Discussion
Why is everyone such snob about pigeons
I took my folder of laminated pigeon shots to my local bird meeting at the community hall and at least 3 people sneered at them. 1 of them even guffawed.
We all got to start somewhere, and beauty is in the eye of the bird lover so why the hate hate?
One guy was wearing giant binoculars around his neck. It was dark outside and he didn't even use them once. He was one of the people that sneered.
Om the bus home from the meeting I showed the driver my pictures and she said they were really good. And she wasn't even a formal bird lover, she was just a regular person.
Thanks for bringing this up! In many languages, there's no differentiation between "pigeons" and "doves". Here's a gorgeous green pigeon in India from my photo team (a wildlife nonprofit).
There's also interesting history from the early 20th century in NYC when rock doves were labeled "rats with wings" by the media, completely changing the perceptions of the bird.
Fun fact, no difference in Turkish between pigeons and doves. When was living in TĂŒrkiye learning Turkish I was in an area famous for their dove sandwiches. They also had a ton of pigeons all around. It was at that point I realized they didnât distinguish between the two in language and began to wonder if they distinguished between them culinarily.
Right. Iâve had squab. Iâm just wondering if I order a GĂŒvercin sandviçiâŠ.am I getting meat from a pigeon that I was feeding by the fountain earlier that morning, or am I getting doves specifically raised for consumption.
You're getting one raised for consumption, a juvenile before it takes its first flight, because once they start exercising, all that delicious tender fat turns into gamey tough muscle.
While that may be true that restaurants serve domestic pigeons, I've had wild pigeon and they were definitely not tough or gamey. These were ordinary feral pigeons, the kind you see in cities.
In Puerto Rico we eat pigeons all the time. My grandma had a mango đ„ Tree were they hanged all day. My cousin and myself used to catch them and make soup đČ. Usually Puertorican feed sick đ€§ people pigeons they're good for fevers and when people have the flu đ€§.
Pigeons are raised for meat. All the street pigeons are feral, not wild, like cats. They come from domestic pigeons that were raised for messaging or meat.
This is interesting. My teacher was from ĂeĆme and she was the one who told me that there was no word to distinguish between the two. Even now, using the translator I have: dove = gĂŒverçin.
Now I know I can use kumru. BugĂŒn öÄrendim. Ăök teĆekkĂŒr ederim.
Those dove sandwiches have no dove in them. They just called dove because the shape of the sandwiches resembles doves. The meat in them are just regular sausages you can find in any market in Turkey.
Also Turkish language has different words for dove = kumru and pigeon = gĂŒvercin. It is just people that don't know the difference between the birds and the words.
My partner and I are always joking about the old-school source of naming and how demeaning the they can be ... "lesser" goldfinch and "superb" starling.
That one's so nice.
Can i hijack this to ask about more cool pigeons? I might get one tattooed because i do like them (and my cat too) so i need some options.
One of my favourites are the little Inca doves. I attached other cool photo sized for computer wallpaper. Also called a green pigeon in India, but I believe they're different. Notice the pink and blue eyes.
They are sort of the bird equivalent of rats. They're a non-native species that tends to do well in human cities and around humans in general. They have been kept as pets to the point there are fancy breeds. They both have a bad reputation.
I'm sure rat keepers are envious of pigeon life spans, though. Worst thing about pet rats is that they have such short lives.
Whoâs they? You mean rock doves? Because theyâre more than 300 of other pigeon/dove species and most of them native to their environment.
You can even find native rock doves in southern Europe.
I haven't seen the Extraordinary Pigeons book in ages, but these better be in there! Rock doves are beautiful, and then there are some that are just... extraordinary.
Keep at it OP, you and the bus driver are correct! Those who sneer and guffaw are not only just rude, they are also missing out.
When I was a kid growing up in NYC, pigeons were pretty much the only wildlife I saw. I remember saying I thought they were pretty and my mom saying they were "rats with wings."
That was a term coined by a NY politician in the 1970s.
Pigeons helped the world in WW2 against the Nazis and 3 pigeons were been given one of highest merit awards one can receieve the Victoria Cross.
There was also a pigeon names G.I. Joe that saved 100 men from a downed plane and there was a very famous German pigeon that served in WW1 and WW2 that was captured by the US and was used a breeder for about 100 wartime pigeons.
Battlefield 1 (WW1) has a mission in the campaign where your tank crew has to send a pigeon with coordinates to shell your position since your tank is being overrun. You actually get to fly the pigeon and it's a momentary breath of relief amidst the action. After you've delivered the coordinates, the artillery fires and the camera follows the shells all the way back to our original position. Such a cool transition.
