Pigeons: they seem to be everywhere. They appear in a myriad of environments, from scorching hot cities to chilly historical towns, from mountainous regions to coastal getaways, from rural farms to lush areas; they are a familiar fixture of our everyday lives and, increasingly, of pop culture. Think childhood staple, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, Emma Chamberlain’s new tattoo and pigeon-core Instagram posts, or the famous JW Anderson pigeon clutch. I have always been a fan of the birds, but I’ve increasingly encountered more and more pigeon haters. Their dismissal as mere pests began to make me quite sad. That’s when I came across A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching: Getting to Know the World’s Most Misunderstood Bird by Rosemary Mosco at the Picasso Museum in Barcelona (because, in case you weren’t aware, Picasso was a big pigeon fan). After finishing the book and observing pigeons on my own, I am here to tell you that they are not rats with wings. Pigeons are intelligent, adaptive, and resilient creatures with a long history of connection with humans. They’re cool, I promise.
A Brief Look at Pigeons
Historically, pigeons have served a great purpose in many different civilizations. They have been used as food, with squab (young pigeon) still a common dish in some parts of the world. They have been used as fertilizers and for weapons production, as their poop is rich in nitrogen (good for crops) and saltpeter (an ingredient in gunpowder). They have been used as messengers, subjects of evolutionary study, and pets. Long story short, humans domesticated pigeons long ago for a variety of reasons. However, as technological advancements and the domestication of other livestock replaced the birds, the majority went feral as they were gradually abandoned and demonized by us humans.
One of their most favorable traits is their adaptability. Pigeons are able to survive in a range of environments (rural, urban, hot, cold, high altitude, low altitude), hence why they seem to be in every place you visit, and, more importantly, they can reproduce year-round in those habitats. The reproduction of many birds is seasonal, but pigeons can have babies at any time they want. This keeps population metrics up, especially since the average feral pigeon lives only about three years. And while they have a bad reputation, they’re actually quite docile birds. They may accidentally poop on you, but they don’t attack humans and are some of the best connections to wildlife many of us have in urban areas. Each bird tells a story of world history, evolution, and genetic mixing — you just have to give them a chance. In case you don’t believe me, here are some of my favorite facts from Mosco’s book:
- Like all birds, they evolved from dinosaurs and are specifically linked to the theropod group, which included the famous T. rex.
- Pigeons of both sexes produce milk for their young. It’s produced in the bird’s throat (crop), is a bit chunky, and requires the baby to stick its head in its parents’ mouth…but it’s super nutrition-rich and has many similarities to human milk!
- They are terrible nest builders. Oftentimes, their nests are just a heap of sticks on a flat, covered surface, and they don’t tend to clean that pile of sticks very often…
- They mate for life!
- Pigeons and doves are biologically the same, yet only the former has a bad reputation. Seems a bit unfair to me!
- The famously extinct dodo bird was a kind of pigeon.
- Launching into the sky from the ground takes a lot of effort for pigeons, hence why they tend to walk or run away from any dangers instead of immediately flying.
- They are great navigators and have a strong connection to their home (which is what allowed them to be such successful messengers).
- Some participated in both World Wars and helped the British and American armed forces!
- They have three eyelids.
- They are super diligent about cleanliness and preen constantly, meaning their dirty reputation is false.
- If you see dust on a pigeon, it is most likely keratin particles the birds shed to protect their feathers.
- They have nine air sacs, no diaphragm, and breathe 28x per minute.
- Their brains are quite large for their overall size and dense with neural pathways, meaning they are much more intelligent than we give them credit for.
- A pigeon has been successfully taught to play ping-pong before.
- There is a whole world of pigeon breeding solely for aesthetic purposes (look up a photo of a Jacobin pigeon if you’re curious).
- They sleep in the open, not in their nests, and love a power nap during the daytime.
- Pigeons cannot give you rabies and are actually quite unlikely to carry any diseases that could be transmitted to humans.
While I don’t expect everyone to turn into a pigeon lover (or to want one as a pet as I do) after reading a few snippets of information, I hope the above facts at least show that there is a lot more to pigeons than what first meets the eye. They may come across as bothersome and dumb, but, in reality, they are resilient birds that have stood by humans for centuries and continue to do so, even if we no longer acknowledge it. We should count ourselves lucky that the wild animals closest to many of us are such gentle creatures…and that they’re so forgiving after such abandonment. I think that not only makes them cool, but also worthy of our respect.