The sad truth about pigeons is that despite being highly intelligent, loyal, and historically important to humans, they are often misunderstood, persecuted, and suffer hardships in urban environments. Feral pigeons found in cities are descendants of domesticated rock pigeons that humans domesticated thousands of years ago for food, messaging, and companionship, and then abandoned when they were no longer needed, so they are essentially homeless domestic animals trying to survive in cities with little natural habitat, not truly wild birds. They face many dangers including starvation, harsh weather, vehicle collisions, poisoning from rat poison and other toxins, being hunted by hawks, cats, and dogs, and being deliberately harmed by people who view them as pests. Many city pigeons have deformed feet due to human hair, string, and fishing line entangling their toes, causing pain, swelling, and loss of toes, a condition common in urban areas. They often suffer from diseases and parasites and have short lives in cities, typically 3 to 5 years though they can live 15 years in captivity. Despite being able to recognize faces, navigate hundreds of miles, and form strong lifelong pair bonds and devoted parenting with both parents feeding chicks crop milk, they are often dismissed as dirty rats with wings and subjected to cruel control methods like spikes and netting that injure them. Their droppings problem is largely due to human feeding and poor waste management.
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