Right I'm just going to come out and say it...I think that pigeons are quite cool and get a bad rap. I'm in good company too as according to the Pigeon Preservation Site Picasso and Darwin also like pigeons.
I'm no pigeon fancier; I don't own any stuffed pigeons or sit covered in crumbs on Trafalgar Square, it's just that whenever I see a nasty pigeon spike on a roof I feel sorry for our little grey birdy friends and then I read about this;'According to cnnb.com.cn, scientists in Shandong have successfully implanted a microchip and radio receiver in a pigeon's brain, enabling them to instruct the pigeon by remote control to take off, fly in circles and obey other commands' (I really hope this is a hoax!). Pigeons are iconic eating and breathing little winged characters who deserve as much respect as any other creature on this planet (right, done my hippy bit) and it's not fair to dismiss them as vermin.
Some Pigeon's are descendants of veteran war hero pigeon's and their racing, message carrying and homing abilities are awe inspiring. In India there are temples dedicated to worshiping pigeons and they are revered-'Goddess Rati, the Goddess of passion and lust and the consort of Kama, the God of love, is believed to be usually depicted with a pigeon as her vahana'. Here's a pic of a pigeon resting in the 16ft dreadlocks of Hindu sadhu (holyman) Sukhdev Baba Santi at Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati, India.
In London pigeons are working hard to fit in: climbing stairs, eating the kind of stuff we eat after too many hours in the pub, using pedestrian crossings to cross the road, riding escalators, taking the underground and (when necessary) even the bus. They want to live with us, not against us. Let's support each other - arm in wing to make London a nicer, less hostile place.
Rentokil(yes, I know!) recently celebrated pigeon's romantic side; 'Pigeons have a complicated courtship sealed with a special pigeon kiss. Pigeons mate for life and are thoroughly modern parents who share parental responsibility, including childcare and foraging for unwanted scraps of food'. See they're actually role models!
Their coocoo is also fast becoming coolcool (sorry), as they're getting a bit of online and media notoriety. Jon Pigeon tweets about being a pigeon; his day to day life, hopes and aspirations...
'Have applied to Jeremy Kyle. Want to be an Emergency Chav Pigeon. Have my lies detected. Punch an auntie. Strop about a bit. Doing the face.'
Fellow Pigeon Tweeter, Brian Pigeon, also shares his life in the capital on his Pigeon Blog. He's one inspiring and busy bird who's currently training for the Pigeon Olympics! According to Brian, June 15th was Pigeon Awareness Day, but why not spare a thought for these fellas all year round. Let them enjoy your crumbs, don't kick or try to run them over. They are tough but constant hate and resentment is bound to grind even the toughest bird down. They try so hard so give them a break. I mean,they even provide cards @ FunkyPigeon.com (have not been paid to advertise this).
Yes they do carry diseases such as these listed on the Pigeon Chat Forum (no I do not spend time on there) but they add character and can be fun to watch.
Being a small pigeon in a big city must be hard enough without being stigmatized as vermin. Give pigeons a chance folks.
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