TW: animal death / injury / death
For grandma, who loved pigeons, and for grandpa, who did not but wanted her to be happy.
Please hear me out <3
WEBTOONPigeons are one of the oldest domestic animals and basically the only domestic animal that has been all but completely abandoned by humans.
They were domesticated for food but not just for meat. Their poop is extremely rich fertilizer which was a big deal in the middle east and northern Africa in ancient times. They have an amazing sense of direction and can find their home from hundreds of thousands of miles away. In WW1 and 2 they were used to deliver messages from the front to base camps and were responsible for saving THOUSANDS of lives when soldiers were pinned down and unable to send a runner (human messenger).
They were brought to the US by European settlers as messenger birds. Some were kept as racing birds and eventually many different breeds were developed. Some more humane than others (looking at you American Fantail). Eventually, as infrastructure was developed in the new world, many of the birds were just abandoned as they were no longer of use. Being hardy little things, pigeons were able to eek out a living in the early colonial cities and eventually spread from coast to coast of North America.
Today, despite being a domestic animal, feral pigeons are treated as wild nuisance animals instead of the escaped pets they should be seen as. A feral kitten is still considered a “pet” even if it is 3rd generation feral after all, so why not these birds?
As they are, technically, a domestic animal, it IS legal to just… yoink one off the street. I DO NOT SUGGEST DOING THIS RANDOMLY. You’re more likely to cause them to panic and cause them harm. If you do manage to get one without outright stress killing it, you have to consider vet care. Most vets dont treat pigeons because they see them as exotic animals. There are a myriad of other reasons NOT to go yoinking feral birds sooooo probably dont do it unless you are working with a rescue. Not to mention in many parts of the US there is an actual wild bird that looks similar to pigeons called a Morning Dove. They are NOT the same bird and should be left alone.
However, due to wonderful people the world over (*cough @homeofhousechickens cough*), the stigma against pigeons is being lifted. Finding good breeders and rescues is becoming much easier and more and more vets are open to working with them. Of course always do your research before getting a new pet, tho!
If you’ve ever been do the pet store and think “I’d like a <-insert common parrot here->” please please PLEASE consider a pigeon instead. They are super intelligent. They can be pet without causing them sexual stress (ya. thats a thing with parrots). They are easier to care for due to their long history of human companionship. And they come in just as many bright and beautiful colors, patterns, and body types as parrots.
Pigeons are wonderful animals. Despite being domesticated, abandoned, and mistreated for generations they are still drawn to humans and their companionship. They deserve so much better from us and, hopefully with more and more education, they will soon get it.
wow way to gut us :/