Apparently an artist came up with the idea of making shoes that look like pigeons, in order to get closer to pigeons.
(Via Atlas Obscura) [source] includes a full walkthrough of how they were made.
I assume that the pigeons are about as impressed by that as if I came walking up to a group of people, wearing shoes that looked like they were human skulls. A quick look on google image search indicates that’s a market waiting to be filled, so any of you with sculpting skills, jump on it.
At heart this is magical thinking “like attracts like” – which anyone who has ever tried to ride a horse up to a llama or camel can tell you is not always true.
I really only did this posting because it gives me an excuse to post two other images that are about pigeons.
Unfortunately, I am not sure of the original sources of the images, because they “went viral” and if I do a reverse image-search I just find a zillion references to them on humor aggregator sites.
Suddenly, their beady little eyes reveal their true natures: these are the cousins of T-rex and velociraptor. Run! Run!
Another surreal image about feeding pigeons. I assume this was a lot of photoshop work. It would make a pretty cool sculpture.
That concludes my archive of weird pictures about pigeons.
Why on Dog’s green Earth would you want to get closer to pigeons?
Apparently they’re quite good in a pie.
That comment at #1 was my immediate reaction to the first sentence. Lofty does have a good point, though.
When we built the barn we had to trap out pigeons that wanted to live there. Sorry, pigeons (domestic ones, of course) but there are to be NO PIGEONS IN THE BARN. So far the barn has been pigeon-free for ten years now.
I realize that some people actually raise them *on purpose* but it is not a passion that has ever gripped me and instead leaves me to marvel at things humans will get interested in.
Lofty@#2 and kestrel@#3:
I always assumed they taste like chicken.
My barn has proper swallows. I use to love watching them strafe over the horses’ backs to collect food.
…Wouldn’t bread be a more effective bait than a pair of shoes that are probably breaking the law somewhere in the world?
Young pigeons (aka squab) were widely raised in the 19th-century US as a culinary delicacy.
My family had a church-turned-into-a-barn with the steeple made into a pigeon-cote for just that purpose. We never had a problem with Imperial Storm Troopers, either (devouring picnickers had long since become a job for the fire ants).
Shiv@#5:
Wouldn’t bread be a more effective bait than a pair of shoes that are probably breaking the law somewhere in the world?
That means I have to cue the Tom Lehrer song:
(etc)
Why on Dog’s green Earth would you want to get closer to pigeeons?
Many a behaviourist, including the late, great B.F Skinner, has made a satisfying career out of being close to pigeons.
And I always thought that if your grant money ran out you could eat the subjects—something most psych departments discouraged if the researcher was working with humans.
@ 7 Marcus
I heard a story on CBC radio that some musician/producer was telling about that song. Since I’m not at all musical the “famous” names did not mean anything except that I do like Tom Lehrer songs.
Apparently the music was handed out to the backup musicians and it was not titled just the actual music.
The producer then called out something like “Take one, poisoning pigeons in the park” and the piano player fell off his stool in surprise
jrkrideau@#8:
something most psych departments discouraged if the researcher was working with humans.
I am pretty sure that the psych department at Stanford would have been OK with that. They seemed to be OK with a lot of “over the top” stuff.
Scottish Pigeon Parcels:
Measure Ingredient
British measurements
2 ounces Butter
1 tablespoon Honey
4 Pigeons; oven-ready
5 tablespoons Single malt scotch whiskey
2 larges Nectarines; peeled & sliced
4 tablespoons Mango juice
4 larges Squares of kitchen foil
http://www.astray.com/recipes/?show=Scottish%20pigeon%20parcels%20w%2F%20whiskey%20and%20honey
The link will give you the instructions to prepare this delicious dish. So yes! Get close to the pigeons! REALLY close. And keep that brick hidden behind your back until the last possible moment. :)
It was seagulls rather than pigeons, but Banksy already got there with the sculpture…
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/art/what-to-see/dismaland-banksy-pictures/seagull-attack/