https://www.livescience.com/63923-why-cities-have-so-many-pigeons.html
Today, there are more than 400 million pigeons around the world, all of them living in urban cities. However, they had originally stemmed from a bird called the Rock Dove. As the name suggests, it is an avian creature that prefers to live in rocky mountains rather than cities. Back 10,000 years ago, in ancient Mesopotamia, rock doves had been eaten and used for livestock. So people had started to coax these birds in with food to motivate them to breed in human territory. They became domesticated, which led to the pigeons we have today. Soon, people realized that the pigeon could be used for more than food. Those in the middle east, including North Africa and West Europe, started to use pigeons for their stellar navigation skills. the delivered messages, and guided lost ships towards land. soon after people realized that they could get more sustaining meat, pigeons were no longer used for food and were soon bred as a hobby. As expected, pigeons would escape captivity. Which leads to our pigeons who roam free today.
I think it can be so interesting to hear an animals history. However the past of the pigeon was not one I expected to enjoy. I had known that people had used them for food, (every animal has), but to learn that there actually had been carrier pigeons was amazing! To train a creature that is seen as so stupid now is incredible and I think it has inspired the people who now breed other birds that are viewed as "good". For example, Hawks, or falcons.
This is a very interesting topic and very rare talked about ~ Stephannie Hernandez
ReplyDeleteThis is fascinating! Yes, everyone thinks of pigeons as stupid and silly, but to learn about their history, gives me a new perspective to this bird. It is also interesting to see how humans completely impacted the lives of these birds and how they live today. Lily Philips
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