PIGEONS: BEAUTIFUL BIRDS OR RATS WITH WINGS?

The Washington Post | January 12, 1990 | Copyright

You've probably seen pigeons all your life, but how much do you really know about them? Here's a quiz to test your knowledge.

WHERE DID ALL THESE PIGEONS COME FROM? Our birds were once domesticated. They were brought here by early settlers from Europe. Today, pigeons can be found in many cities in Europe, America and Asia.

HOW LONG HAVE PIGEONS BEEN DOMESTICATED? They are all descended from the wild rock dove, which seems to be the first bird domesticated, about 4,500 B.C. In the beginning pigeons were used as fertility symbols in religious ceremonies or raised for meat; later for their ...

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