In his first book, Princeton native Andrew Blechman hopes to convince readers to revere, not revile, pigeons.
By: Jessica Loughery
Most people, especially city-dwellers, naturally refer to pigeons as nothing more than dirty, disease-ridden flying rats.
But in Pigeons: The Fascinating Saga of the World’s Most Revered and Reviled Bird (Grove, 2006), author and Princeton native Andrew Blechman urges us to give the age-old species another look.
Technically, the frequency with which pigeons relieve themselves and the large numbers they congregate in do leave their waste products a breeding ground for bacteria.
But when you get down to the root of the problem, you realize that the source of the pigeon poop really lies in what we humans feed them. And where do pigeons gather in such large numbers? In places where we’re sure to let our scraps fly. That being said, consider other roles and identities pigeons have been associated with over the years.
Pigeons have served as messengers, carrying the results of the first Olympics and news of Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo. Pigeons also served as messengers in both World Wars.
Pablo Picasso loved to paint pigeons and even named his daughter Paloma, Spanish for pigeon. Charles Darwin used pigeons in his species studies. And, at one point in Egypt, pigeon feces were used to make saltpeter for gunpowder.
Mr. Blechman intertwines these and other historical tidbits about pigeons with experiences he had visiting people at the extreme ends of the pigeon spectrum, from a pigeon-racing fanatic in Brooklyn to the pigeon-hating sharpshooters populating sportsmen’s clubs in Pennsylvania.
One has to wonder how someone develops such devotion to a thoroughly despised animal.
"It started with a tuna sandwich," Mr. Blechman explains. "I went to my corner store in Manhattan, and I was ordering my sandwich, and the guy next to me started talking about his (brother’s) pigeons. He started telling me about how he races pigeons. So I went out to see these thoroughbred pigeons.
"The more I learned, the more stunned I became," he continues. "I was stunned (to learn) that they could fly 600 miles from a place they’ve never been without stopping for food or water. And they just have an unparalleled history."
Orlando Martinez, the pigeon-racing brother of the man Mr. Blechman met in that store, became the subject of an article he wrote for Smithsonian Magazine. Fifteen months after the article was published, a literary agent stumbled upon that issue of the magazine, called Mr. Blechman up, and convinced him to flesh it out into a proposal.
Both the agent’s adamancy that Mr. Blechman write the proposal and the response he got from publishers came as a surprise to a writer who’d never tackled a book. "I was always frustrated by newspapers, at the inability to go into something in depth," he says. "But I found (writing a book) rather intimidating."
The whole process took him about a year and a half. In addition to keeping up with Mr. Martinez’s pigeon racing, which became the thread of the book, Mr. Blechman covered a pigeon breeders’ convention, spent time with Queen Elizabeth’s Royal Pigeon Handler, and chatted with radical pigeon advocates in New York City who spend their time and money feeding as many pigeons as possible.
"I was really intrigued by the obsession and the passion that people have for or against pigeons," Mr. Blechman says. "It seems to bring out the best and the worst of us."
Throughout the book, Mr. Blechman takes on the role of interested bystander, narrating a tour through the world of pigeons. He says the subject was new to him, and he expected it to be new to readers. In that sense, he represents the reader as he discovers new facets of the species’ existence.
"My background is in journalism so I’m trained to be as impartial as I can," he explains. "I was the neutral narrator… I just wanted to show people what I learned."
In addition to Smithsonian Magazine, Mr. Blechman has written for the Los Angeles Times, the Des Moines Register, The New York Times and Newsday. He currently lives in Germany with his wife and daughter. Though he’s primarily busy working on a second book, he does write editorials in support of pigeons. He says in learning so much about the birds, he couldn’t help but become an advocate.
In the chapter titled "Inside the Cuckoo Clock" in Pigeons, Mr. Blechman follows a man named Dave Roth, documenting his efforts for humane pigeon control in Arizona. The birds are often poisoned or crippled by gels or electrical devices. They’re also sold to gun clubs for use as live targets.
Mr. Blechman recommends that cities build lofts designed as feeding places for pigeons a practice that’s seen success in many European cities. This solution keeps pigeons in designated areas and allows experts to remove eggs to cut back on the population. The key is not to kill existing pigeons, but rather, to help them practice birth control.
"I strongly urge Americans to give this bird a chance," Mr. Blechman says. "We’re being utterly brutal to the creature. Its biggest crime is that it likes us. For 10,000 years, this bird has been our best friend and all the sudden it’s been demonized."
Mr. Blechman hopes readers will come away with the same feeling he had after concluding his research. "You can never look at the birds the same way again," he says. "You just can’t say, ‘this bird’s a flying rat.’"
Pigeons: The Fascinating Saga of the World’s Most Revered and Reviled Bird is available at stores listed on www.andrewblechman.com

