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Pigeons appear quite comfortable in St. Louis. You can observe groups roosting on rooftops and utility wires, anticipating an opportunity to snatch a stray morsel or smear a windshield.
Urban areas have driven numerous animals from their natural environments, yet pigeons flourish in human domains, stated Daisy Lewis, AB ’23, a former undergraduate at WashU specializing in ecology and evolutionary biology. “Pigeons prefer to be where humans are,” remarked Lewis, who is set to begin a PhD program in integrative biology at the University of California, Berkeley, this autumn.
To gain deeper insights into the urban behaviors of these birds, Lewis engaged in extensive, systematic strolls through St. Louis and Madrid, documenting each pigeon she encountered and recording location specifics. She published her results in the journal Urban Naturalist. The study was co-authored by Elizabeth Carlen, a postdoctoral scholar associated with the Living Earth Collaborative (LEC), and Jonathan Losos, the William H. Danforth Distinguished University Professor in Arts & Sciences. Financial support for the research came from the National Science Foundation and the LEC.
During her third year, Lewis contacted Carlen in search of research possibilities. Carlen has a longstanding fascination with urban wildlife. Upon learning that Lewis would be studying abroad in Madrid for a semester, an idea swiftly emerged: Lewis could contrast the wildlife of the two cities.
“We contemplated studying squirrels, which is one of Liz’s areas of expertise, but eventually settled on pigeons since they are prevalent in both locations,” Lewis explained. “Madrid and St. Louis possess vastly different environments, highlighting the species’ adaptability and versatility.”
This project showcases the collaborative spirit of the Living Earth Collaborative and the chances for undergraduate students to engage in LEC-supported research. “Mentorship is a crucial element of the LEC mission, and it’s always rewarding to collaborate with committed undergraduate researchers like Daisy,” Carlen commented.
Throughout her extensive walks, Lewis discovered that pigeons were nearly four times more prevalent in Madrid than in St. Louis. The pigeons in Madrid were especially plentiful wherever people dined outdoors. “If St. Louis had a more vibrant outdoor café scene, it likely would support more pigeons,” Lewis noted.
In both locales, pigeons were most frequently observed in areas bustling with pedestrians. “It’s common knowledge that St. Louis isn’t the most pedestrian-friendly city, making it intriguing to see that pigeons seem to favor spots where people are genuinely walking,” Lewis stated. She posited that pigeons may gather near humans partly to evade red-tailed hawks and other potential hunters that might be more reticent around crowds.
In St. Louis, pigeons also tend to congregate near train tracks, seemingly attracted by grains that spill from moving trains. They are also frequently seen beneath overpasses and throughout downtown, utilizing plentiful window sills, rooftops, and power lines for resting. They are seldom spotted in Forest Park, largely leaving that area to the warblers, thrushes, and hawks.
Carlen, who examined pigeons as a postdoctoral researcher and was nicknamed “The Pigeon Stalker” in a New York Times feature, explained that the pigeons populating St. Louis and other US cities are not indigenous to the continent. “Pigeons were introduced here from Europe by early settlers for food and as a fertilizer source,” she noted. “Their droppings were highly valued.”
Some of these birds escaped captivity, and their descendants adapted to urban life. “They’re technically feral, meaning they are wild descendants of domesticated forebears,” Lewis explained. Wild pigeons naturally exist in Spain, but the flocks that jostle for food outside cafés in Madrid are the progeny of once-tame birds that turned wild. “They might have lost some of their wild characteristics during domestication, including a natural wariness of humans,” she further elaborated.
This historical context elucidates why pigeons flourish in human environments while still being self-sufficient. Pigeon enthusiasts globally often toss seeds and bread to the birds in parks and city squares, but Carlen advises against such practices. “Feeding wild animals, including those formerly domesticated, is never advisable,” Carlen cautioned. “Pigeons manage perfectly well on their own.”
Pigeons may not always boast the best reputation, especially among those tasked with cleaning city sidewalks or statues, yet their tenacity and sociability lend them a certain appeal, Lewis remarked. “My friends message me whenever they spot a flock of pigeons because they’ve grown fond of them just like I have,” she said. “Pigeons can be remarkably charismatic, and they serve as a prime example of opportunistic resilience.”
Originally published on the Ampersand website.
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