our pigeons, the feral ones, descended from columba livia, columba livia domestica, columba livia forma urbana, have returned to the wild. society's need for them having run its course, they are now only seen in the same way we see an alley smelling of piss and full of glass - a way in which we don't see at all. because of this columba livia forma urbana are an invisible ocean. for someone walking through the centre of their feeding grounds they part, radiating a quietude, letting the person's feet follow their path of desire, without the need to give any consideration for our friendly band of downtrodden tramps.
this understanding isn't present only in the individuals, but in legislation. in the uk, pigeons are covered under the "general licences" and can be humanely culled by the land owner or their agent for a variety of reasons including spread of human disease.
there is a sense of this across the world; feral pigeons are considered a pest by who.[1] their treatment by humans seems to be of little concern, with the focus instead on how pigeons could pass disease and infection onto humans. epidemiologists recommend the following approaches:
- restricting feeding at public places
- inhibiting breeding on buildings, by mechanically blocking the loft orifices and perching sites in, on and below the roofs, using netting, spikes, repellent gels and electroshock deterrent systems;
- collecting and inactivating avian (pigeon) eggs;
- trapping birds (in nets or various bird traps) and euthanising the captured birds, if permitted; and:
- sterilising birds chemically, with a treated grain bait, if permitted.[ibid pp.262]
- they have been labelled invasive in north america.[2]
perhaps herding pigeons is an action embodying this connection, a co-operation and play, differentiating itself from humanity's usually oppressive interaction with our feral wanderers: culling, sterilisation, domestication for: meat, homing, racing, sports, exhibition, pigeon fancying, or experimentation in laboratories.
us from below - we seek to understand our friends. we seek to become them.
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