SFist: Scene from a Bird Flight

Generic

Sun, 21 Dec 2008 15:23:36 -0800

No one said rats were stupid; vermin can be very smart.

kapshure

Sun, 21 Dec 2008 15:14:23 -0800

as much as we city dwellers love to bash them, pigeons are incredibly smart and have been used by various institutions and groups throughout history for a variety of different services. I did a posting about this over a year ago, and still to this day refer people back to it; e.g. pigeons are some of the few animals that can pass the mirror test but can also identify each letter of the alphabet. http://www.berderp.com/2007/11/pigeon-strategy.html they are not just stupid rats with wings

Generic

Sun, 21 Dec 2008 00:34:41 -0800

Yeah, that whole 14th-century medieval plague thing was just a big misunderstanding. It's my rat-bigotry that's at issue here.

iBarna

Sat, 20 Dec 2008 20:40:13 -0800

I assume that the "rats with wings" comments are supposed to make a point, but they only reveal the ignorance and stupidity of the author. Rats are naturally curious, non-aggressive and impeccably clean animals. Quite amazing, actually. As are pigeons. Which would be easy for you to learn, if you would give these animals half a chance instead of spewing more hatred.

bluecanary

Sat, 20 Dec 2008 19:08:59 -0800

Their "half feet" is the result of an injury, and wet feathers are the result of wet weather. And anyone who would torment these birds or allow their kids to do so should be wrapped in chains and dropped off a boat in the middle of the sea.

doublegin

Sat, 20 Dec 2008 13:34:58 -0800

Pigeons forever, haters never!

kainoa

Sat, 20 Dec 2008 05:22:21 -0800

this picture brings to mind one of c.d. payne's underrated novels... the author that wrote "youth in revolt" and the rest of the nick twisp series... if you've heard of those... which you may not have... i digress. "frisco pigeon mambo" anyone into pigeons, san francisco, pigeons that smoke and drink, or pigeons in san francisco that smoke and drink should check it out. a good read. funny too!

periqueblend

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 23:23:26 -0800

After seeing pigeons eat junkie vomit in the Mission, and picking at chicken bones near Popeye's on Divis, they will forever revolt me. (You know it is possible to see sublime photos of things one finds abhorrent. The Chevron refinery looks amazing at night. This can be true while simultaneously offering no consolation to the asthmatic children in the Iron Triangle.)

oola

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 20:09:10 -0800

I actually worked with a pet hospital in another city that took in injured and orphaned pigeons. Pigeons really get a bad rap. They're amazing birds, and a species that shows some of the most interesting variation in color, plumage, etc. Very smart, too. It really gets me that people in town let their kids basically chase pummel and kick these birds like they're trash. We got to see the really sad after effects on injured birds.

brittney

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 16:13:23 -0800

Bravo, photographer.

jinky

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 15:50:52 -0800

Wow, what a great photo!

BeejW

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 15:45:15 -0800

@boredpeon Given Robin Williams' rumored habit of "borrowing" jokes- there's a distinct possibility you heard that phrase come out of his mouth, too!

boredpeon

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 15:35:48 -0800

@BeejW Thank you, I stand corrected.

BeejW

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 15:33:10 -0800

Besides, the whole "rats with wings" Robins Williams schtick is tiresome. We have Woody Allen to thank for that phrase. It's from 'Stardust Memories'... http://www.urbanwildlifesociety.org/pigeons/WoodyAllnRatWWings.html

cv

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 15:29:10 -0800

I love squab! Yum!

manys

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 15:28:37 -0800

Are you kidding? You don't get to see all the beak crust and half-feet and wet-matted feathers in a photo like this. The fact that it's so dark means the photographer knows this and is trying to pull a fast one.

boredpeon

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 15:26:47 -0800

I like the pigeons, they're nature's perennial underdog. They aren't naturally a filthy animal, the filth is more of a product of their environment. So pigeons living in the squeaky clean, freshly scrubbed, anti-septic city that is SF, may not be the cleanest birds around. Besides, the whole "rats with wings" Robins Williams schtick is tiresome. As for us, the cleanly non-vermin humans? "We're a virus with shoes" - Bill Hicks.

bluecanary

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 15:19:16 -0800

I think this is a beautiful shot. If I had a copy, I'd put it up on my wall. I like pigeons.

SFJoe

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 15:01:51 -0800

No matter how artistic the shot, they are still rats with wings. Vermin. What next? Black and white stills of maggots in a garbage can?