The Truth About Pigeons

All pigeons you find in the world today are descended from the wild Rock Dove. A cliff dwelling species, the Rock Dove was native to Europe, North Africa and India. Mesopotamian cuneiform tablets mention the domestication of the pigeon over 5,000 years ago. They are also mentioned in Egyptian hieroglyphics. Some research suggests pigeons were actually domesticated over 10,000 years ago. This domesticated bird was then abandoned to their fate – which means that city pigeons you see today are feral, not wild, while fancy, racing and king pigeons are domestic (unable to survive in the wild due to being raised in captivity).

Pigeons no more carry and spread disease than a dog or cat does, and the diseases they do sometimes have are not easily passable to humans. In fact, pigeons have far less bacterial issues than humans do – it’s cleaner to kiss a pigeon than your boyfriend. Pigeons with access to clean water will bathe daily, often more than once. They are fastidious about keeping poop off their feet, out of the main area of their nest, and off their feathers. So how did this myth start and perpetuate? This Audubon article explains it better than we ever could.

Pigeons are renown for their ability to “home” (return home after a long flight). While the mechanics of how they do this are still largely a mystery, this skill served humans well during wartime. Pigeons flew messages between the lines during both WWI and WWII. In total, 32 pigeons have received the Dickin Medal for their service. Today, pigeons are being studied more closely due to being uncommonly good at detecting cancerous tissue in humans.

Pigeons are uniquely suited to live alongside human beings…after all, we created them. They are easygoing, quieter than parrots, and their beaks are soft so they will not bite your finger off. They rarely like toys and don’t chew. Instead they are usually seen loafing, dancing in front of a mirror, or puttering about on the floor. They are easy to care for, hearty, charming and great with kids. Like any other animal, a good match is essential to bringing a pigeon into your life, but once you do you will wonder what took you so long.

In ever widening academic circles, pigeons are finally being appreciated for their intelligence. Incredible navigational abilities aside, they are one of few species of birds who can self-recognize (they know who that bird in the mirror is), and they can differentiate between letters of the alphabet, paintings and people’s faces. They are also emotionally intelligent: they feel love when they choose a mate (they mate for life), grief when their mate dies, and they can detect when a flock member is ill or injured, often before humans can.

We owe the pigeon. They are the only animals who have successfully survived being abandoned by their creators (us). Despite our cruelty towards them, they have figured out a way to survive alongside us in every continent except Antarctica – in cold, in heat and in dire circumstances. That said, they suffer from lack of proper nutrition and clean water. Despite every right to live in this world, they are subjected to intentional harm via pest companies, poisoning, shooting, racing, domestic selection and breeding, the meat industry and random senseless cruelty. They also suffer from stringfoot, which is when hair, string, fishing line, thread and similar litter gets caught in their feet, slowly cutting off circulation until toes or even an entire foot dies and falls off. If you want to make amends, the easiest thing to do is start feeding a flock and catching any that have stringfoot. Look for a stringfoot group in your area – they are out there.