Fun fact: pigeons purr when they are happy. This is most commonly seen with pet pigeons. They also love being petted and will take being petted over treats when they are pets.
Smartest pigeon I ever saw was one who faked an injury to get food. When it saw someone eating it would droop it's wings and limp towards them, looking as pathetic as possible. The people it approached seemed to feel sorry for it and threw it some food. Once it finished the food it stood up as normal and strutted away perfectly fine to find it's next victim. I saw it use the same trick successfully on multiple people!
@@s-w I'm guessing it was maybe genuinely sick/injured at some point, realised people gave it more food during that time and so kept up the act. I've also seen pigeons wait at street crossings for the lights to change before walking across and hopping onto trains to travel to different parts of the city.
That Cher Ami, despite its injuries, half dead, still flew to where he was supposed to go, instead of literally anywhere else in its pain and panic, is more proof than anything else in this video, that these birds are loyal and intelligent.
Pigeons have a innate ability to find home, where ever they are they will return home. So Cher Ami was probably going to that place from pain and panic, still an absolute legend.
Also a funfact: Pigeons can pretty much speed run de-evolution. Look up how many generations it takes for pigeons, if you mix their breeds, to return back to becoming a basic rock pigeon. TWO. Well, two to three. But it goes that fast. It takes like a year. That would be like breeding a Chihuahua with a poodle, that offspring with another random dog and they return to being a wolf again.
Man I hate how humanity goes from respecting the potential of an animal, to blaming them for stuff they are not even related to, like imagine how much could’ve got done if we didn’t give up on using them and showed their abilities respect
I found out that the Catholic Church was souly to blame for the black plague that devastating Europe and other countries. They were so suspicious of cats being connected to the devil that they murked them on site. After that, the rats that were carrying the fleas who had the plague went wild.
This video really opened my eyes on how disrespected pidgeons are by the entire human population on top of everything else. Poor goobers literally got bullied by basically every animal on the planet and then to add insult to injury they were straight up abandoned and humiliated by humans despite how much good they’ve done for them.
@@yungxsixbigswagdady6970 This is an example of something called ecofacism, which can be described as environmentalism through genocide. It exists on the crux that all humans are inherently evil or problematic and should die to protect the world. Obviously, all humans are not evil, and an extinction of our species is irrational to wish for because human nature is inherently *neutral.* It is predominantly the wealthy who cause damage to the environment and to our ecosystems, as you can see from the influence of a wealthy politician slamming birds.
Pidgeons are honestly the only bird I could keep as a pet without going insane. I also never understood the hate, especially since I grew up in a town with way too many seagulls and those WILL aidrop you and steal your food.
I get what you mean. I've lived in a city with pigeons and seagulls and the seagulls are way more intimidating. Also, while I do like birds and I like watching other people's videos of their pet cockatoos and macaws, I don't think I have it in me to deal with parrots, especially the large ones, 24/7 for like 70 years. Huge respect to those who do! Pigeons seem a bit more calm in comparison, but I haven't seen as many videos about people talking about their pet pigeons so idk for sure.
Same, my grandma had pigeons as indoors pets. They were easy to clean after since some will prefer to have a potty spot, they are very smart and feisty. They could fend off cats and dogs, literally never had any of the cats even attempt to attack it. And one would just walk around the house and eat from their food bowls like the little prick it was. You can let them free fly without a worry (minus hawk danger but ours were lucky) since they always find a way back home. They also form bonds with people (which I was not happy about because that makes the bird hormonal but explain that to my grandma) and they like pets. Excellent pet, made my grandma very happy. I might also add that it was just a wild pigeon, we found a baby on the street and kept it (twice).
Yeah, Pigeons are actually really polite not to poop above a person. Oh sure your parked car or side of the building might not be safe, but they dont bukake the streets like Seagulls do.
As someone who use to have pigeon because they would fall off their nest that in the tree that i use to have they are way better pets than parrots and don't require constant playtime unlike what you need to do with parrots they are chill too and don't become agressive all of the sudden like parrots do
Just a reminder: Pigeons are domesticated. Parrots are not. Pigeons are also sweet, gentle, very emotionally sensitive pets, and even if they do attack, their beaks can't break skin like a parrot's can. They're also much, MUCH quieter. Beginner bird owners should consider a pigeon, not a parrot.
Knowing what I know about rats, "Rats with Wings," is soon to become a term of endearment. Especially if Pigeons get a major PR boost like their ground fairing kin.
@XWierdThingsHappenX My dad raised pigeons when I was a kid. They really are amusing birds. My childhood was pretty amazing, raising different birds and fowl. You should get one!
The fact that pigeons are all essentially strays that we abandoned makes me so sad. Like, I consistently will go buy birdseed and peanuts and stuff like that so they have healthier things to nibble on than leftover fries, cigarette butts, and garbage.
Anyone who says pigeons are the rats with wings has never dealt with seagulls. Like everything in this video people think pigeons are, seagulls _actually_ are.
I dealt with seagulls personally one-on-one. They are very misunderstood. I had a seagull live with me for about a month because he was injured. We used to nap together. He would follow me and would eat from my hands. He was vocal and made these kind of chicken clucking sounds at me and dialate his eyes. After he healed and he left, he would still fly over my place sometimes calling out to me with the same sounds he used to make for me.
