When schools aren’t open–no field trips, no biology classes– nature-loving city kids don’t need to feel deprived–they’ve got piegons! They don’t need to go that far to watch nature in action–the windowsill or sidewalk edging can show you wildlife in action, as pigeons forage for food and male pigeons display, strut, and coo in hopes of finding a mate.
Pigeons are not only city birds. They have saved many lives in wartime, serving as messengers for armies. They compete in events that pit them against one another in their ability to fly “home” the fastest. Pigeons also come in a great variety of breeds that compete in shows. And pigeons are smart birds, too, used in science to learn about how brains function.
Pigeons also make good pets. My husband had a pair of pigeons when he was a boy growing up in a big city and still remembers them fondly.
I wrote my book “Pigeons” for lature-loving city kids. The book was chosen as both a National Science Teachers’ Association Outstanding Science Trade Book for Children and a Scientific American Books for Young People Award winner.