True Facts: Pigeons Are Tricking You

Credits
Dr Damian Scarf, University of Otago
Dr Elizabeth Carlen, Washington University in St Louis
Dr Robert Epstein, American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology
Dr Shigeru Watanabe, Keio University
.cheeto.0
r/BalconyBabies
r/BadPigeonNests
Fern
TrickyReaction9690
the-bess-one
Spiritual_Berry_6868
lilweedkid

Credits:
Dr Damian Scarf, University of Otago
Dr Elizabeth Carlen, Washington University in St Louis
Dr Robert Epstein, American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology
Dr Shigeru Watanabe, Keio University

.cheeto.0
r/BalconyBabies
r/BadPigeonNests
Fern
TrickyReaction9690
the-bess-one
Spiritual_Berry_6868
lilweedkid

Pond5
Envato
iStock
Motion Array
Canva

Citations

Clark W, Colombo M. Seeing the Forest for the Trees, and the Ground Below My Beak: Global and Local Processing in the Pigeon's Visual System. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.888528.

Fumihiro, Kano & Naik, Hemal & Keskin, Göksel & Couzin, Iain & Nagy, Máté. (2022). Head-tracking of freely-behaving pigeons in a motion-capture system reveals the selective use of visual field regions. 10.1038/s41598-022-21931-9.

Patton, Tadd & Szafranski, Gabrielle & Shimizu, Toru. (2010). Male pigeons react differentially to altered facial features of female pigeons. 10.1163/000579510X491090.

Scarf D, Stuart M, Johnston M, Colombo M. Visual response properties of neurons in four areas of the avian pallium. doi: 10.1007/s00359-016-1071-6.

Scarf, Damian & Boy, Karoline & Reinert, Anelisie & Devine, Jack & Güntürkün, Onur & Colombo, Michael. (2016). Orthographic processing in pigeons (Columba livia). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 10.1073/pnas.1607870113.

Shimizu, Toru & Patton, Tadd & Husband, Scott. (2010). Avian Visual Behavior and the Organization of the Telencephalon. Brain, behavior and evolution. 10.1159/000314283.

Ware E, Saunders DR, Troje NF. The influence of motion quality on responses towards video playback stimuli. doi: 10.1242/bio.011270. PMID: 25964659; PMCID: PMC4571084.

Watanabe S. Pigeons can discriminate "good" and "bad" paintings by children. doi: 10.1007/s10071-009-0246-8. Epub 2009 Jun 16. PMID: 19533184.

[redwitch]

I live in a major US city in a place where it tends to be very hot 'round the clock in summertime. Like many city-dwellers, I did not have a very positive impression of pigeons, what with all of the pooping and half-ass nest building mess. One night, though, during a nasty heat wave (we're talking over 100F even at midnight), I went through an area at my workplace where there was a pigeon nest on top of a block wall, under the edge of a roof. Both parents were present, but one of them was perched on the roof edge while the other was hanging onto the edge of the block wall, vigorously flapping its wings. After a good five minutes, they traded places, and the flapping started up again from the one now hanging on the block wall. I suddenly realized that they were taking turns fanning the chicks, trying to keep them cool despite temperatures that can, and have, killed adult humans.
I went inside, got a cup of water, and left it near the wall for them; after I walked a few feet away, the resting parent flew down to drink, then took up fan position while the other went to drink. (A few hours later, I found that one of my coworkers--an older lady who rarely had much of a kind word or gentle demeanor for anybody--had brought out the little battery-powered fan from her desk and clamped it to the roof edge a short distance from the nest, and both parents were taking a break and preening each other.)
I've had a different view of pigeons ever since that incident. That kind of parental devotion deserves some recognition.

[mystery]

“And that’s not all. Pigeons can make children cry, with science!” Well I’m sold

[Thorgonator]

Pigeons are awesome.

When I was young, my sister saved one from a cat, but his wing was injured and she insisted we nurse him back to health. He only needed about 3 days, but it turns out that's all that's needed for a pigeon to imprint. We drove him outside the city to release him, and he was waiting outside the door when we got home. So we named him Dodo, bought him a cage, and made it official.

