so what? about a pigeon

tell me please,
the first word to come to your mind
when i say
"pigeon"?

common
dirty
pest?

homing
grey
nest?

new york, new york?


Reviewing some photos this week, i took special note of this one.  I remember taking it in downtown Topeka. I admired the softness of the flying pigeon's landing and the curve of the sitting pigeon's neck.

I realized i know next to nothing about pigeons.

I have a friend though, a life time learner....J. A.  She is my example for staying engaged in studying and learning about everything. She particularly loves history, politics, and art.  But, i would bet she knows something interesting about pigeons too.  Taking a minute to say thank you J. A. for all you teach me by your continual thirst for knowledge and understanding.

I've done a short bit of reading about pigeons this morning and will share two facts I found interesting:

~~ Pigeons can pass the 'mirror test' (being able to recognize themselves in a mirror) and are one of only 6 species, and the only non-mammal that has this ability.  A pigeon can also recognize all 26 letters of the English language and is able to conceptualize.

~Pigeons can fly at altitudes up to and beyond 6000 feet. The fastest recorded speed for a pigeon is 92.5 mph. (A gift that saved thousands of lives in WW1).

So, i say again: "WHAT ABOUT A PIGEON!"

"You can teach a student a lesson for a day, but if you can teach him to learn by creating curiosity, he will continue the learning process for as long as he lives."  ~Clay Bedford