In the early 1940s, the british government launched a program (Operation Columba) to gather intelligence from occupied territories by air-dropping pigeons over civilian areas in France and Belgium. This was actually moderately successful, and caused enough of a problem for the germans that they made it illegal to possess pigeons in France. This killed the pigeon-keeping hobby and is a major factor in why there are so many feral pigeons. The book "Secret Pigeon Service" by Gordon Corera provides some very interesting information on the subject and talks about how the british were *this* close to having a full map of the german defenses on the northern french coastline.
Thats not even the only 1940s Pigeon-based military operation. In the early 1940s the US Military piloted a program called "Operation Pigeon" which placed pigeons in the nose cone of aerial bombs in order to guide them, using lenses and a screen, which would project the intended target in such a way that pigeons would peck at the screen. Using pivots and sensors, the birds would peck at the target. If the target drifted offcenter, the offset pecking would pivot the screen, and the sensors sent that data to the control surface, effectively guiding the bomb to the target. It didnt work. It got picked up by the Navy a few years later and rebranded to "Project Orcan" It also didnt work, then computers happened. Real good use of the R&D budget 🙃
Seriously, who was the absolute BRAINLET of a rich person to go _"Y'know what a pigeon needs? Swollen pepperoni eyelids and a broken beak! Let's make an entire breed to look like that!"_
Once my boyfriend and I were standing at a quai wall at the riverside, holding hands and looking at the sunset when I noticed a pigeon couple about 20 metres away from us, sitting on the railing. It was not mating season, they were just a couple sitting close to each other, enjoying the view at the riverside, exchanging kisses and snuggles and showing each other true affection. Just like us. It had a lasting impact on how I think of them (though I never hated them to begin with).
As someone who works in a bird rescue I understand why Steve was afraid of large parrots. They can be pretty unpredictable and dangerous if you don't learn and respect their communication.
This. I have a rescued Pacific parrotlet. She weighs 31 grams (close to one ounce) and while I love her more than anything, she was returned to the shelter multiple times for her aggression. I'm very cautious around the large parrots, because the damage they can deal with those beaks is no joke. My snake on the other hand? He doesn't get jealous, fly at people, and bite their necks.
Parrots are really scary! Growing up, one of my friends had a pet store, and I got to hold all manner of crazy pets from boa constrictors to tarantulas, bearded dragons to ferrets. All the animals I handled, only the parrot caused injury- it took a big chunk out of my hand with its beak.
If you train it right, they're amazing. The problem is that most people aren't dedicated trainers with enough time or knowledge on their own to do it. Then there are some parrots who are utterly insane and terrifying- these are Amazons, cockatoos, and scarlet macaws. I would own a blue and gold or a green wing or a hybrid macaw, and I would own basically any other parrot. Budgie, cockatiel, conure, eclectus, african gray, galah, ringneck, alexandrine, pionus, Senegal, etc. I would own any of those. And many other species. If a hyacinth macaw was dropped into my lap, even for a price that is not $18,000+, I might get one. Honestly my favourite parrots are blue and gold macaws, camelot macaws, catalina macaws, ruby macaws, and blue throat macaws. Oddly, my next favourite parrots are... Budgies. Yup, budgies! I love them!!
Yup. And once you know how surprisingly painful the bite of a tiny budgie/parakeet beak can be already, you just shudder to think about the level of injury an African Grey or Macaw can give you. This beak shape means business.
You should be. We had a crow nest near our house and whenever they got scared of us. They would pluck our plants out from the soil. They're way smart than we assume
Jewelry store around here has a vending machine for crows... they drop a coin or "ring mostly" inside and it spits out food (anything heavy and shiny is what they grab).@@jibranbhat8711
I used to have a genuine crow plague in the park near my old house. _(entirely my fault, but i love crows so i didn't mind as much as everyone else did)_ We at some point started feeding the crows there, and when more arrived, we fed more. _This went on for about 5 years._ By the time we decided we should stop, there were probably about a couple hundred (if not more) crows gathered in the park, waiting every time for when we would dump local bakery's left over bread by the metaphorical truckload. Our street neighboring the park ended up calling it 'Crow's Nest' (Dutch: het Kraaiennest). About 4 years ago i moved. I stopped feeding them 6-7 years ago, but they never stopped coming, and made our park their local hang-out. I still occasionally fed some in my garden at my old home, but never again the wheelbarrow full of treats i'd bring them weekly, and the amount of crows in my garden was usually limited to only 20 to 30. Now, i didn't move that far, only some 45 kilometers down the road, but one thing i didn't expect is for the crows to follow me to my new home. I had one tapping on my window about 2 weeks after i moved in. I can't confirm they're the same crows, but everywhere i go both crows and to some small degree jackdaws just kind of sit there, waiting for the master of treats to bestow upon them the deliciousness they've come to expect. They camp in my garden, patiently waiting for me to hand them their weekly meal. And whenever i'm in public, especially on my lunch walk to the supermarket, crows actively follow me, and fly overhead. The reason why i believe they followed me is because usually you only really see a fuckton of Jackdaws in the Netherlands, but now my town has been practically overrun by crows, and the jackdaws have almost become a rare sight. I have become the Crowfather. Bringer of blessings to generations of crows. And i will carry on my duty for the rest of my life, however many crow-centuries that might be. They have blessed me with their trust, and so i shall in turn reward their trust with food. TL;DR: I fed crows and now my weekly blessings of food have been ingrained in local crow culture, and i have an army of crows follow me around. 👍 Crows are smart. Respect the crows. _They probably know where you live. Like, literally._ Pigeons i hate, but blackbirds i have come to have huge respect and appreciation for.
