Aren't all pigeons just nasty rats with wings who spread disease and poop everywhere?
I was going to write my own opinion on how I feel about people who call pigeons good for nothing rats with wings but then I found this online article published December 8th 2003.
"Pigeons not just rats with wings
by Richard "Bugman" Fagerlund
Daily Lobo columnist"
Pigeons can be a nuisance, but they are certainly not a health hazard.
The term "rats with wings" came from a 1980 play, "Stardust Memories" starring
Woody Allen. Allen used the term in the movie and apparently someone
with a vested interest in misleading the public decided to use it in a
campaign to drum up business for pigeon control. The facts are just the
opposite. Yes, there are some diseases that can be transmitted by pigeons, but no
more so than any other bird, including such popular pets as parakeets,
canaries, etc. Consider what some experts have said about pigeons and
disease: "...diseases associated with (pigeons) present little risk to people..."
- Dr. Michael McNeil, Centers for Disease Control.
"The New York City Department of Health has no documented cases of
communicable disease transmitted from pigeons to humans." - Dr. Manuel
Vargas, New York City Department of Health.
"I am not aware of any reported cases of diseases that were transmitted
by pigeons in Mohave County." - Larry Webert, R.S., Mohave County
Environmental Health Division.
So much for the health problems caused by pigeons. They do have their
attributes, though. During World War I, pigeons carried thousands of
messages that saved many hundreds of lives. In World War II, pigeons
continued to be used. Radios were frequently not working due to damage
or unfavorable terrain rendered them almost useless. Pigeons continued
to fly through enemy fire, and amazingly 95 percent of them completed
their missions. One pigeon in particular, named Cher Ami was a World War
I Carrier pigeon, one of 600 birds owned and flown by the U.S. Signal
Corps. Cher Ami was bred by the British Signal Corps. He was transferred
to the Americans after the war on Oct. 27, 1918.
Cher Ami delivered 12 important messages within the American sector at
Verdun, France. On his last mission, Cher Ami, shot through the breast
by enemy fire, managed to return to his loft.
A message capsule was found dangling from the ligaments of one of his
legs that had also been shattered by enemy fire. The message he carried
was from Major Whittlesey's "Lost Battalion" of the 77th Infantry Division that had
been isolated from other American forces. Just a few hours after the
message was received, 194 survivors of the battalion were safe behind
American lines.
Cher Ami was awarded the French "Croix de Guerre" with Palm for his
heroic service between the forts of Verdun. He died in 1919 as a result
of his battle wounds. Cher Ami was later inducted into the Racing
Pigeon Hall of Fame in 1931 and received a gold medal from the Organized
Bodies of American Racing Pigeon Fanciers in recognition of his
extraordinary service during World War I.
Pigeons continued their valiant service during World War II and the
Korean War. The Dickin Medal for Valor, an award only for animals, was
given to 31 pigeons in World War II, more than any other animal. The
next closest animals were dogs, with 8 medals.
Pigeons also have religious significance as well. Noah thanked God for
them and Christ defended them. Doves are the symbols of love and peace.
Are pigeons and doves the same? The dictionary defines doves as: 1. Any
of various widely distributed birds of the family Columbidae, which
includes the pigeons, having a small head and a characteristic cooing
call, 2. A gentle, innocent person, 3. A person who advocates peace,
conciliation, or negotiation in preference to confrontation or armed
conflict. Pigeons are among the most maligned of all animals, often compared to
cockroaches and rats. Pigeons deserve the same respect and affection
that we give to our companion birds, such as parakeets, parrots,
canaries and the rest. When they live on our buildings and deface it, we can remove the birds
by excluding them from the area, but we don't need to kill them."
I was going to write my own opinion on how I feel about people who call pigeons good for nothing rats with wings but then I found this online article published December 8th 2003.
"Pigeons not just rats with wings
by Richard "Bugman" Fagerlund
Daily Lobo columnist"
Pigeons can be a nuisance, but they are certainly not a health hazard.
The term "rats with wings" came from a 1980 play, "Stardust Memories" starring
Woody Allen. Allen used the term in the movie and apparently someone
with a vested interest in misleading the public decided to use it in a
campaign to drum up business for pigeon control. The facts are just the
opposite. Yes, there are some diseases that can be transmitted by pigeons, but no
more so than any other bird, including such popular pets as parakeets,
canaries, etc. Consider what some experts have said about pigeons and
disease: "...diseases associated with (pigeons) present little risk to people..."
- Dr. Michael McNeil, Centers for Disease Control.
"The New York City Department of Health has no documented cases of
communicable disease transmitted from pigeons to humans." - Dr. Manuel
Vargas, New York City Department of Health.
"I am not aware of any reported cases of diseases that were transmitted
by pigeons in Mohave County." - Larry Webert, R.S., Mohave County
Environmental Health Division.
So much for the health problems caused by pigeons. They do have their
attributes, though. During World War I, pigeons carried thousands of
messages that saved many hundreds of lives. In World War II, pigeons
continued to be used. Radios were frequently not working due to damage
or unfavorable terrain rendered them almost useless. Pigeons continued
to fly through enemy fire, and amazingly 95 percent of them completed
their missions. One pigeon in particular, named Cher Ami was a World War
I Carrier pigeon, one of 600 birds owned and flown by the U.S. Signal
Corps. Cher Ami was bred by the British Signal Corps. He was transferred
to the Americans after the war on Oct. 27, 1918.
Cher Ami delivered 12 important messages within the American sector at
Verdun, France. On his last mission, Cher Ami, shot through the breast
by enemy fire, managed to return to his loft.
A message capsule was found dangling from the ligaments of one of his
legs that had also been shattered by enemy fire. The message he carried
was from Major Whittlesey's "Lost Battalion" of the 77th Infantry Division that had
been isolated from other American forces. Just a few hours after the
message was received, 194 survivors of the battalion were safe behind
American lines.
Cher Ami was awarded the French "Croix de Guerre" with Palm for his
heroic service between the forts of Verdun. He died in 1919 as a result
of his battle wounds. Cher Ami was later inducted into the Racing
Pigeon Hall of Fame in 1931 and received a gold medal from the Organized
Bodies of American Racing Pigeon Fanciers in recognition of his
extraordinary service during World War I.
Pigeons continued their valiant service during World War II and the
Korean War. The Dickin Medal for Valor, an award only for animals, was
given to 31 pigeons in World War II, more than any other animal. The
next closest animals were dogs, with 8 medals.
Pigeons also have religious significance as well. Noah thanked God for
them and Christ defended them. Doves are the symbols of love and peace.
Are pigeons and doves the same? The dictionary defines doves as: 1. Any
of various widely distributed birds of the family Columbidae, which
includes the pigeons, having a small head and a characteristic cooing
call, 2. A gentle, innocent person, 3. A person who advocates peace,
conciliation, or negotiation in preference to confrontation or armed
conflict. Pigeons are among the most maligned of all animals, often compared to
cockroaches and rats. Pigeons deserve the same respect and affection
that we give to our companion birds, such as parakeets, parrots,
canaries and the rest. When they live on our buildings and deface it, we can remove the birds
by excluding them from the area, but we don't need to kill them."
Here are some other thing
