A tourist in Venice, Italy is playfully surrounded by pigeons, showcasing the birds' boldness and adaptability in urban environments, and highlighting interesting animal behaviors to observe and learn from.
“Hello again!” Pigeons can remember individual human faces
Martin Parr/Magnum Photos
I was chatting with a friend in the park the other day when they confessed something rather unexpected: pigeons are their favorite bird. My reaction, I admit, was disbelief. Pigeons? Often considered pests? Their reasoning, however, was surprisingly logical: enjoying pigeons makes sense because they are always around.
This got me thinking – could anyone genuinely admire pigeons? It turns out, the answer is a resounding yes. Talking to more people revealed a hidden appreciation for these often-underestimated birds. One colleague even admitted to a secret pigeon tattoo! And a news story highlighted a couple who share their bed with their adopted pigeon.
Delving a little deeper, I discovered pigeons possess a range of truly Interesting Talents To Learn about. Beyond their famed homing skills, they are subtly intelligent. Though not mammals, they produce a type of milk to feed their young. They engage in affectionate behaviors like kissing, and even seem to applaud after mating. Remarkably, they can also recognise individual people, and remember those who treat them unkindly. Considering these fascinating abilities, perhaps it’s time to reconsider our perception of this seemingly ordinary bird and explore what interesting talents to learn they can reveal. Intrigued and armed with a bag of oats, I decided to investigate further.