The little heart-shaped pillow on their beak is called the 'cere' and it's velvety soft. It actually grows as the bird ages, and looks more like a buildup of coral.
I spent some time working at a wildlife rescue and we had one 'failure' wood pigeon who never left the sight after rehabilitation and release. Anyone who stepped outside was at risk of being the unwitting perch for a very friendly bird demanding cuddles.
i remember we were in an public farm (where folks visit and sometimes buy products from) it was autumn so they had a week event like corn maze to tractor riding, to touching rabbits and goats... this time it was a pigeon who followed the father and daughter before the guy gave to me this domesticated pigeon which we dont know the owner of.. (possibly the farmer or some bird keeper nearby) as it was tagged.. i felt happy to caress it, give gentle pets, showed to my cousin.. before a lady along with her 5 friends was interested with the pigeon I picked along with and gently gave it to her as I was living with my family who might get weirded out due to the same scared of being near 'wild/dirty' birds and our home not open of a big place with a bird.. I was asking anybody if anyone knew any owner of the bird to identity the colored tag... i cant help but wonder whether the lady ask out the farmer about the bird or kept it themselves
In 2017, I was on a military training exercise in the Mojave desert. It was night, and I was on day 4 without any sleep, barely functioning, and sitting in my Humvee with the door open and eating an MRE. I was out of it, to say the least. So this dog comes over, looks at me kinda confused and startled, and I just instinctively held out a piece of food for him and he comes over and takes it- and I just idly scratched his head and told him 'good boy'. He walked away, and that's when I realized something. I'm in the Mojave desert, the middle of nowhere, on a military exercise at night. No one has dogs here. I suddenly realized "I just gave a coyote some of my food and pet him like a dog, and that just happened" and did a double take on the animal that walked about 20 yards away- yep, coyote. The thing is, the coyote also realized this at the same time and did a double-take on me. I think we were both kind of embarrassed.
@@magentaplatinum1430 there was a silent agreement between us to not speak of this I guess I violated it. Sorry Coyote Bro, but I think we were both in the same headspace
as a bird vet, bird owner and birdwatcher... it's so satisfing to see your character development. i wish more people had the balls to simply google pigeons and learn something, like you did. thank you for the video!!
Don't forget the 'Passenger Pigeon'. At one time they were the most numerous bird in the world, numbering 3 billion. Then humanity decided to hunt them to extinction, yes EXTINCTION! Christ, the pigeon certainly has had a raw deal.
Passenger pigeons were incredibly stupid and terrible at adaptation. If humanity tried to bring back some extinct animals, they should be bottom of the list.
Lesser known fact about pigeons, they are incredibly affectionate. I once found a 5 days old one in the street and picked it up to care for it, as soon as it could fly it decided to do the cuddles with me and no barrier could stop it.
I'm so glad to see this. Pidgeons are crapped on by media left and right, fiction and non, but I never knew where it all started. As shared here, they have such a rich history of companionship and symbiosis with humans. People bred and trained them like dogs, but pigeons don't get to be man's dear friend anymore. Man rejected his dear friend. Hopefully we don't see even more rejection of his best friend. What's worse is that doves are seen as symbols of purity, goodness, life, and peace... but they're just pigeons with pretty privilege.
I remember when I was little I used to love birds. When I moved to Texas, I caught notice of a species known as the "White-Winged Dove" and I always loved looking at some from a distance. One day at a park, I noticed one with a bullet wound and told my parents if we could take it to the vet. I held it in my arms, and it was so sweet to me. It knew I wasn't danger the moment I wasn't attacking it. Unfortunately, it passed away recovering from the wound, but that moment always wanted me to get a pet pigeon or dove. I never knew why these birds get bad rep...
I'll never understand why people hate pigeons so much. They're one of the most amazing and important birds in history, not to mention that they're one of the best pet birds out there
I didn’t even know people disliked pigeons. They’re nice, sound nice, and they look nice. They’re no different than any species which lives close to humans. They only become dirty when the human settlement becomes dirty first.
One of the main reasons why rats are commonly blamed for the plague is because while they did carry the plague, it was caused by the fleas on the rats instead of the rats themselves
I think there's a theory that people were what was carrying the plague from city to city. Reason being is that rats can't travel fast enough to account for how fast it spread.
@@Duamerthrax This theory does track a bit, but rats traveled via ships (People had ships back then) Which made it to major coastal cities much faster. People going horse from the origin is going to have a much slower spread and their gonna die fairly quickly in their journey, ultimately it seems like it it was the fleas on the rats that spread. It started with the fleas, and ended up with human transmission, but not just human transmission.
