In some cities, no matter how big or small, it seems like the population of pigeons is equal in size to the population of citizens; if not bigger. In such cities, they tend to have a favored spot, too—like a large square or a park, where, if the winged creatures are lucky enough, there might even be a person feeding them the crumbs of their pastry.
But it’s not always pigeons that are happy to be in close proximity with humans. In some places, other animals act just like pigeons do, be it other birds, cats, or even moose. These are just a few examples of ‘pigeons’ from different places in the world, but if you’re curious to see more, scroll down to view them on the list below.
In order to learn more about pigeons, We got in touch with two experts, Professor at the Department of Natural Resources Science at the University of Rhode Island, Peter Paton, and Professor at the Department of Biology at Queen’s University, Robert Montgomerie. You will find both of their thoughts in the text below.
#1 Family Of Raccoons In My Yard
#2 Zao Fox Village
#3 Woman Feeding Squirrels In Lovers Point Park, California
In quite a few cities, a square covered in pigeons is far less surprising than an empty one. Take Milan, for instance; expecting to see at least a few of them in Piazza del Duomo is a pretty safe bet. The same goes for St. Mark’s Square in Venice, where the situation got so bad, pigeon feeding had to be officially banned, to the great sadness of the birdseed vendors in the square.
“It’s a tradition,” one of them told The New York Times, “It’s like removing Rialto or The Bridge of Sighs”—two of the main attraction points in Venice for both tourists, and, likely, pigeons.
But what, apart from the obvious—birdseed—led flocks of these googly-eyed birds into the cities in the first place?
#4 Wild Macaws Frequently Visit Balconies In Caracas
#5 Wild Horses In The Town Center Where I Live, Nevada
We turned to the evolutionary biologist Robert Montgomerie to discuss the reasons some animals, including different species of birds—among which, of course, pigeons—ended up living alongside people in cities. The expert pointed out four main factors, one of them being warmth, as the cities are warmer due to concrete and asphalt, among other things.
“There are also fewer predators,” the expert continued, adding that it applies when it comes to big predators, as the cities are now full of the smaller ones, such as foxes, falcons, and raccoons.
The third reason is nest sites. “Pigeons, swallows, falcons, house sparrows, starlings and some other species all nest on buildings, which are much more plentiful than their natural sites on cliffs and tree hollows,” he explained.
Last but not least, there’s food, which they can get either by feeding at bird feeders and people’s hands, garbage, insects in gardens, or scraps that people discard while eating outside. “I once watched ibises (bin chickens) snatch sandwiches from unsuspecting picnickers in Sydney, Australia,” the expert recalled. “Clearly this was easier pickings than hunting for unsuspecting frogs in marshes.”
#6 Eagles Are Like Pigeons In Alaska
#7 I Started Feeding A Street Cat Last Year, And The News Is Going Fast In The Neighborhood
#8 Captured A Picture Today Of This Man Trying In Vain To Yield To A Deer In Nara, Japan
Another reason why some birds might end up in cities, according to Professor Peter Paton, is their resemblance to the natural environment the winged creatures are used to. “Pigeons are native to cliffs, so possibly city buildings mimic their native habitat,” he pointed out. “They were slowly domesticated over time and evolved a commensal relationship with humans, so ended up in cities.”
The expert added that they are arguably easier to domesticate than other birds, which is why they are adapted to living with humans more so than most other species.
#9 Austria – Marmots
#10 I’ll Follow You (Aoshima)
#11 My Father-In-Law’s Bird Feeder (Wild Birds)
Even though pigeons seem to have adapted to the city lifestyle quite well, certain instincts affect their habits even in the concrete jungle. For instance, the fact that they tend to move around in flocks.
“It’s about safety in numbers. An anti-predator strategy,” Paton said. “Pigeons are common prey to raptors, such as falcons, and when you are in a large flock, it is easier to evade predators, as more eyes are watching out for them. Also, in a large flock, it’s more likely that a neighbor will be eaten rather than you.”
#12 Doves Of Ecuador
#13 Friends Found A Baby Raccoon In Their Garage, They’re In Contact With The Local Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre. Just A Cutie
#14 Swimming Pigs In The Bahamas
“There are lots of animals and birds that move around in social groups outside the breeding season, either for enhanced vigilance for predators, or finding food; or, more rarely, for sussing out potential mates for the next breeding season,” Montgomerie suggested.
Quite a few species on this list are among those who travel in groups, such as monkeys, cockatoos, and cats, just to name a few.
#15 Wild Horses In My Neighbor’s Yard This Morning (NV)
#16 A Group Of Black Cats Out In The Wild
#17 Squirrels
But with all sorts of species charting human-filled territories, is it likely that animals are becoming less and less fearful? Prof. Montgomerie does not think that’s the case; not in the natural world, at least. “This may be true of animals in cities but in the countryside, animals and birds seem to be most wary where they have regular contact with humans and are tamest on remote islands and in the arctic where humans are relatively scarce.”
