The Mysterious Lives of New York City’s Iconic Pigeons

In an avian episode of the CBS series Sunday Morning, correspondent and dedicated birder Christian Cooper talked about the hidden beauty of New York City and their amazing ability to hide in plain sight.

Love them or hate them, pigeons are an iconic animal of New York City. But there is much about these birds that remains a mystery to most. “Sunday Morning” contributor Christian Cooper talks with bird enthusiasts about a pigeon’s intelligence, ability to thrive in a concrete jungle, and suitability as a pet;

Cooperspoke with artist Iván Argote about “Dinosaur”, a giant pigeon the size of a dinosaur that he created to sit atop The High Line public park in Manhattan.

Meet Dinosaur, the 17 ft tall 2-ton aluminum pigeon. For the next year and a half its perch will be New York City’s High Line. Pigeons and birds  as we know are what remains of dinosaurs so what if we transform a pigeon and we bring it  into a scale of a Tyrannosaur Rex?

Argote further explained how this bird the perfect representation of New York City

“Dinosaur” celebrates an iconic yet often overlooked figure of New York: the pigeon. These remarkable birds have lived alongside us for thousands of years, serving as prestigious pets, soldiers, and messengers—and yet, they are also seen as a pest. Pigeons are magnificent animals—intelligent, careful, and loyal. What if we celebrated them and integrated them with dignity into the narratives of our cities?

Cooper also spoke with Rita McMahon, director of the Wild Bird Fund on the Upper West Side of the City, who spoke about the incredible intelligence of these city birds.

McMahon says pigeons score off the charts on visual intelligence tests. They can recognize words they can recognize when it’s a garbage  word those letters don’t go together they know landmarks they remember things they remember  people and they’re the main Wildlife that  people get to see. If we can get people to look and understand pigeons, it’s their gateway bird. 

Jeffrey Jones, a photographer and volunteer with the Wild Bird Fund adopted one of the pigeons in their care, whom he and his wife named Ghob.

During COVID, Jones and his wife Jada fostered Ghob. They never intended to become pigeon parents but when they gave her back… “I know this sounds  crazy but I noticed that she was looking sort of sluggish in the cage and she seemed really depressed …I said I’m taking Ghob.”…I wake up every day  it’s Ghob’s world you know we’re just living in it.