City Bird Celebration: Pigeons!

I have lived in NYC my entire life and I see pigeons all the time. They are beautiful and I have always enjoyed seeing them and I experience them as being sweet and kind. Last spring and summer, we had the honor of watching two pigeons in our neighborhood build a nest (under someone's air conditioner, on a windowsill). We saw the two babies, as they grew to fledging stage and then - the family was gone to the clouds. We hope that we still see them in our neighborhood, but the experience of watching them nest and the babies grow made me want to know more about our pigeon neighbors.

Photo Credit: our neighbor Kristin

This winter, we saw a young pigeon on a cold day and were SO worried. Our neighbor, Kristin was kind enough to stop and help. Pigeons can be born at any time of year, and thankfully, can handle winter weather.

To get started, here are some fast facts about pigeons

• There are more than 300 species of pigeons around the world.

• The one I see most often (and that you are probably picturing) is the Rock Pigeon.

• Pigeons are, of course, known for their mapping abilities and have been used through history as messengers. This dates to 10,000 years ago in Egypt.

• The word pigeon means "young dove" in French, and in fact, doves and pigeons are related.

• Pigeons mate for life and both parents build the nest and care for the babies. Both produce "pigeon milk" which they feed the babies for the first 10 days of life.

• June 13th is Pigeon Appreciation Day - you can celebrate in any way that honors pigeons near or far.

• Pigeon poop is a great fertilizer, since it's rice in nitrogen and saltpeter. Yes, it can be a bit messy, but it also has value!

• Lots of interesting folks through history have adored pigeons, including Nikola Tesla, Charles Darwin, Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet and others. I hope you are adding yourself to this list! (And, amazingly, pigeons have been able to differentiate between the art of Monet and Picasso!!!!)

We met the artist Claire (Little Clurtle Studios) at a local street fair and wanted to celebrate her art - here's her NYC pigeon - she creates adorable art that celebrates so many sweet things. Check her out!

Littleclurtlestudios

Now - some amazing true stories of pigeons!

Pigeons are VERY smart and can recognize themselves in a video, play ping-pong, detect cancer, order objects from low to high, and so much more. In a study, they remembered kindness; even when people changed outfits, they shied away from the person who had been aggressive. So, it makes sense that pigeons are often a symbol of peace.

The Dickin Medal, commonly referred to as the "Animal's Victoria Cross" is an honor bestowed on specific animals for their service during wartime. It has been awarded to pigeons many times, including the first honorees.

Winkie, one of the Dickin Medal recipients, saved a crew during WWII. She flew 100 miles to her owner who notified the Royal Air Force and was able to save the crew. This statue, in Dundee, Scotland honors her service.

GI Joe, another notable pigeon of wartime, saved more than a thousand soldiers. British had to get information to American troops in a very timely manner, so they sent GI Joe, a pigeon who delivered the message in time.

One of the things I love about pigeons is that we are so used to seeing them, that they can be overlooked, but they are truly beautiful. Although this isn't a photo of GI Joe, we hope you see the beauty in the bird. (This is a photo of a bird in NYC that we loved).

Nicobar Pigeon

There are so many different markings, feather colors and types of pigeon (although we are focusing here, on our neighbors, we have been lucky enough to see Victoria Crowned and Nicobar Pigeons at the Bronx Zoo).

There are SO many interesting pigeons including a flightless pigeon (Parlor Roller pigeons), a pigeon that somersaults in the air (the Birmingham Roller), and a fluffy pigeon (Frillback Pigeon). Pigeons live all around the world (except in extreme climates like the Sahara Desert or Arctic Circle). They are very adaptable.

To learn more, I highly encourage you to read A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching by Rosemary Mosco. It's funny and full of SO much information about these delightful birds.

Here's a quote to give you a sense of this book:

"Do pigeons dream? When humans sleep, we eperience periods of deep, dreamless sleep and chunks of dream-filled sleep... Birds to this, too. IN fact, of all the animals on earth, only birds and mammals are known to experienc REM sleep. But scientists aren't sure whether birds dream. Some research suggests that songbirds practice their songs in their sleep... Maybe pigeons dram about cooing. (page 137)

More books!

While there are a number of books that feature pigeons as silly or unkind, I prefer books that celebrate the goodness of these friendly birds.

A Pigeon in Paris - Petite Takes Flight by Paige Howard, Illustrated by Joanie Stone - a sweet picture book of a fledgling, bravely learning to fly, in France. It's noteworthy that pigeons are celebrated in some cities more than others, and Parisian pigeons seem special.

Seven: A Most Remarkable Pigeon - Sandra Nickel, illustrated by Aimée Sicuro

Seven, the pigeon, is unique; preferring petals to twigs, beautiful scents to homing practices. This book shows some typical pigeon behaviors while celebrating an individual who is different from (but ultimately embraced by) the flock.

Cher Ami: Based on the World War I Legend of the Fearless Pigeon - Mélisande Potter, illustrated by Giselle Potter.

Cher Ami was a very famous pigeon in World War I and this picto-biography shows her life, and the horrors of war in a calmer, kinder way. It reminds us that war impacts all of the world; the plants, the animals, and the people. May we all remember that pigeons, are a symbol of peace. (Cher Ami died on June 13th which is part of why the date was chosen for International Pigeon Appreciation Day).

(Thank you to my two pigeons - Plum and Biscuit for perching on the books to show that pigeons roost in all kinds of interesting places. They sleep standing on one leg, wherever they want, but they don't return to nests to sleep, unless they are brooding eggs.)

To celebrate birds in one more city, here's an iconic scene from Mary Poppins - "Feed the Birds" with some more pigeon love!