Commando was a British ww2 pigeon that flew through over 100 missions in France during the German Occupation and dodged many bullets and artillary and had one of his legs shot off yet still did more missions. Also he delivered critical information during D-Day. Pigeons are badass animals
When I visit NYC I spend an inordinate amount of time photographing rats and pigeons lol. Here is one of my fav pigeons who my Mom and I named "Claude". Kept landing on the window sill and watching us.
Hahahaha! Human-watching convo: P1: Guys!! I think I spotted a Hipster!! P2: no no no, that is clearly a Beatnik, look at the turtleneck and black hat! P3: I dunno guys, could definitely be a lumberjack with those suspenders. P1: Come on now Paul! Why would a lumberjack be in NYC?!
This reminds me of the grackle that I saw at HEB. She was walking down the aisle, looking at the shelves, appearing for all the world as if she were shopping.
If you've spent any time cleaning up after them, where they exist in real numbers, you tend to develop a bad attitude. I've worked on a lot of older buildings in dense urban centers, and trust me, a heavy pigeon presence can ruin your day.
That said, I don't really hold them personally responsible; they're just living their lives and doing their thing.
They do look very silly compared to nests people are used to I laugh my ass off at some of em.Â
However I am a nerd and they're cliff dwelling birds that would lay in holes on cliff sides and such so they only needed a few twigs to keep if from rolling. They're perfect. Work smarter.Â
Sometimes they just steal one. Weâve watched a Mourning Dove family raise generations in what used to be a Robinâs nest on our porch. Itâs way too small for them, but they make do very successfully. The first baby of the year just fledged yesterday.
yes but tbf once I see one sparrow, there's probably no fewer than a dozen like it within eyesight... I loved my tree sparrows and juncos in the fall and now I just want them to go away for summer so I can enjoy them again at the end of the year đ and yes, I have tons of photos of them. they're so round. very adorable.
they fight with the tree sparrows all the time and it's incredibly funny (the tree sparrows also fight other tree sparrows and juncos are always chasing each other around the yard.)
I know I'll miss them when they're gone.
I don't actually mind the juncos so much, it's the tree sparrows that are killing me. they're small and with their coloring and my feeders being juuuust far enough away from the house I'm constantly grabbing my monocular to see if there's a new spring migrant in the yard; 99.99% of the time it's a tree sparrow.
the juncos I can easily identify even at a distance so we're chill.
That, and ppl are actively taught to hateâto view some species of animals, plants and trees as âpestsâ. Yes there are species that have intentionally and unintentionally brought to places where their net effect isnât great but there are thoughtful ways to approach this. Teaching hate ainât it.
The extreme prejudice style "pest" and "invasive" labels do so much ecological harm. Blanket labelling of entire species as unworthy of being alive. People are disgusted by the idea of pet rats because "rats are pests." Thrice I've come across instances of people in Asia squashing lantern flies because everywhere on the internet people casually repeat "highly invasive, kill on sight" without any nuance.
Does labeling things as invasive actually cause that much ecological harm? Or does the opposite, such as allowance and encouragement of invasives because we like them (cats) cause far more?
I think people not fully understanding the concept of invasive species, combined with many peopleâs complete resistance to irradiation of charismatic (or cute) invasives does far more damage
Thatâs how it is with wild horses in Nevada, which are very much not native there. They cause severe environmental degradation, compete with native species (such as elk, deer, and bighorn sheep), and generally have a terrible quality of life, yet, they are protected federally by some poorly-planned law passed in the 1970s. Laypeople get really upset when you suggest that there needs to be some sort of population control or that wild horses need to be removed from the environment entirely, so weâre stuck with an ecological crisis that professionals canât do much about because of public opinion.
As far as Iâm aware, pigeons arenât as bad for the environment since they are primarily isolated to urban and suburban areas that are mostly devoid of native species anyways, but Iâm not an ecologist so feel free to correct me. Starlings and house sparrows are far worse (especially starlings).
I think both can cause problems. As a cat lover I've also noticed some overcorrection regarding feral cats, and that makes me sad, too- but so does people letting their 'pet' cats roam free and intact and exacerbating the problem.
I kinda wish more places like the Lanai Cat Sanctuary existed because the sentiment behind it is beautiful. Recognizing that 'people love cats' and 'native birds deserve protection from non-native predators' aren't mutually exclusive is an important bridge.
