The Plight of Pigeons
How we failed our feathered friends
“Rats with wings” is what we like to call pigeons. It’s hilarious, right?
Let’s address the reasons people hate pigeons, because I want everyone to feel seen. I hear you, pigeon haters. They poop everywhere. It’s messy and can damage property. Whether pigeons and their poop pose any actual danger to human health is up for debate, but I’ll concede that any bird droppings can carry disease. Any wild animal waste can do this. We have coyotes frequent our yard quite a bit, and I’ve learned that you should be very careful cleaning up coyote scat. It carries all sorts of not-so-nice things. This is the type of thing we have to accept because we’ve chosen to build our neighborhoods in areas where wild animals once roamed free without us in the way. Here’s the problem, though: Pigeons aren’t wild animals.
It’s important for this discussion to understand the difference between “wild” and “feral”. Wild animals are native species that have never been domesticated. Feral animals are a domesticated species that have returned to the wild. Just like with feral cats, it’s our fault that pigeons run rampant all over the country. We did this to ourselves.
Pigeon History
Pigeons (or Rock Doves) are some of the oldest domesticated birds, dating all the way back to about 10,000 years ago. They were hunted and bred for food, and even considered symbols of fertility in some cultures. Pigeons don’t make me feel particularly sexy or fertile, but you do you, Mesopotamia. Of course we’re more familiar with white pigeons and doves being used as religious or spiritual symbols in the form of rituals like releasing them at weddings or funerals. You see where this is headed? But let’s not skip ahead.
Fast forward 7000 years or so, and we see the use of pigeons in communication begin. There is evidence of this in ancient times and even the Medieval period. The Greeks and Romans also used them to deliver the results of the Olympic games. In more modern times, carrier pigeons were vital to communicating during battle in both World War I and World War II. Their abilities were incredible. They can find their way home using landmarks and the Earth’s magnetic fields. They can also be taught to fly specific routes, round trip.
Get Shelly Bean’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
One notable example of a heroic pigeon is Cher Ami, whose taxidermied body is on display at the Smithsonian. Cher Ami was one of hundreds of pigeons that were sent to France to help with battlefield messaging. Cher Ami ran a dozen successful missions, and was the sole survivor when German soldiers shot down all of the other pigeons during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in 1918. Cher Ami lost a leg and his eye sight when a battalion of American soldiers was trapped behind German lines and not able to communicate their position. They used Cher Ami to deliver that message and ultimately, because of Cher Ami’s bravery, 194 men returned to American lines safely.
Pigeons have been good to us, but we have not returned the favor.
What happened?
So, how did pigeons become a feral nuisance? The same way any feral or invasive species does: They escaped and thrived.
Many pigeons were brought to North America from Europe, and used as food. Even before they were used in the military, they began escaping or being set free, and they were able to thrive. They are a hardy bird and were able to survive off of the food they found in nature and, later, garbage left out by humans. As urban areas were built and expanded, buildings and other structures were perfect spots for pigeons to set up their sad little nests (they are notoriously terrible mothers. If you want a laugh, look up pigeon nests on the internet). Poor nest building skills aside, their resilience and ability to flourish in any conditions is unfortunately what has led to the rampant pigeon hate.
So, why am I writing this? It’s not like my usual posts.
I’m writing this because 7 years ago I saw a post on a neighborhood website from a woman who had found a white “dove” in her apartment complex parking lot. He couldn’t fly, was friendly, and was especially interesting to her cat. She needed help. We already had a Collared Dove and thought “What’s one more?” When we showed up, lo and behold, she had a big, fat pigeon. Of course, he came home with us.
Nosferatu is my daughter’s best buddy. He’s a part of the family. He’s absolutely the dumbest creature God ever dropped on this Earth, but we love him. He can fly now, but I promise you he could not even find his way out of our yard, let alone behind enemy lines. The homing ability may have been bred out of his line years ago, but he’s still a hero to us. The joy he adds to the household is immeasurable.
The next time you see a “rat with wings”, take a second look. They are not invaders or pests by nature. They’re survivors of our own choices. We used them to nourish our families and save the lives of our soldiers. When we were done with them, we turned them out to fend for themselves and then vilified them for doing so. Pigeons thrive in the cracks of the messy, human world we built. So, let’s throw a little love their way. It’s the least we can do, after what they did for us.
