If pigeons are in the bird family why do they eat human foods...?

Question

high in saturated fats, artificial sugar and other processed foods. For example they are always hovering around McDonald's looking for human food. Don't these birds eat like other birds?

Answer 1

Unlike humans, most animals lack the capacity to distinguish what food is good for them and what is not (maybe that's actually LIKE humans!). If it smells like food and it looks like food and it chews like food, as far as most animals are concerned it IS food. Regardless of the amount of saturated fats, sugars, and whatever else we've done to it.

Some pet owners discover this in a very unpleasant way - after feeding something poisonous to their pet that's actually delicious to them. One classic example is chocolate, which cats will happily consume even though it is very dangerous for them. And the odd thing is that cats can't even taste sweetness like humans do!

Answer 2

Get a young bird that is "hand-fed." This means the bird was fed by humans for a while before it was weaned; it will already have a bond with humans. I think the cockatiel is the easiest to get to bond with you, but a parakeet (budgie) can also be very good if it is hand-fed. If you want to go to the trouble, the closest bond is formed when you buy the baby bird shortly before it is weaned, and hand-feed it yourself. The most common way to obtain such a bird is through the breeder who will tell you how to hand-feed and wean the bird. They often advertise in the newspaper and elsewhere. Most pet-store birds are not hand-fed, or well socialized, but some are. You can always ask. Often cockatiels, if handled as babies, are very tame when weaned even if they are not hand-fed. If you really want the bird for a companion with a strong bond to you, get only one bird and spend at least an hour a day with it. If you find that you can't regularly spend time with it, get it another bird.

Answer 3

I think that some animals thrive in human urban environments precisely because they have metabolisms that can eat leftover human food. Rats, mice, stray dogs and cats, cockroaches, and (in the bird family) pigeons. Humans leave so much uneaten waste food that cities are heaven for these animals.

Answer 4

Pigeons like all organisms do hunt for food. However, like all organisms, if a free meal presents itself, they will not hesitate to consume it. it save them the energy of having to actively search and masticate the food.

of course a burger will not be the best of food for it, being animal protein, and thus hard to digest, but the seeds of the bun, the bun itself and the chips will all posses carbohydrates and lipids which the pigeon can use as a source of energy

Answer 5

yes before mcdonalds came around they did eat like other birds. Humans intervene in their habitat by building stuff and chopping down trees and destroying their food supply. They have to eat what they can find to survive. Racoons, bears, and other animals do the same thing when they forage out of dumpsters to find food. It all has to do with human intervention

Answer 6

Birds aren't a family, they're a class.

Pigeons have evolved to be city birds (as will Canada Geese, Mallards, House Sparrows, European Starling..) and with their lack of fear of people, this has opened up other, more calorie rich options. If we weren't here, they'd find something else to eat.

Answer 7

they need to survive fool. in order for the pigeons to survive like other animals, they gotta eat what they can eat, like human foods esp. mcdonalds, pigeons love 'em. im lovin' it too. LOLL :]]