Rock Pigeon Performs High Wire Act

High wire acts are dangerous activities for humans that require skill and coordination, but are no big deal for most of our bird friends like this Feral Domesticated Rock Pigeon. These Rock Pigeons got the "domesticated" part of their name because their ancestors were domesticated Rock Pigeons brought here by European settlers. (Rock Pigeons are not native to North America.) And they get the "feral" part of their name because some of those domesticated pigeons escaped into the wild. (Many of them are very comfortable foraging for food around and even from humans.)

These birds have a lot of plumage variation, though this individual's bluish-gray coloring with 2 dark bands on the wings is fairly typical. Generally speaking, I'm pretty suspicious that I've got a Rock Pigeon when I see a colorful pigeon/dove-shaped bird.

In any event, it's easy to confidently perform high wire acts when you can cover up a clumsy mistake by just flying away.

May 10, 2023 at Delaware Raritan Canal
Photo 282315534, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)


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