The pigeons that we see in cities are just the tip of the feathered iceberg but there are lots of beautiful and unusual pigeon species that many of us haven’t ever heard of.
Pigeons become more interesting when you start learning more about them. Some scientists argue that the common city pigeon, the rock pigeon, might have been the very first bird that humans have ever domesticated. They’re featured as figurines, in mosaics, and on coins from ancient Mesopotamia since at least 4500 BC.
Some of us may have thought more than once that pigeons might be dumb sometimes, but that’s not the case. In 2017, some researchers published a study that proved that pigeons understand the concepts of space and time, just like humans and primates. Also, pigeons are expert navigators. They can find their way back to their nests from 1.3k miles (nearly 2.1k km) away. And the coolest part is that they’re able to do this even if they’ve been taken from their nests and moved in complete isolation and rotated so they don’t know which direction they’re moving in.
1. Brown Frillback Pigeon
2. Victoria Crowned Pigeon
3. The Nicobar Pigeon
4. Pink-Necked Green Pigeon
5. Bronzewing Pigeon
6. Jacobin Pigeons
7. Indian Fantail
8. Blue Crowned Pigeon
9. Grey Frillback Pigeon
10. Lahore Pigeon
11. Red White Roller Pigeon
12. Archangel Pigeons
13. English Trumpeter Pigeon
14. English Barb
15. Brunner Pouter Pigeon
16. Lahore Pigeon
17. Old Dutch Capuchine
18. Fantail Pigeon
Related articles:
Meet Victoria Crowned Pigeon – Crowned by Nature as the Largest and Most Beautiful Pigeon
This Pigeon Made a Nest Out of Poppies Stolen From the Tomb of an Unknown Soldier
Meet The Stunning Nicobar Pigeon Who Is The Closest Living Relative To The Dodo