#18 Here Is A Wild Donkey Herd Near My House In Southern California
#19 View From My Kitchen Window This Morning (New Hampshire)
#20 Moose Visited My Dad’s Yard, Alaska
Even though not to the same extent as the Arctic, Alaska is another place where people are relatively scarce; but ‘pigeons’ are not. Except ‘pigeons’ in Alaska are not the same as those roaming the streets in Italy.
As quite a few pictures on this list show, an eagle is the bird that can be as commonly seen in Alaska as pigeons are elsewhere. As a matter of fact, the bald eagle population there is reportedly greater than in all of the lower 48 states combined, according to the Forest Service. The birds seemingly thrive there not only because of fewer people, but also because of the condition of their natural habitat and abundance of food.
That’s why if Home Alone 2 was set in Alaska, the kind-hearted Pigeon Lady would likely be feeding a very different kind of bird. (And have a different moniker, too.)
#21 My Wife Had Been Feeding The Very Friendly Squirrel That Lives In Our Tree This Summer. Tonight She Brought Her Kids Out To Meet Us
#22 Never Leave Your Picnic Unattended In Australia
#23 This House Is Surrounded By Dozens Of Wild Peacocks
Even though in some cities it feels like there are more pigeons than people, they are not the most populous species of bird out there; they succumb in number to their distant relative, the chicken. It is believed that the pigeon and chicken lineages diverged more than 85 million years ago, which led to the former becoming the most abundant bird worldwide, with a population reaching 30 billion. The pigeon—well, its cousin, the dove, to be exact—is third on the list with a population of 475 million.
#24 Did You Know We Have Native Pigeons? This Is A Common Bronzewing That I Photographed In The Blue Mountains This Last Weekend (Australia)
#25 This Week On Christmas Island, 50 Million Crabs Are Scuttling To The Ocean
#26 I Miss My Balcony. And My Two Local Breakfast Regulars
Whether you find pigeons fascinating or not really, you might want to check out the beautiful variety on this list here, featuring some rather impressive-looking breeds. For more random pigeon-related content, check out We’s pieces on this Japanese woman’s pigeon shoes or sing along while browsing the comics depicting a pigeon rendition of The Killers’ ‘Mr Brightside’.
#27 Fox Village – Japan
#28 Sandhill Cranes Showed Up In My Driveway, Port Saint Lucie, FL
#29 I Recently Visited Okunoshima, The Bunny Island Of Japan. Wasn’t Expecting This Many Rabbits
#30 A Raccoon Pool Party (My Aunt Sent This To Me This Morning)
#31 While I Have To Deal With Annoying Pigeons On My Balcony, This Is What My Australian Friend Gets
#32 In The Giraffe Manor, Jock’s Room, Kenya. There Are Rooms Where The Giraffes Are Fed. The Giraffes Come Early In The Morning To Get Treats. It’s Definitely A Great Experience
#33 When You Don’t Read The “Don’t Feed The Monkeys” Sign (Thailand)
#34 Beautiful Guests For Breakfast. Waratah Bay, Australia
#35 Girlfriend Saw A Rainbow Pigeon In London Today
#36 A Pigeon Riding An Iguana I Photographed In Ecuador
#37 Family Of Wild Boars Roam The Streets Of The Carmel Neighborhoods In The Northern City Of Haifa, Israel
#38 When You Think You’re A Disney Princess And Try To Feed The Birds But End Up Getting Bullied By A Flock Of Cockatoos
#39 Book And Bench In The Park Is Only Complete With A Knee Squirrel
#40 My Wife And I Just Bought Our First House And Found A Welcoming Committee In Our Backyard The Night After We Moved In
#41 When You Roll Your Eyes Your Whole Life At Ignorant Foreigners Thinking You Have Kangaroos In Your Front Yard And You Live In The Suburbs
#42 Bird Of The Year: Magpie (Australia)
#43 Deer In Nara, Japan. They Will Bow For Cookies. But Beware, Once You Feed Them, They Will Follow You For More, And You May Get Headbutted
#44 The Harbor Town Of Unalaska Is Home To Over 600 Eagles, Making Them As Common As Pigeons In Most Other Cities
Unfortunately, this isn’t as magical as it sounds. The eagles are constantly fighting over fish guts and attacking people. Nesting season is especially hellish.
#45 Chicken Heaven In Kauai, Hawaii
#46 An Old Man Sitting In The Sun And Feeding The Ducks
#47 Shanghai: Void Of People, Streets Taken Over By Cats
#48 Wild Chickens Are Everywhere In Kauai. They Were Already Around Even When We Just Landed In The Airport
Legend has it that these chickens became the “pigeons” of Kauai after Hurricane Iniki in 1992 destroyed all chicken enclosures, releasing them all into the jungle. So now they’re literally everywhere, roaming the streets, shopping centers, restaurants, etc.
#49 Wild Deers Freely Roaming The Streets Of Nara, Japan
#50 Iguanas On Exuma Beach In Nassau, Bahamas
