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Cherry blossom trees at the University of Washington
Cherry blossom trees at the University of Washington
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Washington | Life

A Brief History of Pigeons (and How We Failed Them)

Eliza Disbrow Student Contributor, University of Washington - Seattle
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Washington chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

While walking one afternoon somewhat recently, I watched as both children and adults alike took pleasure in frightening pigeons. Stomping, yelling, and running towards the poor birds, all simply trotting along with their other pigeon friends or eating a snack. I had a strange love for pigeons as a child, I viewed them as “city birds,” and I was always a city girl. I craved a big city, no matter how old I was, and thought pigeons were the telltale sign. Now–obviously–I know that’s not the case, but the prevalence of pigeons worldwide has caused a level of disdain for many. They’re “sky rats” or government drones or something. Either way, for many, pigeons are nuisances. But I still love them. And maybe that’s because I feel guilt about their current predicament.

Anywhere from 5,000 to 10,000 years ago, pigeons were domesticated in Mesopotamia and farmed as a food source, eventually becoming one of the most crucial proteins across Europe and the Middle East. However, their value expanded beyond being a food source. Pigeons have an uncanny ability to find their way home over long distances, and this was utilized to create a system of communication built on the backs of pigeons. Known as “homing pigeons,” or “carrier pigeons,” most commonly, their skills were used across the globe to bridge the gap between empires, with Genghis Khan even having a system of pigeons set up from Eastern Europe through Asia.

Until the introduction of telephones, pigeons were used for communication commercially, and in war times, under the clever moniker “war pigeons.” War pigeons were used during World War II, with the United Kingdom alone using 250,000 birds to carry messages across battle zones, eventually discontinuing their use in 1948. 

Pigeons were kept as pets, bred for their beauty, and used in races, which brought them into the cities, where they thrived, until the early ’60s, when pigeon perception began to change. Murmurings of bad pigeon press in the background, all the way back in the ‘30s, grew louder over time, with two deaths eventually blamed on pigeons spreading disease. That was all people needed to start labeling pigeons as “rats with wings.” But that is false, with the majority of public understandings of pigeons being misconceptions. Pigeons aren’t harmful to human health unless you have an impaired immune system, and pigeons aren’t even harmful to other birds. If pigeons catch, say, the bird flu, they don’t spread it.

But, their use wore out. Cellphones and mass, rapid communication rendered pigeons obsolete. So, they were cast out. Too dirty to be pets, too inconvenient to be useful. As a result, pigeons litter the streets, struggling to build nests for the eggs, because that was practically bred out of them. It wasn’t a necessary skill for a homing pigeon, or even a pet, as that was dealt with by the human owner. Pigeons were used and discarded by humans, and are made fun of and tormented by those same humans who cast them out only a few decades ago. Could you imagine your domesticated dog–especially a Goldendoodle or one of the many combinations–left to its’ own devices? And laughed at? More than 5,000 years of utility and companionship, then absolute betrayal and abandonment.

Eliza Disbrow

Washington '26

Eliza Disbrow is a senior at the University of Washington, majoring in International Studies: European Studies with a double minor in Spanish and business. Eliza is a writer for both the University of Washington chapter and for National HerCampus, covering a variety of topics, from music, books, social media, politics, to anime.

Beyond Her Campus, Eliza serves as the co-president of the University of Washington Euro Club, participates in the University of Washington Women in Business club, and works part-time at Evereve.

In her free time, Eliza can be seen taking in the sights of Seattle on any of the available forms of public transportation, normally with a book in hand and headphones in her ears. She plays guitar and bass, mainly as an excuse to play either Fall Out Boy or Ghost to family and friends. Additionally, she is perhaps the number-one super fan of "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver," somehow able to quote or recall episodes ranging from the most recent release or from three years ago.