Another love of mine are pigeons. You might have just read that thinking 'really?!' but yes, I love them. I think that they are extremely underappreciated and they are one of the cleverest birds (fact), yet people look at them and think they are dumb. I will admit, despite loving them, I did used to think they weren't particularly clever myself so I'm writing this in the hope that more of you will realise just how incredible they are!
Firstly, certain pigeons (in particular, feral) have adapted to the increase in urbanised areas which has been essential in their survival. They are one of the best species at doing so (probably the best bird) and should be appreciated just for this! Urban areas are mimics of the habitat that their wild counterparts, the rock dove, live in; nesting sites on flat block roofs - just like a cliff and a large food supply. Yes, they might make you jump a little when one flies straight towards you in the city centre but that is now their home and we should learn to accept it. Next, the homing instinct of a pigeon is second to none; this is much more apparent in domestic pigeons (used for racing) but is still present in wild pigeons. It is a theory by Jon Hagstrum that the way in which they do this is by detecting low frequency sounds from their home and so if there are disruptions from competing sources of sound then they may be knocked off course. Otherwise, it is unsure whether the sense of smell or Earth's magnetic fields guide pigeons. Pigeons were messengers during the war so are clearly very important to society and should not be disregarded In a recent study published in 'Current Biology', it was found that the multitasking ability of a pigeon was much better than humans or other primates but this doesn't actual surprise me and probably doesn't you either! They have 6x more neurones than us in their equivalent of the cortex in the brain meaning that they can relay information much more quickly. I'm hoping that you're starting to believe me as to how incredible these birds actually are! Another point is that baby pigeons (particularly wood pigeons) are incredibly cute; if you have ever seen one then you will know exactly what I am talking about. I volunteer at the Leicestershire Wildlife Hospital so have seen my fair share of pigeons - young and old, and I never get bored of seeing them. I think that maybe because pigeons are everywhere now in cities, that they are becoming less and less appreciated and we must change that! ©
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