27/05/2026
Seems fitting to share this
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BRpCrjSoY/
The feral pigeon was domesticated more than 5,000 years ago, used as a messenger through some of history's most significant conflicts, and released into cities when it was no longer needed. The birds on every town square in Britain are the descendants of that history. 🕊️
A few things worth knowing:
Both parents produce crop milk — a protein and fat-rich secretion that both male and female pigeons generate to feed their chicks. This is almost unique among birds.
They pair for life. If one of a pair dies, the survivor often remains alone.
They navigate using the Earth's magnetic field and the position of the sun, orienting from distances exceeding 1,000 km. The mechanisms are still not fully understood.
They consume food waste, grain, and organic scraps from the ground. Without them, that material feeds rats instead.
The pigeon populations that feel out of control in British towns and cities are created and sustained by supplementary feeding — bread, in particular, provides calories without nutrition and drives rapid breeding. The population density is a direct function of food availability.
Cher Ami, the carrier pigeon who delivered a message during the First World War that saved the lives of nearly 200 American soldiers, was awarded the Croix de Guerre. The species has a longer documented relationship with human warfare, communication, and agriculture than almost any other. 🌿