Humans disowning pigeons always made me sad growing up. Last year some mourning doves made a nest in one of my plants and it was so wonderful just to watch them from my window. 💜
As a kid, we had this brown and white pigeon that hung around our house. We named him Rupert, and he would occasionally just walk inside for a snack or hang out. I can fully attest that they're smarter than people give them credit for.
You forgot one really cool thing that only pigeons can do. Normally birds have to drink by taking some water into their beak and then raise their head up so that the water flows down their gullet. But pigeons have small hole at the tip of their beak that allows them to use their beak like a straw. No other bird can do that.
Fun fact. Carrier pigeons were used in WW1 to deliver messages into enemy territory. They were so effective that germans trained peregrine falcons to intercept them. Soilders would shoot at them on sight, sometimes taken prisoner if caught. A very short life expectancy but some flew so many missions that they would retire them with medals. They literally played a major part in battle and who knows if they were never used. Edit: I typed this before I watched the whole vid where the uploader later states all this info.
The crazy part is the effectiveness of a peregrine falcon was 35%!!!! Yes that's alot but considering the falcon should literally dominate. They were still fast enough and agile enough to make maneuvers the falcons couldn't.
@@tiredanddepressed wow I didn't know that. I remember watching this kid movie called Valiant, about the carrier pigeons of the war and there were these nazi falcons that I just assumed were there because they had to have animal bad guys, and falcons were a natural predator. The more you know!
@@tiredanddepressed The falcon is built for them, but the pigeon has one defense move where it dive bombs right before its snatched. It's a one shot maneuver, obviously. There was one pidgeon that flew so many missions, they had to retire her to let her live out her life. She came back ruffled up and scratched up, but always came back. Amazing birds.
There's an animated movie about carrier pigeons named Valiant, don't know how well it's aged since last I watched it but I remember it being a pretty solid movie.
We also attempted to use them as a guidance systems for bombs in the aptly named "Project Pigeon", they were basically the precursor to GPS guidance, but got shelved once electronic systems proved more reliable and cost effective. We also attempted to use bats in a very similar manner, which is also a very interesting read.
i once saw a pidgeon with most of its skull exposed and sunbleached, and it was still walking around like nothing was wrong with only one eye. they practice necromancy too.
They’re just extremely tough. There’s a reason their population is so high despite rarely getting their correct diet and living in bad conditions. They can get something called string foot where their feet can fall off due to lack of blood, but even without feet they’ll still be able to walk
Genuinely never got why people don't like pigeons. 90% of what they do is hang around and clean up the sidewalk. They're not even ugly, they look like the generic definition of a bird.
Cher Ami's story is actually a bit better than what he says. Cher Ami wasn't released just because they had no food/water/ammo, but also because the soldiers were trapped in a zone being shelled by US artillery batteries. His ears were getting violated and organs getting vibrated by bombardment and even with multiple gunshot wounds delivered the message that stopped the bombardment and got them rescued. For you Sabaton fans out there Cher Ami had saved The Lost Battallion.
A bit more context with Cher Ami. The battalion wasn't just getting attacked by the enemies, they were also getting attacked by their allies as well. So they were sandwiched between 2 lines of fire, and it took 3 pigeons, Cher Ami being the third pigeon, that was sent out for the battalion to get rescued
my friend had a pigeon named Fareed that he trained without prior knowledge to come to him and only him if he snapped his fingers , my pet cat also tried so hard to get him but could not even touch him , pigeons here in Egypt are precious pets and lovable creatures ( and meals ) . R.I.P Fareed 💔
Don't forget 'pigeon' also used to be an affectionate nickname to call someone, typically a girl or woman, like the Tramp called Lady. Basically it meant 'sweet little thing' because people used to regard pigeons that way.
@@beastmaster0934 My guess is that calling a girl "pigeon" was from Beatnik culture. Note how Lady's humans call each other "Jim Dear," and "Darling." -Dear and darling were older, more 'establishment' affectionate nicknames, whereas young Beatniks were bringing all kinds of new slang to American dialogue. Considering the movie came out in 1955 and the Tramp was a freewheeling rebel type, I suspect his lingo was meant to emulate Beat talk.
okay, okay, but ever seen pigeons when they are all fluffed up or pudgy? THEY ARE, ADORABLE. On the serious note, poor pigeons, they don't deserve this.
Another fun fact: Mike Tyson also loved pidgeon since he was 9 years old, he claimed that they were an escape from the bullying he endured as a child. He still loves them to this day, and his pidgeon coupe is quite luxurious, in fact he only gives them Fiji water to drink.
Not gonna lie, I have gained a lot of respect for Mike over over the last few years. Mostly due to his sense of humor. The man literally sold candies in the shape of an ear, I cannot help but respect that lol.
Now I see why Nikola Tesla (yes, THE inventor Tesla) basically considered pigeons to be his best friends. The man purportedly even built a special apparatus just to allow one pigeon he found to heal its broken leg and wing, along with having made a point to feed pigeons in the areas where he lived. Yet another way in which Tesla was ahead of his time: recognizing that pigeons are actually pretty cool, smart birbs and not unhygienic menaces.
Thankfully Tesla died before pigeons' reputation tanked like this, so he didn't have to witness it himself. I'm sure it would have broken his heart if he had to see that.
