by Jan Parrott-HoldenVancouver, Washington

In Praise of Pigeons

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30 August/September 1985

Capistrano is noted for its swallows.So why, on my first visit, did I take pic­tures of pigeons? Why, too, did myhusband and I use every last coin in ourpockets to purchase packets of wheatto feed these ordinary birds? And whydid I ,want to kick the old lady whoscolded her grandson for carrying oneof the slate gray birds upon hisshoulder?

I can still hear her cranky voicedcommand, "Don't touch thosepigeons! They're dirty birds."

Perhaps I might have felt more sym­pathetic with the old woman severalyears ago. For it wasn't until recentlythat I discovered the value ofColumbalivia. Since that time it has been mysecret hope to help dispel many of thedeep-rooted prejudices within. oursociety toward an all-togetherremarkable, but thoroughlymisunderstood bird-The Pigeon.

For centuries the pigeon has dwelledin cities and towns across our wideworld, growing in numbers whilemaintaining an uneasy alliance withman.

Man, in truth, doesn't bother think­ing about the birds he sees peckingnervously at bits of popcorn or theleavings of someone's brown baglunch. Perhaps he feels they don't evenmerit thought. But, if you ask thatcasual observer to tell you the firstthing that comes to mind when you saythe word "pigeon," chances are hewould, like that old woman, mentionthe word "dirty."

Pigeons weren't always held in suchlow esteem, and this statement can beproven by a brief look at history.

We humans are always asking "Whatwill it do for me?" The Orientals foundpigeons had worth during the time ofthe Manchu emperors, when the birdsand their eggs were considered avaluable food source. The ancients,too, were extremely zealous in theirpigeon breeding. Not only were thebirds valued as messengers but theirfertility was considered an attributeworthy of worship. The Romans

became extremely sophisticatedpigeoneers with wealthier fanciersowning numbers in the thousands. It isinteresting to note that the name "Col­umbidae" has been considered aderivative of the Latin term "Colum­barium" which was used to describewhat the modern fancier calls adovecote.

Literary works, penned by bothancient and contemporary authors,helped promote the dove, the smallestmember of the pigeon family. Amongthese references, the Biblical story of

oah is probably one of the bestknown. Practically every member ofthe)udeo-Christian world has heard of

oah's use of doves to signal that theflood level had subsided enough for abird to return with an olive branch. Butthis is merely one of several Biblicalpassages concerning the pigeon.

More recently, noted writers likeShakespeare and Dickens have dis­played interest as well as surprisingknowledge concerning pigeons. Inci­dentally, these noted authors equatedthe dove with images of peace, mod­esty, innocence, beauty and purity. Atleast to their minds, the pigeon was nota dirty bird.

Pigeons continued to win admirersas messengers, especially during war­time though most of us don't reflectmuch ·upon their use during the reignof Caesar and apoleon. In fact, fewpeople consider the birds' tremendousrole in saving lives during World Wars Iand II. Yet the Signal Corps thoughtenough of their pigeons to give themmonikers like "Winkie," "Spike,""President Wilson," and "Cher Ami."

Cher Ami, French for "BelovedFriend," proved to be one of thegreatest heros ofWorld War I, creditedwith the distinction of saving' 'TheLost Battalion." When flares androckets were useless, Cher Ami wastossed into the air as a final resort.Though badly wounded, the birdrallied and made for home with animportant message. That messageproved responsible for saving hun-

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dreds of liv~s. Again, pigeons provedtheir worth to man. Thankfully, themilitary recognized this worth andmade Cher Ami their mascot. Today,the bird's body is mounted for publicview in the Smithsonian Institution,U.S. National Museum, Washington,D.C.

Military pigeons were racinghomers. But all members of the Col­umba Livia family are not homers as somany people assume. Actually thereare literally hundreds of varieties ofpigeons with appearance and manner­isms that vary greatly. All do notpossess that unique instinct that causesthem to return to their home loft. Infact, some varieties are so profuselyfeathered that it would be a miracle ifthey were able to find their loft. Forthose who have thought all pigeonswere slate gray, more surprises are instore.

Pigeons aren't peacocks. They arenot macaws or canaries. But they docome in an astonishing array of colorsincluding blue, silver, red, yellow,black, dun, bronze and almond.

Fanciers have spent hundreds ofyears developing the colors, patternsand feathering of their favorite breeds.The Old Dutch capuchine, my partic­ular favorite, is a good example. Theoriginal capuchine stock, like manyother pigeon breeds, is believed tohave originated in the East or from theshores bordering the MediterraneanSea. It is quite probable that the Dutchseamen brought the earliest specimento Holland from India prior to the15OOs. The capuchine of that period inhistory certainly bares only a faintresemblance to the modern version.For instance, the earmark of today'sbeautiful capuchine is its elegantlyfeathered hood which literally hugsthe head, much like the hood on afriar's robe. Below this extends agraceful chain offeathers on either sideof the bird's neck. Without thesefeatures a capuchine is simply not acapuchine. Yet in the 1800s the samebird possessed almost no hood orchain. Standards Simply were alteredthrough the years along with thebreeders' tastes.

I suppose it was the Old Dutch capu­chine which first sparked my interestin Columba Livia. I ran across a hand­some pair sunning themselves at a birdfarm. After examining their aluminumleg bands, dated 1976, I could see theyhad been placed in retirement by somebreeder who no longer had use forthem as stock birds. Despite their

The Chinese owl is a dainty breed and verypopular with fanciers today.

This Indian Fantail is hardlythrough his baby moult and

already aspires to ((rule the roost."

A tendency to makeyour birdspetsis oneofthe pitfalls ofpigeon breeding.

But what a delightfulpitfall! ~~~~~~Shown: author andafew of her ((pets. " r:

senectitude, I brought the pair home.Three months later they rewarded mewith my first pair of squabs. I didn'trealize it then, but breeding these fancypigeons was destined to become mymost delightful pastime.

In my brief history as a "pigeonperson" I have encountered my shareof difficulties. Many of these lie in thefact that "man-made" breeds, thoughhighly prized, are not easy to raise.(Don't let anyone tell you differently!)It takes a great deal of patience andstudy to strengthen a bloodlinewithout losing the look that these birdsare noted for. I expect it will take me

32 August/September 1985

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This capuchine's color is called kyte, acolor obtainedfrequently when a red and

black are mated.

A yellow capuchineperches on a borderpine in his flight pen.

The Ice pigeonis notedfor its delicate"ice blue" colorationand muffed feet.It is a direct descendantofthe commonGerman field pigeon.

This bird belonging to the author is a good representationof the modern Old Dutch capuchine. Color: red.

the rest of my life to acquire enoughexpertise to produce prize-winningbirds. Whether I do or not, the true joylies in helping to perpetuate a worth­while creature, a creature thatwouldn't fare too well if forced to huntand peck with its wild brothers andsisters. Ferals may be doing allrightwithout man's help, but breedingdomestics is quite a different story. Youmust be involved. And, you must applythe same principles of health and nutri­tion to these birds that you would anycage bird.

Throughout history the pigeon hasshown itself to be an asset to man. Inaddition, those slate-gray birds in ourparks and cities have proven prettyshrewd customers. Despite the traps,the poisons, even the little old ladies,pigeons have survived. For me andthousands of fellow fanciers that'sgreat news! •

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