By Paul Noeldner
Friends of Urban Nature
Our favorite two birds for October and November are actually one bird with two names. The gentle cooing Rock Dove mates for life and is a worldwide cultural symbol of peace and beauty. Their official scientific name is Rock Pigeon.
Pigeons are commonly seen in both urban areas and farms helping clean up scattered food. They get so little respect they are sometimes called rats with wings. It’s the same bird!
While some Rock Doves/Pigeons are plain grey, some are pure white, and all have captivating feathers. Rock Doves/Pigeons have lived alongside humans at the Rock of Gibraltar for at least 67,000 years. They nest in the wild on rocky ledges and on building and bridge ledges.
Humans brought Rock Doves/Pigeons with them all over the world as food, much like chickens. They are famous as pre-internet message carriers with the amazing ability to return home from as far as 7,000 miles away with a paper message tied to their leg.
Whether we love them or not, Rock Doves/Pigeons are a beautiful and important part of the rural and urban ecology we help create and co-exist in. Pretty cooool bird under either name.
