'Detecting cancer to guiding missiles': Pigeons can be remarkably versatile

You probably have never really paid much attention to the flocks of pigeons that coo gently in huge plazas or various nooks around your city. But if you did, you’d notice something surprising — that these docile birds communicate in a similar way as your typical house cat curled up happily in your lap.

Ask any ornithologist or passionate birdwatcher and they’ll tell you how these birds, like many others, coo and purr when they are content and eager to socialise — which means they’re often found sticking together in flocks comprising countless numbers of their fellow feathered friends.

Archaeologists suggest that pigeons were the first birds to be domesticated by humans, who initially bred them as sources of food.

These days, pigeons are ubiquitous in urban landscapes across the globe, from the dusty roads of Kuala Lumpur to the historical marketplaces and walkways of Istanbul. And, if you visit places like New York’s Washington Square Park or Mumbai’s Gateway of India, pigeons are even part of the spectacle, commanding an audience of tourists.

But why are pigeons frequently overlooked, despite there being so many of them almost everywhere you go? And why do the birds stay in the city, assuming the role of city dwellers alongside their human counterparts?

Andrew Garn, a fine art and editorial photographer, as well as writer of 12 books, including The New York Pigeon, tells TRT World it boils down to: “One word — food. Lots of food in cities and people who will always feed them.

“I have studied pigeons in their natural habitats in limestone cliffs in Egypt, the mountains of India, and cities throughout the world, from Venice to Siberia. Pigeons thrive in cities because there is more leftover food and caring people,” says the native New Yorker.

Originating from the same rock pigeon ancestor, feral descendants of the bird are found worldwide today. Non-threatening and highly resilient, their survival and massive numbers stand in contrast to common house sparrows, who haven’t shared their same fate, with multiple studies pointing to deforestation, pollution, and even mobile phone signals as having caused the decline in population of the small birds in most of the world’s major cities.

With over 300 identified species of pigeons, including doves, spread across the globe, the number is still not that surprising, considering the long history of human fascination with birds.

Scandaroon, Archangel and Frillack — pigeon varieties have blossomed with posh names and with hues and plumage to match. Some share a dark bluish-grey body with a yellow, green and reddish-purple iridescent pattern as with the rock dove, while others sport more striking plumage, as with Fantail pigeons or Jacobins, which are adorned with fluffy, feathered manes.

“They are a victim of their own evolutionary success in a way. If they were as rare as hawks or eagles, people would be astounded by their feather patterns and flying abilities,” shares Garn, who began photographing pigeons after becoming curious about the birds 12 years ago. “I love pigeons, I see them everyday, [and] frequently rescue injured ones.”

His fascination with the feathered creatures eventually led to his involvement with nonprofit rehabilitation and education centre Wild Bird Fund, “first by photographing birds there, then becoming a volunteer, a NYS licensed bird rehabilitator, and curator of the art window there.”

“I have always worked on self generated assignments on subjects that struck my fancy. Some have never been published, others have ended up as books.”

Besides his book on pigeons, Garn has authored, amongst other titles, Brooklyn Arcadia, which showcases Green-Wood Cemetery, a national historic landmark in Brooklyn, as well as documented a century of architectural and design history behind New York City’s subway system in Subway Style.

More than meets the eye

Once upon a time, pigeons were instrumental in facilitating communication. The homing birds were used as messengers for centuries, owing to their incredible sense of direction and intelligence. Like our four-legged, furry companions, pigeons possess the ability to be well-trained too. “Pigeons can be trained to positively identify cancer in x-rays at the same accuracy rate as trained radiologists,” says Garn.

American psychologist and behaviourist B. Frederic Skinner famously attempted to teach pigeons to guide missiles in an experimental project. Using food as a reward, Skinner found these feathered beings could be conditioned to learn other impressive tasks, including play games such as ping pong. Research indicates they can recognise words as well. “Pigeons have certain cognitive abilities beyond that of cats and dogs — they see in five colour spectrums, they navigate using sound, smell and sensing the magnetic fields of the earth,” explains Garn.

He adds, “They are one of only five creatures (including humans) that can self identify in a mirror. Dogs and cats can not.

“Pigeons relate with people in different ways than dogs and cats. Part of that is because they fly and they need to be outside. Pigeon coop owners relate with their pigeons on rooftops where they can easily fly away and come back.”

Capable of surviving long and often arduous journeys across oceans, they were even instrumental during both World Wars — some, as it happens, were awarded medals for their services in saving human lives. From delivering the results of the Olympic games across ancient Greek towns to assisting sailors in navigating the Mediterranean Sea, pigeons used to play an important role in day-to-day life.

Did you know pigeons can also recognise faces and identify the people who feed them? According to Garn, flocks will fly down when they see familiar faces they know.

He does not keep pigeons in his apartment — “Personally, I don’t think birds should live in cages (unless they are unable to live in the wild). I do know some people that love pigeons as pets and have them living in their homes and that is great.” — But Garn does, however, have a rescue dog named Possum who he goes hiking with a lot.

He recounts how one particular bird left a rather indelible impression.

“There was a pigeon in my local park (a red bar with a very noticeable white toenail) that would fly down and follow me around as I walked my dog almost every day for a month. It would fly in circles around me.

Then one day, Garn adds, the bird disappeared, until he saw it a few months later on 14th street, a major crosstown street in Manhattan, where it appeared to have joined a new flock. “I occasionally feed pigeons appropriate seeds on cold winter days, because they especially need good nutrition, so the red bar may have remembered me from then,” Garn explains.

Farmer’s friend in Anatolian lands

In Türkiye's Cappadocia, where pigeons were partly responsible for shaping the semi-arid Central Anatolian region’s ancient history, rows upon rows of hollow pigeon cotes or homes decorate stretches of rocky landscape.