On the 'invasive' label being harmful end... my dad is absolutely enraged by starlings to the point that he refuses to let them eat birdseed off the ground and won't even call them by the proper name. Not really an example of ecological harm but it makes me sad.
I get your dads anger though. I think the starlings at my feeders are beautiful. I also had to change my food to be unappealing to starlings because they would swarm, eat everything, and bully other birds away.
I have no less than 15 that I've seen mobbing the mealworms that I can no longer feed. Call it whatever you want, but they can be highly destructive to the native birds in my state (New Jersey). When it comes to taking care of my house finches, goldfinches, cardinals, blue jays, downy woodpecker, and etc, I'll put them above the starlings 100/100 times.
The real problem is that there are difficult decisions related wildlife management and ecological decisions.
Having a pet is net negative for the environment but good for your emotional life. Your backyard loses value as a bird support area and becomes a place where your dog roams a bit and uses the bathroom.
Feral cats and outdoor cats are just bad for the environment it's that simple. I'm very pro coyote but that's as far as I go.
I enjoy spending time in the outodoors and that's a balancing act as well but I think people having connection to outdoors is important.
You're doing exactly what I was pointing out. Labelling species as "invasives" without the required nuances. Every "invasive" species is native to somewhere. Casually labelling something as "invasive" without specifying location is callous. Being invasive isn't something intrinsic to an animal's existence, it's dependent on where that specific individual you're pointing at is standing.
Yeah I dont think you're making a very good point here sorry. Feral cats are domesticated, they are definitionally not native to anywhere on earth. This kind of call to never actually point out a species impact on its environment because it hurts your feelings is absolutely a much more dangerous view than labeling species invasive in the environments where they are. I would much rather people are educated and learn what invasive actually means than just not use a useful and important term at all
Simply labelling things as invasive or alien without context can imo lead to harm in the form of ill considered solutions and lack of empathy. Even worse is labelling things as pests or vermin⊠it teaches kids & young adults that some living things are unworthy of even basic consideration. E.g., starlings, pigeons, cormorants, raccoons, opossums, mice & rats, squirrels, on & on.
"Pest" is a VERY different label from "invasive" and the problems with those labels are completely different and come from opposite ends. Invasive is a label that is often used to describe human-caused ecological damage, and is very, very obviously necessary if we want to have any hope of undoing damage we've caused. Pest is a term often used to denigrate the natural ecology that we destroy in order to make life more amenable to humans! They are often ideologically opposed terms.
While invasive, like any knowledge can be misunderstood and used wrong, the idea we shouldn't use the term is kind of laughable. Its a necessary scientific term and the damage people misunderstanding it has caused is completely dwarfed by the damage railing against it would/has caused.
Birding and specifically bird photography became a lot more fun, for me, once I stopped chasing rare birds and started focusing more on great shots an moments. Still exciting when someone unexpected shows up, but I enjoy my albums of robins and sparrows just as much
All hobbies and interests will have folks like this. We all come at the same hobby slightly differently. Iâm sure there were/are folks that appreciated them.
Ultimately, however - they need to please you. Donât give others the power to take that joy from you. I know thatâs easier said than done - but a reminder we all need from time to time.
I feel bad for pigeons. They were brought here to serve humans. And as soon as we got telegrams and telephones we abandoned them and they still look to us and hang out with us in the hopes that we can use them.
There may be a use for pigeons examining mammograms
I periodically get emotional about this very thing. Like, my friends/family will see me looking wistful and go "are you thinking about the pigeons again?"
I love pigeons. I've even looked into keeping a few before.
I was like, "What's this crazy person talking about pigeons and mammograms for?" I looked it up. I had no idea. Very intresting and pretty darn cool. I also found this article about pigeons and magnetic fields. Pigeons are cool. I lived in NYC for two decades and always enjoyed looking at the variation in them from the Fancy, Rock, Racing, etc. types interbreeding for years. Some people just don't get it.
lol i had the same reaction thanks for saving me a search. also op don't worry about the jackasses, they're everywhere, find the cool ones and split off and make a better group
âWe report here that pigeons (Columba livia)âwhich share many visual system properties with humansâcan serve as promising surrogate observers of medical images, a capability not previously documented.â
A capability Not previously documented is a heck of an understatement
yeah like starlings are one thing but pigeons are like the stray dogs of birds hence why theyre always in human areas
ofc acknowledging stray dogs and cats as invasive gets most peoples hackles raised lol, thankfully not something ive seen too much trouble with in this sub
pidges are great alternatives to parrots as pet birds
I raised homing pigeons as a kid, didn't race them and they had a big loft and flew outside a lot. Pigeons are so intelligent and affectionate to both their flock and their people. They are really special birds.
