A Pigeon Fallacy 

By Ariel Yang 

Pigeons are always flying and wobbling around New York City. Whether they are pecking breadcrumbs on the sidewalks or wandering about on the road, pigeons are a large part of urban life. You may have heard someone refer to pigeons as “rats with wings” or “rats of the sky” before. This hatred of pigeons in urban communities is not new. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, pigeons were seen as noisy, disorderly, and unsanitary because of their behavior; they defecate on buildings and sidewalks and coo loudly. City dwellers started viewing pigeons with resentment and as health threats and pests that served no purpose.  In 1966,  the New York City Parks commissioner, Thomas Hoving, referred to pigeons as “rats with wings.” The name stuck. Newspaper articles supported this misconception, and certainly did not help the pigeons’ cause.

Overtime, as more people in the city believed pigeons were nuisances, urban communities reached a consensus: pigeons are disgusting. Even now, many people still view pigeons as unclean and as bothersome animals, but this is not the case. Pigeons do a lot to help and support us and the environment we live in, even if it does not seem like it. For instance, pigeons eat insects as part of their diet, which controls the insect population in the city. If there were less pigeons around, imagine all of the bugs we would see on the sidewalks. Pigeons also help the environment by carrying pollen from one place to another, which helps plant pollination, and in turn, cleans the air in the city. Pigeons also eat large amounts of seeds and waste, which prevents urban decay and stops rats from scurrying around the city.

Although rats and pigeons are generally grouped together as pests that carry disease, pigeons do not transmit sickness as much as we think they do. A lot of the diseases that pigeons carry are rarely transmitted to humans, and some diseases pigeons spread are also carried by many pets people have, such as dogs and cats, yet we do not refer to them as disease-ridden like pigeons. Moreover, tracking pigeon populations can help scientists discover why environmental changes are happening and pigeons can give more insight about an area’s biodiversity.

 In the past, scientists have used pigeons to track lead levels in New York City, which helped the city tackle areas with high levels of lead to make it safer for humans and pigeons alike. Speaking of science, Lab’s chemistry teacher, Ms. Whelan offered some words about her own experiences with pigeons. Ms. Whelan said, “One of my favorite activities to teach crossing over on chromosomes is related to pigeon genetics and their traits. Thanks to their abundance in NYC, students can relate to the bird and their characteristics.” However, Ms. Whelan also noted, “A nest of pigeons cooed all day long outside my classroom [At Lab Middle School]. One weekend, a pigeon got into an office through an open window and made a big mess.” Pigeons do have their downsides, but they are wonderful creatures that really do help us. So, the next time a pigeon ruffles your feathers, remember how much of a hero they really are.

2024-2025 Edition 1