I don’t love pigeons but I do like the way they move. I like the sound of beating wings and the way they circle about aimlessly, yet seem perfectly choreographed, swooping and spiraling as if of a single mind.
To be fair Montreal’s pigeons probably have deeper roots here than many of the city’s human inhabitants as they all descended long ago from domesticated birds. In less flattering terms, there are no wild pigeons in the Americas, only feral ones.
Some time ago, I came across a film called “Up on the Roof” about old men who raised pigeons on the roofs of Williamsburg in NYC for decades. It’s a collector’s hobby, where the trick is let your pigeons mingle with your neighbour’s and hope that a few of his birds will come down with your flock.
It’s definitely worth checking out the trailer which has a lovely soundtrack and some beautiful Brooklyn-sunset footage at Creative Arson (click trailer). The documentary focuses on the tension that builds as the neighbourhood is gentrified and “people just don’t even want you to go on the roofs, never mind having pigeons on the roof,”
A quick search didn’t turn up any information about domesticated pigeon flocks in Montreal. However, our city’s pigeons have contributed to the scientific literature on flocking behaviour, foraging, innovation and social learning among Colomba livia, though the research of Dr Louis Lefebvre at McGill University.
Despite their wee brains, 32 pigeons have been awarded war medals…now if only we could toilet-train them.
One comment
The older I get, the more I love watching birds fly, even pigeons. I don’t know why people are so down on them in cities. They make lovely cooing noises and survive amidst our garbage and pollution, with their own little crazy societies.