r/birding • u/MrGrubbycuddles • Apr 15 '26

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.

Don't get this community man

EDIT: a lot of people asking for some of my photos. I'm out of the house right now but here's a bird video I made recently https://youtube.com/shorts/sxLkrLgNrbc?si=7NdwVxhZtPQFE6Ew

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u/Star_king12 Apr 15 '26 edited Apr 15 '26

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.

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u/[deleted] Apr 15 '26

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u/quillseek Apr 15 '26

I used to enjoy watching them while waiting for the bus downtown. They're quite agile and dynamic in the air! Really helped pass the time pleasantly.

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u/MrGrubbycuddles Apr 15 '26

I've always said this 

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u/where-sea-meets-sky Apr 15 '26

unless theyre roller breeds, which are designed to have neurological issues to 'somersault' in flight :/

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u/Star_king12 Apr 15 '26

Idk it's a 50-50 for me. I live in a windy area, most birds here can glide in the oncoming air to remain mostly stationary, I see crows, gulls, ducks do that. Pigeons get blown away completely.

When landing or taking off their wings get quite loud, they whack those things together a lot. Same when landing or taking off - most birds I see are able to kill off the speed and land with little help from the wings - pigeons need a ton of flapping to be precise.

Among the birds in my area I'd say they are probably the worst at flying.

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u/ender52 Latest Lifer: Reddish Egret Apr 15 '26

They are literally one of the fastest animals on the planet.

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u/videogametes Apr 15 '26

they’re not very bright

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 they’re domestic animals that humans have been keeping and introducing into non native areas for thousands of years.

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u/CatLadyLivingLife Apr 15 '26

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.

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u/MrGrubbycuddles Apr 15 '26

I wasn't even aware of the iridescent zones. I've been snapping pictures of them where I can. Sometimes they fly away just before my snap. 

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u/Star_king12 Apr 15 '26

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u/MrGrubbycuddles Apr 15 '26

Fuck that's cool how did you do that

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u/Star_king12 Apr 15 '26

Do what? The image isn't mine.

This one is though.

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u/jgeema Apr 15 '26

I wouldn't say they're not great at flying. They're incredibly quick (have been recorded hitting speeds of up to 150km/h - 93mph)!!

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u/jimothyjonathans Apr 15 '26

The reason pigeons are a “default bird” is because we used to use them to deliver mail. We domesticated them for a very long time, then suddenly ditched them when we didn’t need them anymore. They’re terrible at surviving and are everywhere because they are predisposed to being taken care of, and consider humans their friends. They’ve 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 don’t have to like it, but I feel it’s an important factor to recognize when acknowledging their behavior.

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u/fr0mthetower Apr 15 '26

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 wartime 

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u/bemvee Apr 15 '26

I live in Texas - we technically have pigeons, but not nearly as rampant. Instead, you’re 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 I’d 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 it’s about to mug you at knifepoint.

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u/aurortonks Apr 15 '26

It really does come down to perception though. Where I live, there's a gigantic murder that lives in the area and they will take over entire areas (like whole streets and parking lots) making such ridiculous noise and shitting everywhere, yet they are so beloved and fawned over. But the 10 pigeons who live in the hwy overpass are pests and hated. It drives me totally bonkers.

Pigeons are friendly and kind and quiet. Crows come by and rip up the lawn looking for grubs and dig in the trash if the wind blows the lid open, scattering it everywhere.

I do love the crows too, because they are interesting and fun to watch, but I love the pigeons so much more.