Have you ever felt the desire to shoo a pigeon away as soon as you see it? Well, you aren’t alone! Pigeons, the brainless birds are pretty much hated across the world.
But, the bird lovers love them. Do you know why?
Research suggests that humans have a stereotypical bad image of pigeons. They think pigeons are stupid.
But, there’s more to pigeons than what meets the eye. They are very smart, humble creatures who share an equal level of intelligence with smarter primates like dolphins.
Let’s have a look at some of the most interesting pigeon facts that you will ever come across:
1. Pigeons were the first birds that were tamed: In the earlier period, rock doves (tamed pigeons) were first outlined on clay tablets. Some historian scholars suggest that Neolithic men also tamed pigeons.
2. Unlike any other bird, they can perform aerial acrobatics like a backflip: Yet, no one knows about it! There is no scientific explanation that suggests why pigeons roll backward in flights.
3. Pigeons have the ability to remember faces: Their memory is very sharp as compared to human beings. Example – they can remember thousands of images for a period of several years.
4. Pigeon is the only bird that can suck water.
5. They can learn all the 26 alphabets of English: Also, they can detect dangerous diseases like cancer! They can detect the diseases faster than a doctor. A doctor takes up various tests, after which he comes to a conclusion. But, pigeons can do it faster, maybe better.
So, the next time you want to get quicker results, just approach a pigeon. They are the smartest birds on the planet!
6. They understand the concepts like space and time very well: This is pretty amazing! They understand the human things but their brain functions in a different way.
7. The only non-mammal creature who can recognize their own reflections in the mirror. They have an amazing vision.
8. They have the ability to categorize: Pigeons can recognize both natural and human-made objects. Also, pigeons can learn the equal amount of words, alphabets, codes, and numbers in the same way children do. They know how to respond to different situations.
9. Pigeons can pick out amongst four different kinds of objects: Also, they learn complex actions and responses. Research has shown that their guesses will be 99.9% right! They are known as ” the Einsteins of the bird world “.
10. They are smarter than any other average bird or animal: They have a “homing instinct”. It’s the ability to find their way back home even if they are hundreds of miles away or blindfolded. Only superhumans have this capability.
11. They have better eyesight than humans. During World Wars, they carried messages to the US army and provided important information. Hence, they successfully saved the lives of thousands of people.
12. Their flying speed is 100 mph: Although they don’t always show it. Some pigeons can fly fast and over long distances. In fact, a pigeon named Winston can fly faster than the speed of the Internet.
We humans already know that there are a few animals and birds that are quite intelligent. But, somehow we can’t imagine a pigeon with so many natural proficiencies. Rather than surprising, it’s shocking!
In fact, the pigeon can perform skills that we, as humans can’t even imagine doing.
Having said that, I feel we should start respecting them. After all, we should not judge a book by its cover.
Read Also: Bird Poop: The Quirky way of Minting Money.