Feral pigeons are derived from wild rock doves that were
domesticated in the Middle East over 6,000 years ago. Rock doves
were domesticated initially as a source of food, and for
religious purposes. The terms "dove" and "pigeon" are
interchangeable. Most people refer to smaller species as doves.
Humans soon produced variants that could be used in other ways
e.g. 3,000 years ago pigeons were being bred not only for the
table, but for delivering messages and for racing. By the fifth
century BC, Syria and Persia had widespread networks of message-
carrying pigeons. Pigeons are regular visitors to White Rock
Lake, especially Sunset Bay. The image above was captured from
the pier at Sunset Bay. The average lifespan of a pigeon is 10
to 15 years. The oldest recorded pigeon was around 33 years.
whilst a squirrel looks on But don’t think the use of pigeons as
a means of communication is outdated. Even today, homing pigeons
are used in remote areas. In fact, the Police Pigeon Service in
Orissa, India, was retired only