A Sentience Article from All-Creatures.org

Doves: Birds of Chaos, Pixies in Disguise

Guest Post by Adrienne Ruork, Palomacy: It’s Pigeon Diplomacy
September 2023

Anyone who has spent any amount of time with a dove knows they are pixies in disguise. They prey upon and weaponize our naivete all with a blink of those sweet, beady eyes and an adorable beak smack or two. 

Plover, a rescued Eurasian-Collared Dove, enjoying flying about in a predator and rodent-proof aviary. Photo by me.

Whoever decided that doves were an emblem of peace and love was the biggest con artist of all time. Unless doves have since evolved with humanity’s embrace of satirical humor, we’ve been victims of this fallacy our whole entire lives. From Sunday bible teachings, to Greek mythology taught in high school, to cartoons and other media depicting doves as heralding peace—it’s been ingrained in our brains that doves are peaceful, gentle birds.

Lies. It’s such flippant deceitfulness that I dare say it’s on par with the big ones like Santa Claus, Milli Vanilli singing their own songs; and pigeons being disease-riddled, stupid birds. Anyone who has spent any amount of time with a dove knows they are pixies in disguise. They prey upon and weaponize our naivete all with a blink of those sweet, beady eyes and an adorable beak smack or two. Isn’t it just the cutest thing when they puff up and start smacking their beak with contentment? And when they nuzzle their own face down into their feathery bosom, it makes me wanna—hey wait a minute! See? I’m falling for their trickery right now!

While pigeons are Lords of the Leisure Arts, doves must be the Chancellors of Chaos—and this is coming from someone who has rehabbed raccoons and crows, two of the most notoriously devious wildlife here in California. Ringneck doves, for example, are often nicknamed laughing doves for a reason— because they cackle like little flying maniacs who laugh at the mischief they wrought upon their caretakers.

Eurasian-Collared doves do nothing but scream; I would know, I have two. They’re so unhinged they feel the need to scream when landing upon your head as if to remind you of their unpredictability. What better way to assert dominance than to scream at everyone around you? I mean, it works for toddlers, and those are some of the most capricious beings on this planet.

....

Please read the ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE.

Snuggly mates Eggbert and Avery in their nest. Photo by Liese H.

---

Return to Sentience Articles