PigeonWatch

Participants in PigeonWatch observe flocks of pigeons in their neighborhoods to help scientists understand the remarkable variation in colors of pigeons. For hundreds of years, humans have bred pigeons for their colors, homing instincts, or racing abilities. Some of these pigeons escaped to the wild, and today’s flocks include birds that may be blue, red, black, white, brown, or mixtures of colors in between. To help scientists understand why pigeons continue to exist in so many different colors, participants count the number of pigeons of each color morph they see, and the colors of courting birds. The project appeals to anyone who enjoys watching pigeons, including urban residents, school groups, and youth groups.