There’s one bird that gets a rough deal in Australia. The pigeon. The flying rats of the sky. Able to leave its mark on everything.

Did you know that the dodo is, or was, a pigeon? Why is it that the superb ones have disappeared?

We have 29 species in Australia. Only four of these are introduced, and they’re the ones we hate the most, I’m sure.

Strange birds, it’s like their legs are connected to their necks. Every time they take a step, their heads bob in time. Like some sort of clockwork beast.

Some pigeons that are uniquely Australian include the Top Knot Pigeon, the Bronzewing, the Crested Pigeon and my favourite, the Wonga Pigeon.

Wonga Pigeons wander around the forest floor going womp womp, womp womp. When you get two in the same area, it’s a full on stereo experience. I do wonder why they’re not extinct, they’re rather incessant wompers and should have been hunted out of existence centuries ago.

The one we all know, is the feral pigeon, or the Rock Dove.

That’s right, to make the feral pigeons respectable, we call them doves. They’re all pigeons. When Noah released a dove, it was a pigeon, no doubt it didn’t return because it had found something to shit on. When the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles, it was a pigeon, come to drop white streaks on all of us.

So, hate on the feral, thank the British for them, but love the others!

Images by Michael Barnett.