Fur, Feathers & Scales - Pigeon

I have some new critter friends to share with you!!  At my zoo job, we now have these  pigeons! 

 They're homing pigeons, which means they have the ability to find their way home over very long distances--not that they'll be using that particular skill though now that they live at the zoo.  These types of pigeons can actually be very fast and are sometimes even raced against each other. So neat! 

 

We've named them Orville and Wilbur after the Wright brothers.  Cute, right?  I love the noises they make, and I love their iridescent feathers.

Pigeons are found worldwide, and have a wide lifespan--they live an average of six years in the wild but can live beyond fifteen years in captivity. They eat lots of seeds, and sometimes maybe leaves or even fruit.  They'll also eat small insects and worms.

If you're a bird fan, I highly recommend the book Birdology.  It's has a whole chapter on homing pigeons, and other chapters include cassowaries, chickens, parrots, etc. 

I look forward to working with these birds more and sharing them around my community!