Pigeons are one of the most exploited animals on the planet, and I'm tired of it.
Despite what the media may have told you or what your next-door neighbor spouts, yes. Pigeons can be pets, and their story and exploitation are among the saddest known to mankind.
Domestic pigeons, otherwise known as Columba livia, are a domesticated species of bird that you'll often see scavenging on what's left of a pink sprinkled donut on the side of New York City or San Francisco streets, or roosting above a busy highway in Cincinnati or Seattle. Those gray birds, usually with black bars or mottles all over their wings and their beautiful iridescent heads, coo as they walk, and their wings ring with noise as they take off.
Pigeons are one of humanity's greatest victims. In the World Wars, pigeons were bred and used as messengers where modern-day technology was absent. In World War II, they were the second-most decorated animal, right behind dogs. Popular war pigeons include Mary of Exeter, who flew four successful missions despite three German attempts to stop her from delivering messages. She was attacked by a hawk. On the next, she landed with a missing wing top and three shotgun pellets in her body. The next? Shrapnel injuries were so severe that a collar was made to hold her head up.
But what happened after the wars? Well, we developed better technology, like wireless technology. Pigeons were becoming uneeded, and in many cases, discarded. Thousands of pigeons across continents were released. People had no use for them anymore. Now, they live in our cities, where our architecture fits their ancestors' natural habitat of cliff ledges and small caves, and where humans litter their food and provide them with improper sustenance.
After release or escape, pigeons proliferated to the millions. It's estimated that around 200 million or more pigeons exist in feral populations. Over a million pigeons (up to 4 million) are thought to live in New York City alone. The city even recognizes them as a part of their identity.
There's another unfortunate side to the pigeon community: racing. Pigeons were recognized and bred for their homing capabilities. As the need for them diminished, some began to breed them for racing. These individuals would take a group of pigeons to a designated distance and have them fly back home.
The issue? This wasn't a measly mile or two. The races can range anywhere from ten miles to over one thousand. The longest journey a pigeon took was 7,200 miles (11,600 km), from France to Vietnam, occurring in 1931 over the course of 24 days. Standard pigeon races today for long-distance flying can range to over 600 miles (966 km).
Pigeon racing comes with its faults. At Great Lakes Pigeon Rescue alone, ~80% of their hundreds of birds are racing pigeons. Most pigeons are taken by raptors (birds of prey, like hawks or falcons) or other predators. Others fall ill. Others are injured. Others become so emaciated that their organs begin failing, like my first rescue, Korys.
My own bird, Violet, was found at ~1 year old in 2024, downed and dehydrated. She was found in West Virginia, but her leg band said she belonged to a loft in New Jersey. She ended up being a total unicorn when it comes to pigeons: a cuddly lovebug who can't get enough of me, even with her ex-feral wife, Goose (who I rescued in August 2025).
I've seen horror stories of unethical breeders keeping too many pigeons for them to handle. Some have quarantine procedures that allow risky indirect or direct contact with other birds, or they don't quarantine at all, leading to outbreaks of parasites or disease in their loft. Some breed horrific traits into their birds, like eyes that nearly pop out of their heads, beaks so small they can't feed their own young, or spines so bent that they can't feed themselves properly.
There are many known animal abusers in the pigeon community. Brysen Strowder and Danielle Ramsey, for example, both of whom post like they haven't committed literal animal abuse, with ample evidence against them. And unfortunately, many people believe their sob stories or are blind to them hiding their crimes. Worse off, officials have been called numerous times for a lot of these abusers with no change.
I have no quarrel with ethical breeders. My standards, however, are too high for most. Many breeders, including those I know, are considered unethical by my standards. But when you have hundreds of millions of birds feral, living only 2 to 5 years in the wild, but living well into their teens in captivity, your standards have to be strict.
Pigeons have been exploited for far too long, and I consider them my Roman Empire.
romaincrisis
baratheonpilled
kaledo-art
gummygunk
pixelskylines
ellievsbear
izzy806
annaxmalina
andulkaphoto
snowghoul
2087