This makes sense now. I thought the implication was that he was going crazy in the end. But he was really just a bit lonely and adopted some dogs. I mean, they use a litter box? What a great video.
My grandpa raised Birmingham Rollers since he was a child. He helped me build my own coop and gave me some breeding pairs. I kept a full genealogy and cared for those birds every day. My grandpa died a couple years later and I remember going out to the coop and crying for hours. I was so glad that I had that time with him and my pigeons to remember him by.
@@ozzypawsborneprinceofbarkness Thank you. And sorry if I was nosy, I just couldnt' imagine a whole flock of birds not having anyone to care for them after he did so well for them.
My grandfather used to breed carrier pigeons as he was a war vet that handled them during his service. So I understand the fear as I was too. But I do admire and respect them as well.
@@IntrovertedPotato As far as birds go their unique taste can be closer compared to ducks than anything else I've ever eaten (which aside them is just the big four, chicken, turkey duck and goose). But that taste is a lot lighter and doesn't dominate as much, so about an inbetween of chicken and duck.
From the video title and thumbnail, I thought it was meant literally. As in “we have selectively bred the pidgeons so much that they grew extra digit.”
The worst thing that humans did to any pigeon was the tragedy of the passenger pigeon. They went from billions to extinct in less than a century due to overhunting and destruction of nesting and habitat. The flocks were so big that there was a report from like 1855 Columbus Ohio of a flock flying over the city. They blotted out the sun and took two hours to pass over completely. People were running and screaming and hiding to get out of the streets and once the flock was gone the town was basically painted white. Famous conservationist Aldo Leopold once called them "feathered tempests" which is cool as hell.
I think, I want to also mention, that another reason they went extinct, is that I think I read somewhere, is that these swarms of them were the only way the could breed. Like, they didn't have good conception rates, and these swarms helped them with that. I'd assume once a swarm started to die down, they too would.
@@AuraAi We learned in evolutionary bio about that. It was an excellent strategy until firearms became common and the increase of humans during the industrial revolution. Most animals would not be able to consume a whole flock, but a group of people with shotguns could cause terrible damage.
Maybe I'm a weirdo, but I've always found pigeons cute. Much like rats, they also have been observed to clean themselves a lot and enjoy baths. Their ability to find the way home despite being in the dark and put in random places in tests is actually insane.
Yeah, pigeon intelligence is way underrated. I recall reading a post by a wildlife rehabilitator talking about how they were training falcons and other 'cool' birds to do tricks for school programs, and realizing that a random pigeon had been watching from the sidelines and learnt the tricks too. Which is how they ended up with a pigeon in the show too. They are hella trainable and honestly quite pretty too. It's kind of a shame people don't appreciate them more.
"Yeah, pigeon intelligence is way underrated". I'm sorry, underrated?! One of them beat a certain games' journalist at solving puzzles and the whole world witnessed it!
There’s a quote by primatologist Frans de Waal that I will never forget: “The possibility that empathy resides in parts of the brain so ancient that we share them with rats should give pause to anyone comparing politicians with those poor, underestimated creatures.” Being compared to a rat is a compliment. Like pigeons they are smart, clean and genuinely interesting creatures we could do much to learn from.
And this is why I’m Vegan. Because animals have sentience, emotions, attachments, can feel pain, fear, terror, betrayal, hopelessness. Anyone who claims to be an animal lover but consumes animals and animal products is a hypocrite. Think about not WHAT you’re eating, but WHO you’re eating.
I've been with this young man from the beginning, and seeing how much the videos have evolved has been fascinating enough, but also seeing how our host has grown more comfortable and open, and become more personable within the presentation... It's been a very interesting, entertaining, and incredibly informative journey. I think this guy should be teaching kids about animals, because taking this more casual approach keeps it from feeling like LEARNING (in the strictured, academically oppressive sense). Love this channel and all the videos, thank you for all you do!
Also, does anyone know his name? The host, I mean.... I feel weird calling him CASUAL GEOGRAPHIC, cause that's certainly not meant to be his personal handle.... That's just the name of the corporation.
I have a ''pet pigeon'', I rescued her when she was a little chick that fell from the nest in the middle of the city. When she had grow enough I set her free, but she never wanted to leave! She's pure love, she loves napping on my lap and asking for attention, and yes, she surprises me every day with how intelligent she actually is. She also loves my mother and she is capable of identifying her voice through the phone, she always comes flying from the other side of the house when she hears her!! They're incredible 🥰
Thank you for rescuing the baby, last year I found a hatchling whose parents had apparently chosen an unfortunate spot for a nest. Unsure if the baby had just started hatching or was about to but wound up on the ground still mostly in its shell, no longer alive. My heart still hurts for the poor thing but it’s always soothing to hear not all of these stories end that way
Mike Tyson has had pigeons for pets since he was a kid. As a matter of fact, the first fight he ever got in was over a pigeon. One of the kids in the neighborhood saw him carrying it around, and asked to see it. Young Mike Tyson showed him the pigeon, and the kid ripped its head off. He still keeps them as pets to this day.
I instantly teared up the literal second I saw the picture of Cher Ami. I didn't realize I would recognize a picture of a pigeon, but I recognized him immediately. One day, I hope to go to the Smithsonian, and I'm gonna cry just being near him.