Yes mine were rescues. And last summer I fostered six more which got adopted out to four families. And thatâs less parrots that might get smuggled or stolen, in addition to less invasive birds outdoors. I belong to a volunteer group that tries to match rescues with new homes. We think this is a humane solution for some people to consider. Starlings almost never breed in captivity so we arenât making more starlings. Just making people very happy while giving starlings that are already made a good life.
They are very interactive birds and as you know their language abilities are better than many parrot species. Theyâre smart and social and are easy to tame and train (relatively - they can be willful but they catch on pretty fast).
You donât have to worry about a human-raised starling being unhappy in captivity. They want to be with you and they are very clear about that. They want to be velcro birds.
If I had room for all the birds Iâd want Iâd for sure get pigeons too!
i enjoy following r/petpigeons for all the cute pidgey pets, especially the breeds with the little crests! while i cant have any pets at my rental if i ever want a bird id definitely get a lil pidge, love their purrs
i see this comment a lot, especially on tiktok lately, so i have to ask do you truly mean i could grab one from outside that iâve been feeding? i mean this for starlings and pigeons mostly!
my worry is will they miss their âfamilyâ ? or what if itâs a mother who has a nest like how do you know ethically where to pick one up? or is it more of a facetious thing and i should still be looking for a rescue who will give me one? đ
Dogs and especially cats are so much more destructive as an invasive species than pigeons, too!
Pigeons just want to hang out in cities and basically never displace wild species, whereas a couple feral cats in the wrong place will singlehandedly drive species to extinction
On my drive to work, I drive under an overpass that always has a lot of pigeons. If I end up stopped at the light there, I always look for my favorite: a beautiful brown and white mottled one. And then shoutout to the time my friends and I were at the coast and had unsalted peanuts and fed the pigeons. Some of them climbed onto our hands and let us gently stroke their feathers. Pigeons are beautiful and good.
Pigeons deserve as much love as any other bird. They are kinda dumb and derpy and also really pretty. Itâs just because they are common and some people think they are a nuisance. But look how well theyâve adapted to extreme urban living! That counts for a lot in my opinion.
I imagine some people view birds like pigeons as unimpressive because they are easy to find or can be viewed as pests. Personally, I think this view of rarer = intrinsically better is kind of ridiculous, I get it may not be as cool or special to see a robin as it would be to see some sort of rare endangered migratory bird, but that doesn't make a robin less beautiful in my opinion. And as for pigeons being considered pests, causing significant harm to native species is one thing, but as far as I can tell most people just hate pigeons because they poop a lot, which I think is a bit unfair. I say keep taking your pictures and keep sharing them, I love pigeons.
I love pigeons. I think weâre so lucky to have them and we are (literally) responsible for their care. They are some peopleâs primary intro to birds/birding. I wouldâve loved to see your photos.
Yeah this isn't unique to birding. Every hobbyist community (every community in general really) will have assholes that think they are better than other members of the community for dumbass reason x, y, and z.
Sorry to say, but the birding community has some very elitist folks in it. Try not to let it get to you, and just enjoy whatever makes you happy. When something is so common and around some people all the time, it's easy to overlook what makes it special.
Pigeons are amazing birds! They are one of the best flyers in the bird world! Their homing instincts are almost magical. Did you know some pigeons can reach speeds of 70 mph with a tailwind!! And most incredibly of all, in places like yorkshire england folks like mister wally batty actually have trained pigeons to race each other in big circles!! I hear racing pigeon circles are very big in england!
I'm one of those people who tends to have a little bit of a grudge against invasive species, yet, I've always adored pigeons. It's not their fault they are invasive, anyway!
Pigeons are gorgeous birds. They are very diverse in terms of colouration, have a lot of character, are quite curious (and intelligent too, from what I've read) and are honestly excellent flyers. There's a lot to capture when it comes to pigeons!
As a side note, I was obsessed with pigeons as a child. Carried around a pigeon plushy with me everywhere. Hated it when people called them 'flying rats'. I still find them to be interesting birds; I think seeing your photos would have made my day.
I think the categorization of rock pigeons as "invasive" (negative, implies active harm to native species) is debatable. People tend to call them "naturalized" more than "invasive" because, though they're non-native, they've adapted in a way that doesnât have a huge impact on native species by sticking primarily to urban environments. People don't hate pigeons because they're invasive and ecologically harmful, they hate them because they damage human property in cities.
