07/06/2026
Pigeons 🩶💜💚
At Hessilhead, we love pigeons.
These birds once lived alongside us as beloved companions- carrying messages, providing company, and even helping to save lives during wartime. Today’s feral pigeons are the descendants of those domestic birds, left behind to fend for themselves in a world that wasn’t built for them.
Without pigeons, countless lives would have been lost during the war. They served us loyally for generations. Now, perhaps the question is no longer what they can do for us, but what we can do for them.
Life isn’t easy for pigeons in our towns and cities. One of the biggest challenges they face is persecution. Culls and anti-pigeon architecture are commonplace, targeting animals that are simply trying to survive. The wild rock dove, from which domestic and feral pigeons descend, is actually a species of conservation concern in parts of the UK. Yet their descendants are often treated as pests simply for living alongside us.
Another major threat comes from something as ordinary as human hair. Hair and discarded string can become tangled around a pigeon’s feet, cutting off circulation, causing severe injuries, and sometimes binding the toes or feet together entirely. We see many of these stringfoot cases arrive at Hessilhead. Some birds require amputations, others need orthopaedic treatment, but it is always a joy to watch them stand tall again- able to walk freely, without pain or restriction.
These beautiful little rainbows have shared our towns, cities, and lives for thousands of years. The very least we owe them is a little kindness. Together, we can make life a little easier for our feathered friends.
