the history of pigeons
from ancient messengers to urban survivors
they weren’t always city birds
pigeons domesticated themselves around humans 10,000 years ago. started with rock doves in the Mediterranean and Middle East, nesting on cliffs. then humans built cities and suddenly there were infinite artificial cliffs (buildings) everywhere.
pigeons won wars
ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans all used carrier pigeons. during WWI and WWII, pigeons delivered messages across enemy lines when radio silence was mandatory. Cher Ami, a carrier pigeon, saved 194 soldiers in WWI despite being shot and losing an eye and a leg. got a medal for it.
pigeons can fly 50+ mph and navigate back home from 1,000+ miles away. we still don’t fully understand how they do it. theories: magnetoreception, sun position, landmarks, smell. probably all of the above.
Darwin loved them
Charles Darwin was obsessed with pigeons. bred them extensively. studied their variations. used them as evidence for natural selection in On the Origin of Species. pigeon fanciers (competitive pigeon breeders) were his primary correspondents. turns out artificial selection on pigeons was a perfect microcosm for understanding evolution.
fancy pigeons are wild: jacobins with feather wigs, pouters with inflatable chests, tumblers that backflip mid-flight, fantails with 40+ tail feathers. all descended from rock doves.
they became “rats with wings”
post-WWII, cities stopped using pigeons for messages (radios got better). suddenly pigeons went from war heroes to pests. NY Times called them “rats with wings” in the 1960s. Tom Lehrer wrote songs mocking them. cities tried culling them, sterilizing them, installing spikes everywhere.
but pigeons adapted. they eat garbage, nest anywhere, reproduce fast (up to 8 clutches/year), live 3-5 years in cities (vs 15 in captivity). they’re one of the most successful urban animals.
they’re smarter than we think
pigeons can:
- recognize all 26 letters of the alphabet
- distinguish between paintings by Monet and Picasso
- recognize human faces and remember them for years
- learn complex action sequences
- use tools (rare among birds)
- pass the mirror test (debated, but some studies suggest self-awareness)
they’re basically corvids that don’t get credit for it.
pigeon racing is still massive
pigeon racing is a billion-dollar industry. people pay millions for champion racing pigeons. Belgium is the epicenter. New King, a Belgian racing pigeon, sold for $1.9 million in 2020.
races can be 100-1,000 km. pigeons released simultaneously, first one home wins. owners track them with GPS now. it’s like horse racing but in the sky.
we owe them more respect
pigeons chose to live alongside humans. they saved lives in wars. they helped us understand evolution. they’re incredibly intelligent. they thrive despite us actively trying to make cities hostile to them.
next time you see a pigeon, consider: that’s a descendant of war heroes and Darwin’s muses, navigating a world that turned on them, still finding a way to survive.