An administrative court in Finland has told a complainant that no matter how much he hates the sound of sparrows chirping, they’re not a danger to public health and he can’t force the owners of a nearby building to remove nests the sparrows have built there.
The annoyed neighbor had told local authorities that “flying winged animals do not respect property boundaries, and as their numbers increase they spread more widely,” and demanded that four nests be removed from under the eaves of the neighboring building. The building manager took some steps, but the birds remained.
The court accepted the city’s argument that birds are part of the urban environment, that their chirping doesn’t exceed levels considered harmful, and that the presence of nearby parks and woodlands makes bird activity inevitable, and that there is no obligation for a property owner to keep his premises bird-free.
There’s still a possibility of an appeal to the Supreme Administrative Court, but none has been filed as yet.
Image: J.M. Garg/Wikimedia Commons
Someone needs to get some earplugs for the annoyed neighbor.
Glad he’s not living near me.