I think this is my favorite video from you so far, I love seeing people give recognition and appreciation to animals that we all too often see as "pests"
They tend to congregate near human spaces where people will eat. When they do, they roost in human built- environment structures. When they do, they crap all night onto the ground below and because their diet is off-piste their scats are often loose and do not stand scrutiny. The result is an unsightly mess that curbs the appetite in an area where food is eaten, sold and eaten, served and eaten... you get the picture?
@santyclause8034 I have a medium-sized flock of turkey vultures that live in the big trees in my backyard ( if you don't know goodle them bc they're cool too, except their leavings look like some haphazardly splattered white paint buckets everywhere) lol so I do have some idea, idk like he said, we did pigeons wrong
@@santyclause8034 Simple solution to that is to clean around your restaurant like any other business would clean up to ensure their property is clean and presentable. People in residential properties maintain the outdoor portion of their property so why would it be any different for a business property? You own it, you take care of it.
Thank you so much for recognizing them and giving them credit. Humanity really let them down, used and abandoned. They are amazing beings. Absolutely adorable too.
I’m not sure if they still do, but when I was visiting the city in high school (22 years ago…), Montreal had communal “nests” for pigeons filled with lots of food, but the food was laced with birth control. This kept the pigeon population controlled without having to resort to setting up traps. I thought it was a rather elegant solution.
Yes. There are organizations setting up lofts all over to help them. I'm a pigeon rescuer, and we swap their eggs out every month for feggs (fake eggs) they sit on them for about 18 days, and then we remove them. Too many need homes already, so population control is important.
I find it funny that they are called "rats with wing." Because rat are smart as hell. They can learn tricks and be potty trained. They are also really clean and social creatures to. So, ya, it is a huge compliment to be called "rats with wings."
Pigeons, rats, crows, coyotes - all victims of their own intelligence. They are smart enough to benefit from human activity instead of being displaced by it, and as a result, we see them as pests.
"Because rat are smart as hell. They can learn tricks and be potty trained. They are also really clean and social creatures to." Same goes for rats. So I guess the description is fitting. It's just that neither animal deserves the negativity associated with it. Edit: Just noticed that that's basically what you wrote. I blame it on being tired.
@@krishadyn5211dude it isn’t captivity. It’s like if we all decided we hated golden retrievers and threw them out, let their coats get matted and nails overgrown, and then made fun of them for it. Would you call it “captivity” then? Knowing they rely on us?
I absolutely love pidgeons, they are amazing. Sometimes I take the train into a city over that is busteling with pidgeons just to watch and feed them. I love their walk, how they bob their head, how fast they go. This week I saw an almost completely white but spotted pidgeon lady and her man in a fountain taking a bath
I love these chonky little guys; they’re so gentle and sweet. ❤Breaks my heart to see the amount of injuries they sustain from city filth - namely debris and human hair tightened around their toes. They deserve better than their current reputation. 😢
Thank you so much for this! I have had three generations of pigeons grow in my balcony and I have seen first hand how smart and lovable they can be. They were also very sweet and trusting once they realized that we meant them no harm and were actually providing them with food. The most beautiful part is how the pair treats each other with so much love and care- unfortunately for this particular pair, the female died leaving the male pigeon all alone. And he stayed alone for a long time and grew older and older until one day I saw him with another female pigeon and he finally looked happy. However he was already old and after a few months I found the female pigeon sitting by herself at their usual spot, calling for him. He never came back again. The female bird was driven out by a new pair after while and I never saw her again either. He was so sweet and I cried when it suddenly hit me that he would never come back to his spot. I was kid when I first saw them so he was kind of an unofficial pet and I was very attached. Sorry for the rant- but it was cathartic and I finally found a place to let it out lol. Thank you and love the content as alwayss!
Every time I go to the state fair where I am, I am shocked at the horrifying abominations pidgeon breeders have created. I don't think any other animal has been this gruesomely twisted by us--not even dogs.
I'm not so sure. The pit bull family as a whole is a genetic mess, not only mentally, but physically. Higher frequency of allergies, mouth breathers because their block skulls limit how much they can get through their nostrils. Then you have the weirder ones, like the dachshund that literally looks like someone stitched a pit bulls head on it, or the pocket/toad bullies, that can barely walk, have short lifespans and literally cannot mate or give birth most of the time without human intervention. The whole idea behind pocket/toy breeds in general is crazy. Shrink a breed until it has countless physical and mental issues from having to stuff everything in a tiny "cute" package. To be honest I will never understand the appeal some people have for breeding inbred mutants and making a fortune off them. But the relationship between wealth and inbreeding sure helps explain the Habsburgs
So, I volunteer for a wildlife rescue, and pigeons are the most common animals we get. Every time we get one, I am amazed with how much personality they can have (once they get well enough to start showing it). We've had sassy pigeons, sweet pigeons, chill pigeons, pigeons with the personality of a neurotic chihuahua.... and I struggle not to treat them like a pet, even with the ones that try to chop or bite you without hesitation. Speaking of, pigeons do have ways of defending themselves! The main one, and the most surprising, is wing chopping. The bird basically tries to punch you with the wrist of their wing as hard as they can, and it's startling the first couple times it happens. The amount of times I've seen a new Volunteer pull their hand back like they got shocked by the bird.... It's genuinely hilarious. They also bite, and while it feels like a pinch to us, it can fuck up another bird. We actually had to remove a bird from a prerelease enclosure cause the other pigeons decided they didn't like that individual, and tried to kill it. Also, they make for pretty decent pet alternatives to parrots, and can be trained to be ESA's.
