Are pigeons ‘Rats of the Sky’ or are they beautiful?
Mangy looking urban pigeons skulking around scavenging for food look like a health risk, and not without reason. They carry a wide range of diseases, some of which are airborne and some of which can be transferred through their droppings, including E.coli, and Salmonellosis.
London pigeons strut around looking rough and ready, as though they should be wearing a dirty mac with a cigarette hanging out the side of their mouth, and for some reason they often have malformed feet; which are particularly unpleasant.
Pigeons can also carry a number of ectoparasites, including fleas, lice, mites and ticks. These parasites can sometimes bite humans and are potential sources of disease transfer. Eeesshh!
They are another thing that pollute our metropolis, they shouldn’t be there, but they are seemingly everywhere. Pigeons are monogamous, they remain in pairs, often for life, and will congregate in flocks, each of which has a distinct territory. They will range over several kilometres in search of food, but always return to their roost in the evening.
