Product Description

Through a friendly text and full color photographs, the history and habits of pigeons are described and detailed.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #338174 in Books
• Published on: 1997-04-14
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 80 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 4-7. This colorful and highly informative book presents an abundance of facts about these birds' habits, breeds, and close association with humans. Patent traces the origins of pigeons from their forebears, the rock doves of Europe, Asia, and northern Africa. Descriptions of one of these descendants, the feral pigeon, will provide food for thought for readers who are used to seeing pigeons as part of an urban environment. Substantiation of pigeon intelligence is provided through a chapter devoted to that topic, which includes examples of different experiments done to determine the birds' mental capabilities. The usefulness of homing pigeons and their long history of serving humankind is described as is pigeon racing (the national sport in Belgium). Full-color photos of these diverse and interesting creatures add much to the text, while a glossary and index help make it a valuable resource. For those who thought pigeons were just an annoying fact of city life, this book is enlightening. It should also be of interest to any student doing research or simply curious about the many varieties and talents of the pigeon family.?Carol Fazioli, Cardinal Hayes Library, Manhattan College, NY
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"This informative book offers a well-researched and readable text illustrated with clear, full-color photographs. . . . This excellent addition to science collections will make readers come away with a new respect for this common bird." -- Review

Review
"This informative book offers a well-researched and readable text illustrated with clear, full-color photographs. . . . This excellent addition to science collections will make readers come away with a new respect for this common bird." (Booklist, ALA )

Customer Reviews

Excellent Pigeon Info
I, being a pigeon lover was very impressed with background information on different types of pigeons and beautiful on sight photography. The book being only 70 pages was very easy reading enough to handle in a day or two. My favorite chapter is "Pigeon Intelligence." It is remarkable how intelligent these little guys are! It was an easy learning and a much fun book.

A beautiful book.
I remember the first time I saw pigeons; I was five years old and had been taken into Washington, D.C. on a field trip. There was a group of them on the sidewalk near the Natural History Museum, strutting around a food cart. I took one look at their iridescent necks, gray and buff bodies, and inquisitive orange eyes, and I was hooked. Never mind that the adult who accompanied us sneered, "Oh, they're just vermin." Being a child, I knew better than to listen to someone who was unable to see beauty when it was staring her in the face.

In this book, Ms. Patent gives children a view of pigeons for what they really are, touching on their beauty, their intelligence, and the benefits they have brought to mankind throughout history. The color photographs by William Munos are excellent and complement the text well. The photos appear on almost every page, which makes the book easy to read to children who like visuals during reading time.

Adults can enjoy the book as well. For those of us who love pigeons, it's difficult locating books about them, especially books specifically about rock doves (our feral city pigeons). This book is a great start. Although it's a slim volume, it offers quite a bit of scientifically accurate information.

I now have a pair of pigeons nesting in a double nesting box on the back of my house, plus numerous pigeons visiting my feeding site every day. I never get over my fascination with these gentle, intelligent creatures, who are, by the way, magnificent flyers. This book has helped broaden my knowledge of these wonderful birds.