They need your respect

Hello and welcome back to Let Me Finish My Animal Facts,

where I'm back, once again, to try and convince you that the animals we scorn, complain about, or just plain ignore are actually way cooler than we're giving them credit for.

Today's star? The pigeon.

   they're eating the leftover sandwich someone threw away

That's right. That bird. The one outside your apartment. The one on the subway platform. The one you just called "gross."

Let's take a closer look.

They're Smarter Than You Think

Pigeons have undergone more psychology and neuroscience examinations than you'd think. Why? Because they're really intelligent, as it turns out. They can recognize individual human faces, distinguish between different paintings (yes — like Van Gogh and Monet), and even understand abstract concepts of time and space.

They've passed mirror tests, learned routines, and some have even been taught to detect cancer cells. That's right. Pigeons helping in medicine. While we call them "rats with wings."

The Unsung Heroes of History

Carrier pigeons were once essential messengers in times of war. They’ve delivered life-saving messages across enemy lines and saved thousands of lives. One pigeon, Cher Ami, was even awarded a medal for bravery during WWI after flying through gunfire to deliver a crucial message with a wounded leg and a shot-through chest.

   he's gonna deliver an important message to authorities

The fact that we’ve gone from war hero to park nuisance says more about us than them.

City Survivors

We have fun taunting pigeons for being everywhere, but survival in the city is no joke. Pigeons did not invite themselves here — we invited them. We domesticated them centuries ago for food, messaging, and even sport racing. But when we urbanized, we forgot about them. So-called "feral pigeons" are simply abandonment survivors.

And they've adapted. They're thriving in a world of noise, pollution, and concrete. That's resourcefulness. That's grit.

Just Take a Second Look

I get it. They poop on statues. They look at you sideways. But next time you see a pigeon, maybe just don't shoo it away. Watch how it walks. How it plays with its little flock. How it puffs up against the cold or coos to its friend.

They're living lives and pretty complex ones, at that.

Thanks for sticking around for another post on the secret beauty of a much-maligned creature. I'll return shortly with another animal who's deserving of a second chance.

And as always, if you have an animal you'd like me to nerd out about, put it in the comments.

And don't forget to follow for more animal facts you didn't know you needed.