columbidae.
I think I know what my next tattoo is going to be. I'd like to get a small illustration of a pigeon somewhere, maybe on my shoulder. I've had a strange fascination with these birds for as long as I can remember. I know most people associate them with urban filth, but I think they're lovely. I was thinking about all the places I plan to live someday, and the one thing these cities have in common are their pigeons.
Did you know:
- Like humans, pigeons can see color, but they also can see ultraviolet light, that's why pigeons are sometimes used in human search-and-rescue missions because of their exceptional vision.
- Pigeons can hear sounds at much lower frequencies than humans can, such as wind blowing across buildings and mountains, distant thunderstorms and even far-away volcanoes. Sensitive hearing may explain why pigeons sometimes fly away for no apparent reason.
- Pigeons can fly up to 40 or 50 miles per hour and may fly as far as 600 miles a day. They seem to be able to detect the Earth’s magnetic fields. This magnetic sensitivity, along with the ability to tell direction by sun, seems to help pigeons find their way home.
- Pigeons are monogamous, pairs often will breed in consecutive seasons for as long as both birds live.