He was a fantastic pet. He'd sit on your shoulder and coo at things. Our mother was his favorite person, and he would regularly attack any inanimate objects that he felt she paid too much attention to, such as the phone, the remote control, and her slippers.

[cygnia]

"Pigeon Love" -- the B side to "Stuffin' Puffin Muffin"

[orko]

"Remember, this was the '80s. Everyone was on cocaine."

True facts, indeed.

[LTWeezie]

Wilbur, our rescue pigeon, was quite a character. He LOVED playing in the tub like he was a duck. He would stand on the toilet seat while you got into the tub, then jump to the edge of the tub while you brought your knee over to the edge. He would hop onto your knee and wait until you slowly lowered the knee into the tub. Then he would spread his wings and float away. If you happened to walk into the bird room with a towel. he would just have a fit because he thought he was going to take a dip! He lived 15 years after he came to us. We still miss him every day. ❤

[heathercreates]

I’m loving the internet’s new wave of pigeon appreciation and debunking misconceptions. At least the side of the internet I spend my time on.

[apathetic_aesthetics]

I'm so glad more people are appreciating pigeons now. They've been domesticated and owned as pets for so long that they're really more like stray dogs or stray cats than any other 'pest.' We brought them to our cities and then abandoned them, and I'm glad they're getting recognition for how sweet and smart they are!

[carolynexists]

I've been going to the park in the morning to feed the ducks and pigeons, almost everyday. I recognize so many of the same ducks and pigeons who come say hello now. I have a few I consider friends. One pigeon, who I started calling Stubbs because he has one foot, and one stump with no toes, always lands on my arm to say hi to my son. I always try to make sure the homies get some love and talk to them and tell them thank you for existing and being so beautiful.

[mastermill]

"Do a little dance, make a little DOVE!" Come on Ze, it was right there!

[denisovan_the_menisovan]

I've got to be honest, it sounds to me like pigeons make better pets than parrots! They're smart, clean, relatively quiet, and they can't rattle off swear words when your 5-year-old nephew visits.

[thelastvalkyrie]

I have about a dozen or so pigeons who nest and congregate around my apartment, which they nestle in a closed off alley between my place and the next building. I’ve lived here for almost a year and have noticed some “regulars” who frequently stop by my window every day, the same time each day. Initially I thought they were unintelligent and dirty, but they are in fact sentimental and observant little fellas. I adore them. Thank you for sharing things I didn’t know about them before!

[billcynic]

6:31 If you think that pigeon with the banana is dumb, remember the pigeon figured that out faster than a game journalist figured out how to jump over a pillar in the Cuphead tutorial.

[tarico]

"You don't puke in my mouth no more." Brilliant. Heart-warming.

[ohnothepossum]

I have adopted a young pigeon that got blown to me after a storm some weeks ago. It figured out how to play music after i did show it that, amongst some other things. It was basically fully tame after just three days. It lets me put a harness on, knows the words for hop on (my hand) and hop off and i'm working on more commands as well. They are incredibly smart animals.

[jackielinde]

Ze, my cat sat through the WHOLE EPISODE. He's still staring at the screen. I think you hit one out of the park with this episode.

[Matt-yevh]

Imagine getting cat-fished by an abstract art taxidermy. But for the park lady’s stale bread, i think itd be worth it

[KoyasuNoBara]

10:14 "Compare that with the zero degrees covered by a dead pigeon!"

I live it when you make me laugh hard enough that I have to pause the video.

[debayeuxchats]

One more important note about the pigeon nests: a lot of the time when you see a photo of a pigeon with like, five sticks? That's actually a "stress nest". That's a female pigeon who needed to lay, but was kicked off of her nest by another pigeon (or had it destroyed in some other way). That's like making fun of someone for using the bathroom in the bushes, then realizing their house caught fire while they were headed to pee- yeah, it's not the most dignified, but the body's gotta do what the body's gotta do and we're just doing our best!

[kafenster]

Mr Frank, it just so happens that a pigeon has been nesting underneath my back patio chair the past couple weeks, guarding 2 eggs, and AS OF THIS MORNING, the bébes hatched!

Your timing could not be more perfect, sir. Well done.