“Darwin's Pigeons”: pigeons in the Richard Bailey photo shoot

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Someone associates pigeons with a dirty pavement. Someone enthusiastically spends all their free time at the dovecote. And photographer Richard Bailey arranges regular photo sessions for the birds to show humanity the most interesting breeds and unusual plumage colors. The collection with pigeons in the lead role was named “Darwin's Pigeons” and a huge resonance among bird lovers. In the meantime, readers are looking at the photos, we will tell you the most interesting facts from the life of representatives of the family of pigeons.

The famous carrier pigeon can fly 3000 kilometers in a day, while developing a speed of up to 140 km / h. People can only envy pigeon fidelity. Feathered partners are devoted to each other throughout their short life (20 years).

But there are cases of lesbian relationships. False males disguise themselves so successfully that even experienced poultry farmers cannot identify forgery. Same-sex couples even build nests.

Of course, the main merit of pigeons lies in the ability to deliver mail to the desired point. During World War I, a winged postman named Dear Friend helped save thousands of French soldiers' lives by carrying a letter across the front lines.

Another "rescuer" is a dove that brought Noah an olive branch in its beak. But the feathered army of Princess Olga was not so peaceful. The woman, wishing to avenge her husband's death, imposed a tribute on the Drevlyans in the form of three pigeons and three sparrows, tied smoldering torches to the paws of birds and let them go. As a result, the birds returned home and unwittingly burned the entire capital to the ground.

Today pigeons are used for more peaceful purposes. People breed birds for beauty, arrange exhibitions and cherish their pets in every possible way.