How Pigeons REALLY get round cities!

djm · Post by **djm** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 11:18 am

Somehow, the term "rats with subway tokens" just doesn't seem to sound right ....

djm

Jerry Freeman · Post by **Jerry Freeman** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 11:43 am

Now here is an example of how a species that evolved in a different ecosystem has adapted admirably to the human-built environment which has replaced its natural one.

Best wishes,
Jerry

jsluder · Post by **jsluder** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 11:47 am

The pigeons in the University District in Seattle have learned to use the crosswalks on University Ave. (And the cars actually stop for them.)

Cynth · Post by **Cynth** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 11:52 am

That is a wonderful photo!

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 12:09 pm

Pigeons, like rats, are extremely intelligent and amazing social animals which have learned to live in just about every enviroment imaginable. Same for humans.

Innocent Bystander · Post by **Innocent Bystander** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 3:15 pm

Maybe I'm imagining it, but I thought that got posted here before.

If you're interested in sharing a tube with a pigeon, they seem to get on at Paddington on the District and Circle line heading Westward, and get off at Bayswater or even Notting Hill Gate. I've been on a tube where a pigeon did just that. Pigeons are quieter, cleaner and take up less space than many other London Underground passengers. It didn't put its feet on the seats, either.

chas · Post by **chas** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 3:51 pm

Damn, I thought it was gonna be like Studebaker Hawk. He got parachute pants and filled them with honey and beckoned flies into his pants. He had some sort of mind control and would command them to fly, thereby flying him wherever he needed to go. It worked great till he had them fly him to Billy the Mountain, who made quick work of him.

(It's all from a Frank Zappa album, Just another band from LA, a work of absolute genius.)

Lambchop · Post by **Lambchop** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 4:43 pm

jsluder wrote:The pigeons in the University District in Seattle have learned to use the crosswalks on University Ave. (And the cars actually stop for them.)

How do you know this?

jsluder · Post by **jsluder** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 4:55 pm

Lambchop wrote:
jsluder wrote:The pigeons in the University District in Seattle have learned to use the crosswalks on University Ave. (And the cars actually stop for them.)
How do you know this?

My wife works at the UW, and has watched it happen on more than one occasion when she's been walking down the Ave at lunchtime. (It's always just a single pigeon, though, so maybe it's only one pigeon that has learned to use the crosswalk.)

djm · Post by **djm** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 6:10 pm

That makes one pigeon smarter than a lot of pedestrians I have seen.

djm

Lambchop · Post by **Lambchop** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 6:14 pm

jsluder wrote:
Lambchop wrote:
jsluder wrote:The pigeons in the University District in Seattle have learned to use the crosswalks on University Ave. (And the cars actually stop for them.)
How do you know this?
My wife works at the UW, and has watched it happen on more than one occasion when she's been walking down the Ave at lunchtime. (It's always just a single pigeon, though, so maybe it's only one pigeon that has learned to use the crosswalk.)

Animals are getting very, very smart. One here, another there . . . next thing you know, they're using keyboards and impersonating people . . .

brianormond · Post by **brianormond** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 6:38 pm

The next step for animals behaving like people will entail taxation.
-Birds, bats, insects and a few other animals will come to loathe the Avian Revenue Service and find no mystery in its acronym, ARS.

fel bautista · Post by **fel bautista** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 9:02 pm

chas wrote:
(It's all from a Frank Zappa album, Just another band from LA, a work of absolute genius.)

Another member of club- cool=Frank woudl be proud-mine is on vinyl

djm · Post by **djm** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 9:09 pm

OH, ETHYL. THERE'S A HOWARD JOHNSON'S. WANNA EAT SOME CLAMS?

djm