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National Pigeon Day - In Defense of the City Pigeon |
Friday, June 13
4 - 8 pm
Pilgrim Hill in Central Park
New York, NY
enter on 5th Avenue @ E. 72nd Street |
Guest Speakers:
Deacon Joseph Dwyer (Cheri Ami - The Hero Pigeon)
Karen Davis, Ph.D., President, United Poultry Concerns
Valerie Sicignano, East Coast Director, In Defense of Animals
Additional speakers will be announced at a later date.
Speeches, materials distribution, candlelight prayer service with guitar accompaniment and pigeon shaped cookies. Learn how carrier pigeons Cher Ami and GI Joe saved the lives of more than 1,000 men in wartime. Become part of Project Pigeon Watch and have fun learning about our fascinating NYC residents. |
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, Apr. 29 -/E-Wire/-- Why do many people hate pigeons? Woody Allen inadvertently cursed them when he infamously described them as "rats with wings" in "Stardust Memories." Unfortunately, to paraphrase Henry David Thoreau, "The 'pigeon' you kill in jest dies in earnest." These birds do not deserve the jihad against them
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Currently in New York City, there is a particular problem of pigeon poaching, with people driving up in vans in pre-dawn hours, throwing out food for pigeons and then netting the birds when they land and eat. While it is thought that some of these birds end up in food markets or as fresh racing stock for homing pigeons, most of them are likely destined for shooting clubs in Pennsylvania, where gun clubs use them as living targets in bird shoots. Legislative efforts are underway to put an end to these events, but until then, the birds are deprived of food and water and are so disoriented upon release that a blind, drunk shooter with missing fingers would still be able to shoot some birds. In addition to the poaching, some areas are proposing extreme local legislation and fines for feeding pigeons. Pigeons are peaceful creatures, faithful mates, exemplary parents, have the most amazing navigational and homing abilities, and are also considered to be one of the most intelligent birds on the planet. They have been proven to recognize their reflection in a mirror and are one of only 6 species (and the only non-mammal), that has this ability. They can recognize the letters of the alphabet and can differentiate between photographs.
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In both World Wars I and II, carrier pigeons saved thousands of lives. In WWI, Cher Ami (Dear Friend) was awarded the French "Croix de Guerre" for saving many French soldiers by getting a message across enemy lines in the heat of battle despite being shot in the chest and leg. In WWII, G.I. Joe delivered a message to stop a bombing that would have killed a thousand soldiers. He received the "Dickin" medal for his bravery.
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It is a great misconception that pigeons are capable of spreading disease to human beings through their droppings. Pest control companies have seized this irrational fear as a way of pumping up their business, but the fact is ALL animals and birds have the potential to carry and pass on diseases; however, the likelihood of this happening is virtually zero. Pigeons give a city a wonderful "flavor" – they are part of the charm, they belong there. They are often a city child's first contact with nature, and an elderly person's only friends. It would indeed be a loss and a mistake to remove them from the scene.
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