They're Everywhere! Why there are so many pigeons in NYC

If you've ever been to New York City they're really hard to miss, they're everywhere, Pigeons! These domesticated Pigeons that you see today weren't always here. They were first brought here around the 1600s from Europe. According to Wild New York: A Guide to the Wildlife, Wild Places, & Natural Phenomena of New York City, authors Margaret Mittelbach and Michael Crewdson said "Also called rock doves, pigeons were first brought to this country from Europe, probably during the 1600s, and that their original status here was that of a barnyard animal, raised purely for the table." So these Pigeons weren't always pests like they are now. They were commonly used to exchange messages more than 3,000 years ago, known as homing pigeons. Pigeons were also cooked for meals. It's crazy to think that these pigeons that people commonly refer to as dirty pests had such purpose. But eventually those captive pigeons began go out on their own and settled on building roofs which resembled the cliff sides their ancestors once resided on.