“Hello again!” Pigeons can keep in mind particular person human faces
Martin Parr/Magnum Images
I used to be strolling within the park with a good friend just lately, once they pointed at a pigeon and instructed me I used to be their favorite chicken. I used to be incredulous. Pigeons? These winged vermin? My good friend responded with this twisted logic: it makes quite a lot of sense for pigeons to be your favorite chicken, since you get to take pleasure in them on a regular basis.
Briefly bemused, I puzzled if anybody might actually be so enamoured with pigeons. Seems, the joke’s on me. After I spoke to different mates and colleagues, a shocking variety of them had quite a lot of love for the standard pidge. One New Scientist colleague, who will stay anonymous, confessed to having a secret pigeon tattoo. I even noticed a information report about a pair whose adopted pigeon sleeps of their mattress.
As I learn round just a little, I discovered that pigeons do have rather a lot to suggest them. Other than their well-known homing talents, they’re unassumingly clever. They’re no mammal, however do produce a type of milk. They kiss one another, applaud themselves after intercourse and might recognise particular person individuals (and might keep in mind those who’re imply to them). Add all that collectively and perhaps, I believed, I might be taught to like this seemingly unusual chicken in any case. So, armed with my curiosity and a bag of oats, I got down to just do that.
A little bit of bird-watching
I needed to conduct my investigation with not less than a whiff of scientific integrity, so I conceived of an “experiment”. First, I…
