Do these Pigeons really have “wisdom to share?”
First step: get out of my own head. Living in New York for the past 15 years, I had some strong feelings about pigeons. Namely, they were ugly, dirty and overpopulated.
Fresh out of my Animal Communication practitioner course, I’d spent the past six months honing my intuition and telepathic connection skills to send and receive thoughts, feelings and messages from all types of animals.
So, I ask you to conjure up the image of Pigeon. What comes to mind?
Nothing positive, especially in comparison to our color and song blessed backyard friends including the petit goldfinch, regal Cardinal or lauded blue bird.

I’m stepping through pigeons as they snack on pizza crusts, feathered creatures nearly flying into my face. Poop covered windowsills and the naked fledglings that hatched on my Avenue A fire escape. Silly me; I had no idea that baby birds resemble minute alien lifeforms with the added bonus
of being unable to fend for themselves.
Being the good student I am though, the homework assignment “Connect with an Animal who you don’t like,” would not go incomplete.
So I pulled out my notebook and wrote my questions for the collective New York City pigeons:
1. Tell me about your essence
2. What do you like most about yourself (bird being)?
3. Why do you like living here? / Tell me about your habitat
4. Can you tell me how you spend your day?
5. How do you view and interact with the other birds / animals around you?
6. What would you like me / humans to know?
I breathed for a few minutes, turned my palms face up to invite openness and let myself receive their intuitive wisdom. Here is what the Pigeons shared:
They felt very neutral. Unfazed and living life. They prune feathers, scavenge for food, hang out with their friends.
New York city is actually a great place for pigeons. I received images of abundant food: nuts, seeds, trash, puddles. Green spaces like parks with trees are easy to find and the tall buildings make for great perches. They showed me the feeling of openness flying high in the sky and sitting above the ground floor of Manhattan. Crevices for nesting and resting are everywhere -the perfect size and shape for their families.
What about their view of humans? Honestly, the Pigeons didn’t care what people thought about them, or much about people altogether. They are living their (best) life and humans come in and out of it at will; passersbys on the sidewalk.
I felt the sensation of holding a scale with two sides: people who hate pigeons and find them disgusting on one end, and the other end filled with the humans who feed the pigeons and enjoying these gentle, feathered friends hopping up their arms and shoulders. The pigeons know they are safe and can fly away quickly. They reminded me of that sociable uncle with an easy going, unworried, outlook on life.
The pigeons are also aware of their large size compared to other birds, so they didn’t have significant worries about being attacked by predators. They have great social networks and groups of friends, and they hang out in their preferred cliques. They mostly get along amongst each other, save for the occasional tussle over the same desired scrap of food. That being said, they’re pretty indiscriminate about what qualifies as food. Leftover croissant, dropped dosa pieces, a rogue almond in addition to tree and plant seeds and nuts as well.
Then I tuned in with the Pigeons’ thoughts on humans and humanity and they revealed a surprisingly sweet message. Pigeons are pigeons in the can exist with all different types of species including birds, squirrels, plants, trees, dogs, and people. In the course of their daily existence, they witness hundreds of different types of humans. And they are indiscriminate. Everybody doing their own thing, moving in and out. The Pigeons wanted to share that message with humans; let go of your judgments, and feelings of division. We can all coexist in the same area together. Much like the way pigeons observe us hanging out in parks and how they hang out with all the other species. It makes for a varied, rich, and amusing experience of life.
I also felt some images and feelings of being able to fly away up onto a rooftop or quiet area. Images of five or six pigeons perched a few feet apart from each other, just breathing, resting and soaking up the winter sun. They wanted to remind New Yorkers to take a rest, it’s OK to have some quiet time and space. So often life is busy and we are brushing past each other, yet there are still opportunities within the city and within our life to find a few moments to mentally and physically recharge.
Since I held distaste for Pigeons, I had assumed they would feel the same way about humans, too. But that was not the case. Our telepathic connection was neutral, informative, and I appreciated the observative nature and adaptability of the Pigeons.
These savvy birds are doing more than surviving, they are thriving in modern day New York City and I have lots more to learn about them and from them. I’ve started saying “Hello” to the local pigeons on the way to the park and noticing how they share Sunday brunch scraps. I now enjoy sharing the sidewalk with these fascinating creatures. Thankfully, I have yet to be popped on.
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