What's the deal with rock doves aka pigeons aka flying rats?

Question

Considering that pigeons apparently only have 2 functions, (making babies & crapping everywhere), why do they enjoy their exhalted status around the world? Not everyone who feeds them, traps and eats them. I know of people who actually prepare hot meals for pigeons. Why?

Answer 1

Doves and pigeons are in the same family of birds (Columbidae). People consider the dove to be a symbol of peace and love, the Christian holy spirit, a life milestone (releasing), etc. Homing pigeons were used as a way to communicate during war times (ironically, since they are a symbol of peace). They are thought of as being somewhat sacred. It was a dove that brought back the olive branch to Noah.

Preparing a hot meal for a bird is a ridiculous and thankless thing to do. There are a lot of people that need to fill the nuturing side of themselves by going overboard with pets. In that instance, I believe it's the same reason that my neighbor dresses her little dog in clothes, takes the dog with her everywhere she goes, constantly talks baby-talk to the dog, and lets the dog lick her on the mouth. Her children are all grown up and live far away, and she's a widow. She needs to take care of someone/thing.

I do feed my back-yard birds with a bird-feeder. A wide variety come to visit -- a lot of doves (although these are the mourning doves). It's interesting to watch them, and I find their call quite soothing.

Answer 2

I think because they are relatively tame, people enjoy feeding them.
Why don't they enjoy feeding rats? I don't know, maybe because they are nocturnal. They do enjoy feeding squirrels.
I've heard that in some places, cities set up pigeon cotes in certain places around town. Then they take out the eggs once a week or so. This keeps the pigeon population down. Some pigeons will nest elsewhere, and keep the species going.

Answer 3

Some people just like pigeons, I guess. I've been wondering the same thing about alley cats. We used to have many bob-whites ( quail ), ground doves, and cottontail rabbits on our lawns. People started feeding alley cats, now the native wildlife is no more.
I haven't seen a bob-white in years, but boy! do I see alley cats by the hundred. They're the most efficient hunters in nature. Any ground nester is wiped out one hundred percent.
It's the same with the pigeons, except they're not destroyers. Messer-uppers, but not killers.

Answer 4

<> Basing your ideals upon what you do no longer understand isn't a sturdy thought. If 'trash' includes particularly a lot of nutritious food thrown away via careless and wasteful human beings, then i do no longer blame different animals for having the experience to exploit that. clearly, you get egg-bearing and toddler pigeons. Pigeons, because it happens, are one among a small form of birds that produce a parallel substance to mammalian milk referred to as crop milk. They feed their toddlers with it.

Answer 5

I personally think that any animal or bird that can not only adapt to but flourish in so many different enviroments deserves our respect. There's a lesson to be learned from these birds! That's not to say that I think that they should be allowed to breed unchecked. They can be vermin. But their pleasant nature, and their soothing coo's are appealing to bird lovers around the world. I wouldn't prepare hot meals from them...well....I do for the chicks that I hand rear from time to time. But I don't agree with feeding wild birds in general.