I wasn't aware pigeons had such a bad reputation in the US. And every time I've heard the term "rats with wings" it's usually in reference to bats (bc they look similar) or seagulls. It's a shame it's now considered weird to have pigeons as pets
That reminds me, bats in Swedish are called "fladdermöss" which translates to "flutter mice". So it would make sense in a way that they're the "rats with wings". But I don't see rats as a negative, they're cute and intelligent.
Yepp that is a thing - you leave them on their own in foreign territory and wait how many return. It is actually pet cruelty and the losers add to the countless homeless pidgeons on the streets. Our flock multiplies by such "losers", we do not breed as there are enough pidgeons in this world, we adopt the ones breeders and racers abandon.
@@chouleo They can, but it's super easy to follow them around and wipe it away when they poop. Or you can buy special diapers for them to wear that catch the poop. They're really cute; look like little overalls.
I had a pet pigeon I raised from an egg, named Pidgey. He was legit one of the best birds I ever had, and I own parrots! Whenever I was sick and bed ridden, he would lay beside me in bed and just coo anytime he saw me wake up. He always wanted cuddles an to hang with the family, also dude was potty trained. I am so glad to see you face your fears and learn about these smart lil guys, thank you for sharing this wonderful video! They are amazing creatures and deserve far more love than majority of the world will ever give them.
@@DavidBonDavidalmost my entire family bloodline is either a famous doctor or a millionaire, which you unfortunately can't relate to, if you want proof I will be happy to send it 😊
I adopted an injured pigeon as a kid and he was a first class bird pet - he knew his name, would come to folks when called and even learned tricks, the favorite being when he learned how to bring my dad a single cigarette from a pack along with the lighter - never managed to teach him how to light the cigarette though.
My dad used to feed pigeons every weekend. He would drive down to the river with bread, bird seed, and cat kibble and just feed and hang out them. He would give them names and even identified their flying patterns to an extent. He did this so often that he bought a little stool specifically for this occasion. The pigeons began to recognize him and his car, even his new car when he got one. They would all flock to him and fight to sit on his arms or his head. He started to let them in the car and they would sit on the steering wheel or again on him. I don't know why he stopped, but we all have a soft spot for pigeons now, especially him. Every now and then we'll see pigeons eating at my moms bird feeder in our back yard, which use to make my mom upset because she didn't want them to poop everywhere, but she never did anything about it and now we expect them. We joke that they started showing up because they found my dad lol, which after watching this maybe they did and I like that thought
@@am_Nein He said it's because they kept putting signs up saying not to feed the birds. Every time they put up a new sign he would move further down the river, until I guess he gave up. He says he thinks he was the reason they put the signs up, which is really said cause not only did he really enjoy feeding them but he also got to know a lot of the people who were down there regularly. Someone even asked him if they could put him in the local paper because it was just a wholesome thing to see. We still have the newspaper clipping
@@beccabaxmeyer8823 great story. I understand the not feeding pidgeons here in the city where theres literally gazillions and they poop everywhere but outside i dont see why they would be a problem.
I have my Grandma to thank for loving a lot of animals that would be considered 'pests.' We live alongside a very busy road, in what used to be the middle of nowhere. Animals would get hit often, and my Grandma had a habit of taking them in and rehabilitating them when no one else would. One of my all time favorites was a mourning dove. She was so sweet, even when we were kids, and had endless patience with us coming in to oggle and pet her. She'd been poisoned by people, and then hit by a car. We eventually managed to rehabilitate her after almost 2 years! We let her go, and she'd come back every year, eventually with her mate. They'd come in the yard, hang around the house, eat the bird seed we left out. She did this for nearly a decade, until eventually her partner stopped coming, and then, two years later, so did she. Pidgeons, doves, and many other birds for that matter are absolute treasures, and should be treated as such!
ive always absolutely adored pigeons, theyre so cute and a lil chubby!! where i grew up, we primarily had mourning doves, but being smol and the english language not making any sense, i called them good morning doves and since my early childhood ive always associated them with peace and comfort. i love them lil dudes :D
Same tbh. Although I noticed early on that pigeons just....sit around and walk around and weren't that big of a menace themselves; it was usually the people who fed them that got overboard. But my mom always gets hysterical when there is a pigeon nearby and I hate that so I also avoid pigeons. Same with sparrows....wait why don't I see sparrows anymore???
The eating pigeon story reminds me of one of the first times I went to the homeland (Colombia) and was walking around with my mom and saw a store with chickens in cages. I asked my mom excitedly “you can have a chicken as a pet?!” And she said “those aren’t pets.” I cried the rest of the day.
@@mato4334 nope, just shook me up for a few months. Same thing happened after I dissected a pig in school; I couldn’t eat pork for about a year. I’m fine now 😅.
