New research has shown that feral, untrained pigeons can recognise individual people and are not fooled by a change of clothes.
Researchers, who presented their work at the Society for Experimental Biology Annual Conference in Glasgow on the 3rd of July, have shown that urban pigeons that have never been caught or handled can recognise individuals, probably by using facial characteristics.
Although pigeons have shown remarkable feats of perception when given training in the lab this is the first research showing similar abilities in untrained feral pigeons.
In a park in Paris city centre, pigeons were fed by two researchers, of similar build and skin colour, wearing different coloured lab coats. One individual simply ignored the pigeons, allowing them to feed while the other was hostile, and chased them away. This was followed by a second session when neither chased away the pigeons.
The experiment, which was repeated several times, showed that pigeons were able to recognise the individuals and continued to avoid the researcher who had chased them away even when they no longer did so. Swapping lab coats during the experiments did not confuse the pigeons and they continued shun the researcher who had been initially hostile.
"It is very likely that the pigeons recognised the researchers by their faces, since the individuals were both female and of a similar age, build and skin colour," says Dr. Dalila Bovet a co-author of this work from the University of Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense. "Interestingly, the pigeons, without training, spontaneously used the most relevant characteristics of the individuals (probably facial traits), instead of the lab coats that covered 90% of the body."
The fact that the pigeons appeared to know that clothing colour was not a good way of telling humans apart suggests that the birds have developed abilities to discriminate between humans in particular. This specialised ability may have come about over the long period of association with humans, from early domestication to many years of living in cities.
Future work will focus on identifying whether pigeons learn that humans often change clothes and so use more stable characteristics for recognition, or if there is a genetic basis for this ability, linked to domestication or to having evolved in an urban environment.
FAQs
Summary: New research has shown that feral, untrained pigeons can recognize individual people and are not fooled by a change of clothes. Researchers have shown that pigeons in Paris city center, that have never been caught or handled, can recognize individuals, probably by using facial characteristics.
Do pigeons ever forget a face? ›
New research has shown that feral, untrained pigeons can recognise individual people and are not fooled by a change of clothes.
What is a pigeon answer? ›
pigeon, any of several hundred species of birds constituting the family Columbidae (order Columbiformes). Smaller forms are usually called doves, larger forms pigeons. An exception is the white domestic pigeon, the symbol known as the “dove of peace.”
Do pigeons have facial recognition? ›
Birds Remember Your Face
Although many wild birds have been documented, both scientifically and anecdotally, to recognize humans, certain birds are more known for it. Crows, magpies, pigeons, robins, mockingbirds, and jackdaws have some of the most well-documented cases of facial recognition.
Do pigeons have good memory? ›
Although pigeons display impressive memory abilities, there are some critical differences in working memory between pigeons and humans. Perhaps not surprisingly, pigeons have lower working memory capacity than human adults (Gibson et al., 2011).
How long do pigeons remember faces? ›
"Pigeons never forget a face." ScienceDaily.
What do pigeons never forget? ›
Pigeons Never Fail To Recognize Human Faces
A bird long-maligned and despised by many turns out to be able to give us fantastic insight into the world of face recognition.
How smart are pigeons? ›
A new study has found that the way pigeons problem-solve matches artificial intelligence. Often overlooked as a nuisance, pigeons are actually highly intelligent animals that can remember faces, see the world in vivid colors, navigate complex routes, deliver news and even save lives.
What is a pigeon slang for a girl? ›
a domesticated member of this family, as one of the varieties of the rock dove. 3. slang. a. a young, usually attractive, girl.
What are 5 facts about pigeons? ›
6 Surprising Pigeon Facts
- Pigeon Fact #1: Pigeons Will Eat Almost Anything. ...
- Pigeon Fact #2: Pigeons Prefer to Live Near Humans. ...
- Pigeon Fact #3: Pigeons Are Monogamous. ...
- Pigeon Fact #4: Pigeons Were Likely the First Domesticated Bird. ...
- Pigeon Fact #5: Pigeons Are Skilled Navigationalists.
The emotional intelligence of pigeons is a key factor in their interactions with humans. They possess the ability to sense kindness and respond to it, which is why people who feed pigeons often find themselves surrounded by these birds during their visits to parks or public squares.
Can pigeons hold a grudge? ›
Pigeons are also capable of spontaneously remembering which humans mistreated them, and even an attempt to disguise the identity of their one-time abuser can't fool them. Thankfully, pigeons aren't as mean about all this as crows, who are known to hold five-year grudges.
How do pigeons see humans? ›
They might seem to most people just ordinary birds, but on taking a closer look pigeons are actually highly intelligent and are able to differentiate between humans, not by the clothes they wear, as they have learnt that clothing changes, but by facial recognition, which is extremely remarkable.
Do pigeons feel sadness? ›
Bird Sadness and Grieving
It's interesting to note that birds exhibit many of the grieving behaviors we do: their posture droops, they appear listless, and often cry real tears. Certain birds—jay birds, pigeons, and ospreys—will remain near where their baby died for long periods of time.
Do pigeons understand words? ›
A group of researchers from New Zealand were able to train four pigeons to consistently — with 70 percent accuracy — recognize dozens of words. The smartest pigeon learned about 60 words that it could distinguish from about 1,000 nonwords.
How long do pigeons remember? ›
Homing pigeons combine precise internal compasses and memorized landmarks to retrace a path back to their lofts—even four years after the previous time they made the trip, a new study shows.
What bird never forgets a face? ›
Crows and their relatives — among them ravens, magpies and jays — are renowned for their intelligence and for their ability to flourish in human-dominated landscapes. That ability may have to do with cross-species social skills.
Which bird does not forget human face? ›
Crow's Don't Forget a Human Face, But We Can't Recognize Individual Crows | Audubon.
Do pigeons have photographic memory? ›
Pigeons could maximally memorize between 800 and 1,200 picture–response associations before reaching the limit of their performance. In contrast, baboons minimally memorized 3,500–5,000 items and had not reached their limit after more than 3 years of testing.
