same time, pigeons are encouraged to settle in suitable managed lofts, while unmanaged nesting sites are humanely closed off.
The interaction of these measures is key: it improves living conditions for urban pigeons, manages their population sustainably over the long term, and at the same time reduces soiling and conflicts in public spaces.
Our comprehensive guide is based on the Augsburg Model and shows how managed pigeon lofts can be implemented efficiently and humanely in Switzerland.
Our Team
Nina Bachellerie
President
My commitment to urban pigeons grew out of personal encounters with these wonderful animals, and I have been volunteering on their behalf since 2017. I believe that, because of their history of domestication, we have a particular responsibility towards them as a society – one that we can fulfil through managed pigeon lofts. An important part of my work is bringing together committed individuals, experts and public authorities to develop sustainable solutions together.
As President, I am primarily responsible for providing advice, as well as for the association’s internal organisation and membership administration.
Raffaela Röthlisberger
Vice President
Through many years of observing urban pigeons in cities and helping to care for managed pigeon lofts, I have developed a deep understanding of their behaviour and needs. My aim is to share well-founded knowledge and challenge common misconceptions. Respectful and humane treatment of urban pigeons is possible if we are willing to understand the realities of their lives – and to see them as fellow living beings rather than as a problem.
As the contact person for the Bern Chapter, I am particularly committed to supporting urban pigeons that are not cared for through the city’s managed pigeon lofts.
Dorina Probst
Board Member
I have been involved in animal welfare for many years, with a particular focus on animals that receive little attention in our society. For me, this includes urban pigeons in particular: sensitive, intelligent and social animals that are often misunderstood. My aim is to raise awareness, challenge misconceptions and promote sustainable, humane solutions for coexistence between people and animals.
As the coordinator for the Zurich Chapter, I want to help foster greater understanding of urban pigeons and ensure that they are treated fairly and humanely in our city.
Downloads
Our 2025 Annual Report and Articles of Association are currently available in German.