An entire valley — aptly named Pigeon Valley, or Guvercinlik Valley — lies between two towns in Cappadocia, Uchisar and Goreme, where pigeon cotes can still be found carved in tall, mushroom-like volcanic stone structures called fairy chimneys that sprout throughout the land.

The eggshells left behind after the pigeons hatched were supposedly ground up and made into a form of white plaster, used in part of the designs for Cappadocian church frescoes. Pigeon droppings have even come in handy in preserving vibrant frescoes in Karanlik Kilise, or the Dark Church, a famed cave church in Goreme’s Open Air Museum.

More importantly, however, pigeon homes were built in the area so that farmers nearby could collect the birds’ droppings — used, for generations, to fertilise local volcanic soil thanks to their natural chemical compositions. Many old cave churches were also fashioned into new quarters for the birds to take refuge in.

Back then, patient farmers would venture into these specially-crafted guvercinlik (pigeon lofts) to diligently scrape the nitrogen-rich manure off of floors and walls, a task they embarked on only once a year. Once collected, the pigeon manure, though it may conjure a rather unappetising mental image, would breathe life into graveyards, orchards, and fields of grain, such as wheat, vital for feeding people near and far.

According to local belief, the sharp claws of predators — including foxes and martens, weasel-like creatures that feed on pigeons and pigeon eggs — slip on the pasty-white mortar mixture, making for a difficult entry, and therefore protecting the pigeons within.

In terms of agriculture, remnants of this centuries-old tradition survive in small pockets of Türkiye. The countless pigeon homes that remain are now mere physical reminders of an evolving civilisation, when pigeons tagged along on the human journey as faithful sidekicks.

But why did pigeons fall out of our favour? Did they always have a reputation as human foes? Or were they our friends until we stopped needing them, and left them to fend for themselves?

According to Garn, “Pigeons weren’t abandoned, they were imported to countries for various uses, including for human food (pigeons were the go-to poultry for human consumption in the early 20th century, until chicken farms overtook them).

“Pigeons escaped and thrived. They are smart, durable, and they are survivors,” Garn explains further, adding, “Pigeons manage to live in Times Square, around auto repair yards in the South Bronx, and out in Brighton Beach. They have had centuries of learning how to adapt to cities, and they do it well.”

Nowadays, pigeon-keeping persists, though not nearly on a scale as it did before. You can still find pigeon coops on rooftops and backyards in cities from Istanbul and Paris to Khartoum, Cairo, and Karachi, where the act of tending to the birds is born out of passion rather than necessity.

It helps that there are more people like Garn who are allies to pigeons.

Back in New York City, pigeons are usually depicted in an unsavoury light, at least in pop culture, but Wild Bird Fund Communications Director Catherine Quayle begs to differ.

“We'd disagree that pigeons have a bad rap in NYC,” says Quayle. “There are many, many pigeon lovers. As a wildlife clinic whose patients include pigeons, we see thousands of people a year show up at our door having rescued a feral pigeon that needed help. Our followers and donors are big fans of pigeons.”

Based in NYC, the Wild Bird Fund treats over 9,500 birds and 180 species of small mammals each year.

“People associate them with dirty city streets, even though humans are the ones who created the dirty environments they sometimes inhabit. Pigeons, like all birds, are naturally clean and must remain so to be able to fly, stay warm and be healthy,” Quayle explains.

According to Quayle, pigeons — typically never the kind of bird to migrate or stray far from where they hatched — are territorial birds, and have become largely dependent on humans and human environments for food and shelter.

With most people today being unaware of the history humans have with pigeons, some continue to use the birds for various purposes, only to abandon them once their role has been fulfilled. However, these purposes don’t include more sustainable roles like providing annual fertiliser or serving as expedient messengers; with pigeons’ roles now diminished, they are regarded as almost disposable.

As Quayle shares, “There are people who continue to release and abandon pigeons. A domestic pigeon raised in captivity will usually not be able to survive in the wild, so releasing them for weddings, funerals or other occasions will usually end in many of them dying — either by starvation or predation. We strongly condemn this activity.”

There is a World Sparrow Day on March 20. There is a World Parrot Day on May 31. And although there is no World Pigeon Day, there is a Pigeon Appreciation Day, falling annually on June 13. Many bird enthusiasts who long for the melodic whistling, human mimicry and friendly demeanour that parrots offer usually find the humble pigeon to be a more reliable pet for their homes, given how high-maintenance parrots are known to be.

“There are many tame, feral pigeons needing adoption and they can make very good companions,” says Quayle. Although the docile birds make relatively laidback pets compared to parrots, it is worth noting that pigeons still require appropriate and adequate care, including “lots of space and free fly time.”

“They are gentle and loving as partners, [and] they typically mate for life (although life is not long for a feral pigeon),” adds Quayle. Feral pigeons live, on average, about three to six years. Kept as pets, however, these birds may enjoy a longer lifespan of up to 10 years — or even more.

While stray cats and dogs can safely be adopted, Quayle advises against plucking a feral adult pigeon that is accustomed to life outdoors off the street and plopping it in the confines of your living room as the birds can grow stressed in captivity. “A baby pigeon can be hand-raised to enjoy a good life indoors, but we never advocate taking pigeons from the wild unless they are sick, injured or orphaned, and in those cases, find a wildlife rehabilitator to help,” Quayle explains.

At the end of the day, pigeons are an overlooked breed, deserving of a lot more credit than humans give them, more so considering the services they contributed throughout history. One thing’s for sure though: As long as there are cities, these plumed creatures are going nowhere.