These pigeons sat huddled together like this on a 10th floor ledge for a week in August. It was really cold and rainy so this was likely a good place to chill, away from typical Vancouver dreariness. I think they're teenage pigeons who are siblings. They may have been using body heat to stay warm and alive. Their parents came to visit a couple of times to bring them food. I witnessed that also. Honestly, I used to check on them a couple times a day just to make sure one of them didn't fall off the ledge in a temporary brain fart which caused him to forget how to fly. I don't know what I would have done in that situation, maybe I could have given the remaining pigeon some counseling?
Previously, I thought pigeons were pretty disgusting and all they did was target people and clean cars to poop on all day. Apparently, pigeons and doves are actually from a common family - Columbidae. But the doves take all the glory associated with being bearers of peace, and pigeons just take the blame for shit.
Pun intended.
Pigeons seem to be pretty cool, contrary to popular belief. They help each other out, they keep each other warm when the weather sucks, and both the mom and dad help feed the kids. And I'm sure that when they get old and demented their kids don't ditch them in the hospital never to inquire about them again - in the hopes that they'll just get slotted into some nursing home.
Pigeons may actually be nicer then some people I know.
But their poop is still pretty gross and disease ridden.
