Pigeon pie
Pigeons are much maligned creatures. Their tendency to scavenge leftovers has earned them a reputation as dirty rats with wings. They know this, that’s why they never let you get close enough to kick them. It’s a hard knock life for a pigeon.
The other day I was waiting for a friend outside JB Hi-Fi on Norton St, when I saw two guys and a girl walk past. They were laughing and one of them exclaimed, “I feel like a pirate, I feel like Long John Silver”. That’s when I noticed he had a small black pigeon on his shoulder.
Intrigued, I asked him if it was his bird. “No”, he said. “I found him earlier. I chased him as a joke and when he didn’t run, I pet him and put him on my shoulder and he hasn’t moved since. You pet him”, he said.
I hesitated, but curiosity overcame disgust. The pigeon looked at me with a shiny black eye, but showed no fear. I was impressed; this was one ballsy pigeon. We named him Barry.
That encounter got me thinking about the tenuous love/hate relationship between the pigeon and man.
I read somewhere that the common pigeon is a descendant of the rock dove of the Mediterranean and Asia Minor. Over 10,000 years ago, they came down from the cliff faces where they used to nest, to interact with human settlements. They eventually grew dependent on the leftover grain humans produced and became the scavenging species we know today.
But they gave back in their own way. Pigeons were eaten back then, particularly in Scotland.
Believe it or not, before World War II, pigeon pie (shortcrust pastry filled with spiced, shredded pigeon meat) was popular in Australia. But as society became more industrialised and affluent, people stopped eating it.
With that history no wonder pigeons are frightened of man (except for staunch Barry, King of Pigeons).
They have also been used to deliver messages for thousands of years because of their unique ability to find their way home using visual landmarks and the electromagnetic waves that cross the Earth.
I read that during World War I, carrier pigeons were used for communication between battalions. The most famous of these was Cher Ami (meaning Dear Friend in French), who delivered a message despite being seriously injured, which saved 200 American soldiers. He died from his wounds less than a year later and was awarded the Croix de Guerre by the French government, for his bravery.
So there you go pigeons have got something to contribute, so next time you see one toss him a crust.