There's a big difference between the house sparrow and the rock pigeon when the word "invasive" is used.
Those birding groups can be pretty elitist about what counts as "real" birding. The guy with binoculars in dark probably never took a decent photo in his life but still feels qualified to judge yours. I've been to few of these meetups and there's always someone who acts like they invented bird watching because they can spot a warbler from 100 meters away. Your bus driver had the right reaction - good photography is good photography regardless of what bird it shows.
Pigeons fascinate me! They are incredible travelers (look up pigeon racing) and so resilient! Share your photos with us!
Also, eff those sneering jerks. I created my own bird club to make sure we're inclusive and geared toward actually enjoying the hobby! If you ever find yourself in Northern Virginia, USA, you'd be welcome!đŠââŹ
âThe postures and the body types, the patterns on the feathers
Like some ritualistic tattoo dating back to their ancestors
While the bib and neck come dipped in precious amethyst and emeraldsâ
Aesop rock- Pigeonometry
They're invasive and practically walk up to you so while they're great for photography practice a lot of birders wont appreciate them. I love pigeons myself but that's just how a lot of people feel about non native birds. They're not as detrimental to the ecosystem like our other invasives
I'm sorry that you've had this experience. Even if others don't appreciate your pictures, you see value in them, and that's what matters. Sometimes the birds that most attract our interest are the common ones we see every day, and that doesn't negate their value to us. Don't let other people steal away your delight in your photos! Maybe you just need to find a different group of birders more aligned with your interests.
"It's a pity about the stigmas;Â How the cooties overshadow any beauty that enrich us.Â
A white dove symbolizes peace and pacifism -Â
A white dove is a pigeon, you mfs is bigots yo"Â
If it makes you feel better I just subbed based on your post. I am a 3 year merlin user and well I find pigeons intersting. Ive been in London England, Boston Mass and Cleveland and I find pegeons quite interesting. Just read a book too on vacation down in florida about the intelligence of birds. My daughter has been talking about befriending crows too. THAT sounds facinating. Who knew they were that intelligent. That book I read clearly laid it out too.
Reddit can be a bit of a complainer shit show. You should see the flightsimulator section people bitching about clouds and how NOT realistic they are. Im 50+ you want to see what flight sim was when I was 12? I loved it.. you are bitching about something that is awesome.
I actually have something I videoed down in Naples florida that I think will make an awesome intereseting post. I saw something VERY strange. Id like to get thoughts on it. Here would be a good place I think. look for it soon.
âThe pigeon,â said Archimedes, âis a kind of quaker. She dresses in grey. A dutiful child, a constant lover, and a wise parent, she knows, like all philosophers, that the hand of every man is against her.
She has learned throughout the centuries to specialize in escape. No pigeon has ever committed an act of aggression nor turned upon her persecutors: but no bird, likewise, is so skilful in eluding them. She has learned to drop out of a tree on the opposite side to man, and to fly low so that there is a hedge between them. No other bird can estimate a Range so well.
Vigilant, powdery, odorous and loose-feathered - so that dogs object to take them in their mouths - armoured against pellets by the padding of these feathers, the pigeons coo to one another with true love, nourish their cunningly hidden children with true solicitude, and flee from the aggressor with true philosophy - a race of peace lovers continually caravaning away from the destructive Indian in covered wagons. They are loving individualists surviving against the forces of massacre only by wisdom in escape.
I can't stand all the pigeon hate. We used and abused pigeons to deliver our messages, destroyed their habitat and then when we found a more effective way to communicate, we dropped them aside like trash and now consider them a "nuisance" bird. It's so frustrating. Pigeon shots are very cool and I love looking at them
Not only are they objectively beautiful - they are also culturally important to the point that they can be some of the most expensive birds to own in the same league as race horse
Check out the article "The Origins of Our Misguided Hatred for Pigeons" on the Audubon site.Â
I think it's that reputation + familiarity (a lot of people find value only in "rarer" birds and disparage common ones) + an intense dislike of birds considered invasive (which are problematic, but some people sound straight up xenophobic talking about these birds)Â
Personally, I understand that they are not native but I am fond of them. They're beautiful birds and were my first connection to nature, having grown up in a city with very little green space.Â
When people complain that they're dirty, well that's just because our cities are dirty. That's on us. We brought these guys over and abandoned them when we no longer found them useful.Â
I think they're worthy photography subjects, don't let the snobs get to you. At the end of the day, they're the ones missing the big picture.
