A little love for the pigeon, please

[pigeonperson]

http://tinyurl.com/33klxz


Published: October 06, 2007 11:45 am print this story email this story comment on this story

A little love for the pigeon, please

Birding with Jerry Hall
By Jerry Hall
Daily Record Columnist

Pigeons are some of the most ill-treated and unloved birds in the world.

Along with starlings, sparrows and grackles, they are often regarded as “nuisance” birds and some people poison them and even use live pigeons for target practice.

They have been called “flying rats.”

While recognizing they can sometimes be a problem, I personally find a lot to like about pigeons. Although their propensity to poop in public places will never be popular with statues and street cleaners, they seem to me a friendly, engaging bird, and quite handsome, too.

They come in a staggering variety of interesting colors, patterns and feather arrangements, with some 28 different color morphs. There’s a big difference between the imposing Victoria crowned pigeon and the more familiar street-variety bird, but each one has something special to offer.

Officially known as rock pigeons, the birds were introduced into North America in the early 1600s and have found city buildings and window ledges to be excellent substitutes for the rock cliffs used by non-urban birds. Sexes look alike, with males being slightly larger and having more iridescence on the neck.

While uncommon in Wimberley, they are easily found in downtown San Marcos, and really thrive in major urban areas such as New York City. I’ve enjoyed seeing old men on park benches in Central Park, happily pitching popcorn to pigeons arrayed at their feet. At Trafalgar Square in London’s Hyde Park and in the grand plazas of Venice, I’ve seen large flocks of the birds gathered around anyone offering a snack. They even perched on the shoulders of youngsters tossing out free eats.

This is not to say pigeons, especially in large concentrations, can’t be a nuisance. A special sound system was installed in New York’s Times Square to play sounds of predatory birds — the goal being to cut down on the burgeoning pigeon population. Around airports, they are an unwelcome flight hazard and I’m told their nests can foul up gutters. Like most things, they are best in moderation.

On the plus side, pigeons display a high intelligence and are the world’s oldest domesticated bird. They have thrived on human contact for over 5,000 years and were used to deliver results of the first Olympics back in 776 B.C. The plucky birds served as dependable messengers in both world wars and are known for their rapid flight and uncanny sense of direction.

Today, pigeons are trained to race by hobbyists around the world and can fly more than 500 miles a day and in bursts up to 60 miles per hour. Races usually range in distance from 100 miles to 600 miles.

And while pigeon dung may be the bane of statues, it does have its uses. Ancient Egyptians used it as fertilizer and it can be used to make salt peter, an ingredient in gunpowder.

If you are one who finds pigeons of interest, you are certainly not alone. The National Pigeon Association provides a wealth of opportunities to learn more about these birds; check out www.npausa.com. If you’d like to learn more about homing pigeons, there are some 700 clubs affiliated with the American Racing Pigeon Union. Check out www.pigeon.org.

Pigeons are often abused and treated with disdain, but, given the chance, they still hang out with people and still bring a lot of happiness to those who get to know them.

[horsesgot6]

What a Great News Story. Wonder If the Preson Who Write It Would Mind If I sent a copy to My News Paper To Run. Is There A way to Reach Him. It Would Be Sent In With All His Info.

Thanks for The Add Of This Story,
Jennifer

[naturegirl]

Hoarray to Jerry Hall ! Thank You for sharing that news with us. It is so nnice to hear people talking nicely about them then I hear so many people calling them other things. Pigeons to me are cleaner then parrots (i know this as I have 5 of them). No wheres near as loud either. I would own 1000 pigeons over parrots anyday.

Cindy

[pigeonperson]

Jennifer,
ON top of the article is a link to the source. If you go there, look on top for a tab that says, "Contact us." I think you would have to first write the newspaper asking about it.

[JGregg]

Pigeon manure is used to fertilize champagne producing grapes in France, so champagne is indirectly produced by pigeons!

[Trees Gray]

The quality of our "BuBbLy"... is improved because of our noble pigeons.That is an interesting fact, thank you for sharing.

Thanks for sharing this story, pigeonperson.