Hi guys,

Its not yet freezing here but I guess it will be in the next couple of months!

Thinking of the soon freezing birds outside I am considering to buy a little bird shed and put it on my balcony! Thing is, so many things are forbidden in Switzerland! Do you know if it is allowed to do this here? In France I wouldnt even ask that question I had a look at the rules of my building, and except for laundry that shouldnt be visible and barbecues that are allowed only after asking the landlord (!), I didnt find anything about feeding birds

But still, thought some of you might know if this is allowed in canton BS or not!

Thanks in advance guys for your answers!

Mary

Assuming you are renting. Generally any type of installation will require the permission of your landlord, ie. satellite installation on balcony, etc.. So best to go the official route and ask before buying/installing.

Furthermore, the birds will likely make a bit of mess, ie. food and other droppings making a mess of your balcony and others below. For this reason alone, expect to have some hassles/complaints of the landlord or neighbors or be prepared to offer cleaning services.

Whoopsie, damn disilexy I read "Is it allowed to have a bird sh!!t on one's balcony in Switerland (canton BS)?"
...
From what I gather it is at the landlords discretion, best bet is to go and ask

In addition to landlord's approval and confirmatory votation from neighbors in the building and adjacent buildings, you will need to ensure that the cats that roam the area will not suffer from ingesting the little birdies (have the composition of the bird food AND the pre-existing content of their gizzard professionnaly tested and post the results of the analysis at the Gemeindehaus for AT LEAST 21 days prior to the provision of food).

The bird shed will need a building permit. Again, the Gemeinde Buildings Dpt will help with this. Ensure that the building materials come from renewable source, preferably alpine forests. Style of the construction will depend on the architectural character of the neighborhood AND the orientation towards the sun (and full moon in case of eclipse).

There is no longer a requirement to have an anti-nuclear bunker associated with the bird shed (this is 2012 new), although new anti-sismic regulations are under consideration. Check with the Gemeinde.

This is all I can think of now. I do not give tax advice, hence cannot advise on whether you will be taxed on the virtual rental value of the bird shed.

Good luck.

We can go on actually (thanks Sbrinz for bringing up the poo factor) - so many things to think about :
1. disposal or (better !) recycling of bird droppings. Container, day of the week, precautions
2. NOISE - those things chirp
3. RATS - they love bird food. RACOONS. BEARS coming down from parched woods in search of food.
4. your entry here

I do not like wild birds. They carry a lot of diseases which can make both humans and pets ill. Bird feeding is forbidden in many towns.

If you lived above me, I am sure there would be droppings onto my balcony, and I would complain vigorously to the owner.

If you want to be kind to the wild birds you could buy some bird food and distribute it in the local woods, where they are safe from the domestic cat.

Thank you all for your replies! Well Ill think about it I guess!