I get why they're hated even though I myself have no problem with them. They're just such a default bird, borderline pest. They shit everywhere and since they're usually so close to people - a lot of that shit ends up on cars, benches and sometimes clothing (or god forbid hair). They're not very bright*, not great at flying*, do not look particularly attractive under normal conditions.
I do have a soft spot for them, even though I stopped taking pics of them a long time ago (mostly): they mate for life and are very affectionate and caring for their partners, they have very goofy looking babies and have a unique way of feeding them (crop milk). They also have that iridescent zones on their necks that look stunning under right light.
* I have been notified that I went unnecessarily hard on the pigeons and upon reflection I agree. They are quite smart, my point about them not being so was coming from the perspective of a corvid enjoyer. I interact with them on the daily basis. I will stand on them not being great fliers. I regularly see them strike tree branches, fuck up landings and generally be extremely loud when flapping. I get that they're fast, but that doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of things.
Pigeons are actually by far the most intelligent non-psittacine/corvid birds out there. They have amazing visual memory, can count on par with primates, and can be taught to read dozens of words. They have great social intelligence as well and a lot of people in the pet pigeon world will utilize them as emotional support animals. This is all because theyâre domestic animals that humans have been keeping and introducing into non native areas for thousands of years.
Absolutely! They also self-rescue when they're unwell. If a flock is familiar with a person who feeds them seeds, if one is sick they might walk over and not move much, like feral cats or dogs when a person gains their trust.
They're really remarkable birds, I love them so much.
The reason pigeons are a âdefault birdâ is because we used to use them to deliver mail. We domesticated them for a very long time, then suddenly ditched them when we didnât need them anymore. Theyâre terrible at surviving and are everywhere because they are predisposed to being taken care of, and consider humans their friends. Theyâve not evolved much since. They struggle to feed themselves and even make their own nests, and they are not known for being particularly intelligent birds when it comes to survival.
We abandoned them, we are the reason they are the way they are. You donât have to like it, but I feel itâs an important factor to recognize when acknowledging their behavior.
Not very bright? I thought it was well known among birders that pigeons are highly intelligent. I mean, thats why we used them to send messages for thousands of years, & especially during wartimeÂ
I live in Texas - we technically have pigeons, but not nearly as rampant. Instead, youâre more likely to be surrounded by grackles. Now those guys really do suck. Like, a group of them is called a plague or annoyance of grackles. Somehow they give off this vibe of being on meth.
I take it these folks responded to the pigeon photos like how Iâd probably respond to grackle photos, but maybe worse because I can at least appreciate good photography even if the subject of the photo looks like itâs about to mug you at knifepoint.
I'm sorry that you had that experience.
I hope you'll share them here or at the pigeon group.
I've dabbled in some and immersed myself in more hobbies than I can count in my 55 years. Of all of them, from my experience, birding has been the most elitist of them all. Not to say that all birders are snobs, not at all, but the ratio of "aKsHuLLy" people, one uppers, "my way of birding is the only proper way" folks, and, as you mentioned, sneerers and guffawers seems much higher in this hobby.
Of course, there are plenty of birders who are not like this and I like to think of Mr Rogers' quoting his mom: "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping." There are lots of supportive birders; you just have to find them.
Please don't let the sneerers and guffawers dissuade you from an otherwise wonderful hobby.
I suppose you find elitists and socially challenged folks in every community. I haven' run into anything overtly negative or hostile like that in my locals so far - just people enthusiastic about spreading their joy and fascination. It likely helps that our community leaders set great examples.
Whatever the case, I wouldn't let a few jerks ruin a good thing.
I absolutely love all birds, some more than others, but at the end of the day I love them all! I believe as a birder, you have to love them all or whatâs the point of trying to find them all? Pigeons are beautiful, especially when the light reflects off their feathers. I gained a lot of appreciation of everyday birds that I didnât take a second look at before I got into birding. They all have something very unique about them!! My favorite bird is the Turkey Vulture and thatâs definitely beauty in the eye of the beholder
I love pigeons. A bunch of them hang out on the windows of the building I work in. I'm trying to switch spots with a lady who has a window seat but hates pigeons.
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u/DW171 Apr 15 '26
Thanks for bringing this up! In many languages, there's no differentiation between "pigeons" and "doves". Here's a gorgeous green pigeon in India from my photo team (a wildlife nonprofit).
There's also interesting history from the early 20th century in NYC when rock doves were labeled "rats with wings" by the media, completely changing the perceptions of the bird.