Pigeons are the birds that everyone encounters at some point in time. Whether there is a nesting situation in your garden or you’re the unfortunate victim of a flying dove’s droppings you will have noticed the grey or white doves around you. Interestingly, these creatures have a fascinating history and are intriguing beings that make lovely pets.

If the sight of these charming birds intrigues you, you can read to get a closer insight into these quaint creatures.

• Messengers that are Celebrated as War Heroes

In the olden days these were popular as messengers and there is evidence showing that a few birds were deemed war heroes for their valiant attempts to deliver messages. They braved harsh conditions of the war to relay messages tied to their leg during the First World War. Since the advance of means of communication came much later, pigeons proved invaluable in the perilous times.

• The Sacrificial White Dove

White doves were also worshipped in a lot of cultures in the olden ages. Widely sacrificed for and religious purposes, people hoped to attain a longer life or a wealthier one when they are reborn by offering a tribute of something so pure.

• Domesticating them as Pets

Whether you wish to create an outdoor aviary or an indoor one, doves make lovely pets for kids as they are gentle creatures. The grey variety however, is a wild breed that is often noticed in urban areas, but are not generally domesticated.

• Feeding Facts

They feed on grit that is easily available and store-bought. However, you can also choose to feed them a mix or nourishing grains such as dried corn, buck-wheat, barley and flax.

• Pigeon Care

They are quite easy to take care of and require minimal maintenance, with the only issue being the cleaning of the cage. Changing their water a couple of times a day, should be enough to keep your pet happy and you will soon love having your little white dove around.

• Their Intelligence

People usually assume that it is difficult to bond with smaller animals and hence only adopt dogs or cats. These birds however, are all set to prove you wrong for they have an uncanny knack of remembering the people that are kind to them. Studies show that they are smart enough to identify features, height, voice and even gender.

• They are Friendly Creatures

If you domesticate a dove or even take to feeding a wild one regularly, you will find that the pigeonseeks you out from time to time. Over a long period they tend to bond with their owners as well as regular feeders.

• Their Universe is Technicolor

Unlike dogs and some other creatures, pigeons have exceptional sight for they view the world in technicolour. They can very much differentiate between closely similar hues and are quite like humans in that respect.

• Seen in Several Hues

Quite a pretty sight these birds come in a variety of colours be it pure white, brown or the common grey variety.

• Auspicious Doves

The pure white breed are known as doves and have quite a great significance as a symbol of peace. These are often released at weddings, inauguration ceremonies and other events as they are deemed auspicious.

• Romans and Doves

In ancient Rome, they were very useful during the Olympic Games, as they relayed the outcome of games by carrying messages. It is to this day that they still are set free at the opening ceremony of the Games each time.

• Monogamous Pairsthat Mate for a Lifetime

One of the most interesting facts about these birds is that they tend to mate for a lifetime. They seldom ever separate from their mate and have been known to copulate almost 8 times in 12 months.

• Nesting Pigeons

They usually have two offspring in each litter and the little ones come out of the eggs in about 20 days. Moreover, they share baby duty equally choosing to rear their young together until they are flight ready.

• The Yellow Feathered Babies Called Squabs

The babies are called squabs and are incredibly furry like little chicks that are blessed with yellow feathers. However, they do tend to lose this colour as they grow, they gradually develop teal grey feathers just like their parents in a month.

• The SquabDiet

Babies generally have a diet of pigeon milk that the parents provide so that they have adequate sustenance as they grow. They can be charming pets to have, save for the faeces they regularly accumulate.

• Droppings Used as Fertilizer

Even though pigeon droppingsare quite a nuisance to people in urban areas today, they had a lot of significance a few centuries earlier. Many European nations considered it to be a precious fertiliser that enriched their crops. They went so far as to protect and safeguard the droppings lest someone steal them. It was only later discovered that large quantities of wet droppings tend to fester germs that can cause severe allergies and respiratory troubles with humans.

• Droppings Used to Manufacture Gunpowder

The same droppings were treasured in England for quite different reasons. This is because they realized the droppings contained a component that was integral to the manufacture of gunpowder. This discovery made the faeces highly sought after as England manufactured a lot of gunpowder to prepare for war-time.

These diurnal creatures can survive for well over a decade with good care when they have a loving home.Mainly active during the day hours, these can make the perfect companions that never hinder your travel plans, since it canbe easy to find a bird-sitter.