Pigeons are cursed as 'rats of the sky' but haters can't be more wrong

Often cursed as the "rats of the sky", city pigeons do not enjoy the best of reputations. Many people associate the birds with illnesses - wrongly so, according to animal welfare groups. Photo: dpa

Often cursed as the “rats of the sky”, city pigeons do not enjoy the best of reputations. Many people associate the birds with illnesses – wrongly so, according to animal welfare groups.

The health risks linked to pigeons are no greater than those of domestic pets or other captive and wild birds, says the German Animal Welfare Federation.