Talk:Pigeon Feathers and Other Stories

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Pigeon Parts

A History of Pigeons Pigeons have been on this earth at least 20 million years. That is longer than humans! Scientists know this from fossils, which are remains of bones that have been preserved in rock.

The original pigeons lived among cliffs and rocky ledges in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. These pigeons are known as Rock Doves, and they still exist today. All Rock Doves are the same blue-bar color morphs.

About 5,000 to 10,000 years ago, humans began to capture and raise pigeons. Some they raised for food, some for racing, and some to carry messages.

People also raised pigeons for their beautiful feathers. Over many generations, this is how pigeons acquired such a wide range of color morphs.

The first pigeons in North America were brought over by people from Europe who settled in Canada in the early 1600s. Pigeons that escaped from settlers formed the wild flocks you see in cities today. These wild birds live among city buildings, bridges, and other man-made structures in the same way their ancestors used to live among cliffs and rocky ledges.

—Preceding unsigned comment added by 117.199.148.218 (talk) 10:01, 10 January 2010 (UTC)