@@carolinamurtha3102 Good news, though, you can totally have a chicken as a pet, provided you have a yard to keep them in. Do your research, obviously, but they're pretty easy to care for. They're also loyal, useful, and just damn cute! I'd recommend to get the chicks' sexes confirmed, because a lot of places won't allow roosters, especially suburbs, because they're LOUD.
@@woomy2343 I’m actually more of a rodent type person (rabbits, rats, mice, etc), but thank you for the tips 😄. That’s interesting that you can keep hens but not roosters because I live in a suburban type neighborhood and a neighbor in my complex totally has a rooster. We know this because it caws at dawn. Not all the time, we’ve never seen the rooster, but it’s so freaking odd.
@@carolinamurtha3102 Oh, then it's probably fine for you to keep roosters then where you live. I would personally look into the laws and policies in your neighborhood just to be sure. Also, not to be "that gal", but rabbits aren't rodents, they're lagomorphs.
I absolutely adore pigeons, especially after hearing how they're actually incredibly intelligent and how they're a rare case of a species of bird not being a jerk whenever they're given the chance, so the positive press here is so appreciated. Also I'm terrified of turkeys (it's a long story) so I totally get where you're coming from.
They're the only birds in my garden which don't mob attack other birds at the feeding table. Crows, magpies, starlings and robins are bullies but pigeons are so chilled.
They once conducted studies to find out how exactly pigeons find their way back home, but the studies only gave more questions. At the final test they made a pigeon blind and deaf (with a blindfold and stuff) and set it out somewhere in France, it still made its way back to its home in the Netherlands, almost even in record time. In the Netherlands flying pigeons is a sport. Many people will bring their pigeons to a place far a way, often in france, belgium or Germany and then see which ones make it home first. They found out that for the last 10 kilometers the birds followed the roads home, instead of going in a straight line they would precisely follow the roads on the ground. These animals are so fascinating
Yes, and then people like me have to rescue 100s of them due to this cruel "sport" of pigeon racing and ceremonial releases. They always say they always make it home. No, they don't. That's why we rescue and rescue and rescue... selfish humans.
@@kellystinydreamsbus yeah it certainly is a cruel sport, however, it's not always racing pigeons y'all are saving. My uncle has had 2 pretty big flocks of racing pigeons for over 30 years (obviously new birds every now and then) but he's never had a bird not come back. When not racing they also get free flying time every day, I definitely prefer that way of keeping above the way most show birds are kept. I have contacts in multiple bird rescues around where I live and all of them certainly have pigeons often but they aren't the majority of what they get at all, and most pigeons they get aren't racing pigeons either, as those have to be in top conditions to fly those distances so they aren't as susceptible to many of the dangers outside the others are.
Here in Turkey some historical mosques have stone nests for pigeons. Like they built miniature stone houses for them. Also they can learn tricks and stuff. They are really great pets too. My neighbor has 10 pigeons and he flies them regularly. Also I never saw a super dirty pigeon in my life. I think they are the second most popular avian pet in Turkey (first is the budgie, we are obssessed with budgies)
I remember seeing a few stories of pigeons in Boston that knew exactly which subway trains to get on and where to get off to get around the city to different places to feed. Someone managed to track several and found this out. They're some of the smartest animals out there, and besides parrots and crows, probably the smartest birds.
@@sagesarrazine6270 My guess is that the feeding places they were trying to get to were still within the metro, so flying from above would be useless since they wouldn’t be able to locate the feeding area if they had only ever seen it from inside Edit: I’d assume flying can also be tiring. Plus, you’d have to swerve around buildings, poles, etc. Although I guess you could fly up high above the most of the buildings. Still have to consider things like the wind and temperature.
As the Mother of Pigeons I approve of this video. I know a pigeon fancier with diabetes on Twitter who's pigeon will peck her arm when she needs to take her insulin. And my emotional support animal for my Autism was my old male pigeon JonJon; he loved me as his mate. Fun Fact, Nikola Tesla who was famously anti social in his dealings with people, loved pigeons and would feed them in the park. At one point he saw an injured female, took her to his home and nursed her back to health stating "I love her as any man loves a woman". Also Mike Tyson threw his first punch when some neighbourhood bullies killed one of Pigeons in front of him, inspiring him to become strong enough to defend his birds, the rest is boxing history.
@@MidnightDarkness666 I got it mixed up, Mike didn't voice the pigeon but it was his cartoon called Mike Tyson mysteries. The pigeon in the show was voiced by Norm McDonald.
I think this is a fact most people already know, but Pigeons can be blindfolded, bagged, and then tossed into the middle of nowhere on the opposite side of the planet from their home… and they will make their way back home, as if they are _homing_ with a perfect sense of direction
Rock pigeons are the ogs, they were domesticated and then bred for different colours and abilities, and as they were escaped or released they formed a new species known as the feral pigeon or the feral pigeon. The rock doves are really uncommon and what you see is the feral pigeon which can sometimes look identical to the rock dove but also comes with many more patterns and colours
Fun fact: Bromine was found in 1826, and since pigeons “first touched amercian soil” in early 1600.. bromine was found around 2 CENTURIES after pigeons started appearing in amercia.
