Rumbling clouds loom over a maze of slick black streets littered with potholes. Cracked sidewalks stretch on for miles between towering works of architecture.  A freezing wind darts through buildings, carrying sounds of blaring music and laughter. An urban glow illuminates the night sky with smoke and neon signs. Cities are crowded homes to many people … and pigeons.

Where did pigeons come from? During World War I, pigeons were domesticated to deliver messages. They were formerly named carrier pigeons because they carried letters across air, land and sea. They were a reliable source of mail because of their intelligence and speed. However, in 1957, the United States Army sold their last carrier pigeon. Quickly, the United States Postal Service took over the delivery system. So with that, pigeons were pushed aside, discarded and rejected from society. Their great services were forgotten and hidden in history.

Fast forward to 2024. Dirty city streets are populated by businessmen, families, tourists and … pigeons. Pigeons are now seen as trashy, disease-spreading vermin. They eat garbage left over from selfish humans and live beneath vandalized bridges. Their nests are a sad collection of dirt and scraps of garbage. This is not how birds are supposed to live. They are meant to thrive in forests, with nests made of leaves and sticks–not garbage. They should be eating seeds and berries, instead of fast food wrappers. They should be flying in clean air, instead of polluted smoke clouds.

Pigeons deserve better. It is our fault, as humans, that they are forced to live in highly populated areas and live in filth. Pigeons have a negative connotation, often associated with disease and disgust. But we are the reason for this. We created cities with pollution and garbage filling the ground and atmosphere. Since we domesticated them, they have adapted to living in cities rather than the wild. There is no way for them to return to nature and thrive. It is sad to think that we gave them a role in society, but as soon as industries took over, they were left to adapt or die.

Pigeons are not violent creatures, they are simple-minded and rely on survival instincts. You will usually spot one cooing and hobbling down a street searching for crumbs to peck. When they fly, they can reach 6000 feet in the air, soaring above our skyscrapers. Their colors are vibrant shades of purple and blue, highlighted by soft gray feathers.  But, of course, none of this matters. Humans cannot see past their own pre-conditioned perspectives. Instead of seeing pigeons as birds like sparrows or robins, they are seen as equivalent to rats–with the same negative associations.

It is time to turn over a new leaf in society. We need to give pigeons the credit they deserve for their services in the world wars and their ability to adapt to city life. It is time for them to be recognized and appreciated. If you open your mind, you will see that pigeons are only regarded as dirty because of the environment we left for them to live in. Pigeons deserve so much better than the way we treat them.