The rock dove (pigeons) is the world's oldest domesticated bird. Mesopotamian cuneiform tablets mention the domestication of pigeons more than 5,000 years ago, as do Egyptian hieroglyphics.

They make great pets because of their lovable and caring nature. Pigeons are highly adaptable to routines, they actually prefer them! They are easily conditioned and trained, just like pupies!

貢獻 The Contribution

利用鴿子成本低的優勢，人類一直將其便便用作肥料。幾個世紀以來，鴿子在波斯的經濟和政治體系中發揮著重要作用。

伊朗的農業於10,000年前首次發展，鴿塔已成為農業經濟的重要組成部分，為瓜，黃瓜和其他需氮作物提供了急需的肥料。對於具有特色的企業，國家甚至向鴿子塔的擁有人徵稅 - 就如向鹽或化石燃料徵稅一樣。

最重要的是，由於鴿子的生育率高，一對鴿子每年可以繁殖多達100隻小雞，因此人類也繁殖他們作為食物。

Taking advantage of the low maintenance of pigeons, humans have been using their secretion as fertilisers. For centuries, pigeons played a significant role in the Persian economy and political system.

Farming first evolved in Iran 10,000 years ago, pigeon towers became a crucial part of the agricultural economy, providing much-needed fertiliser for melons, cucumbers, and other nitrogen-demanding crops. With characteristic enterprise, rulers even taxed owners of pigeon towers— the equivalent of taxing salt or fossil fuels.

On top of that, with their high fertility rate, a pair of pigeons can produce up to 100 chicks each year, so human breed them for food as well.

The ancient humans also discovered the amazing homing ability of the rock pigeons - finding their way home from long distances. In fact, homing pigeons have been known to find their way home from as many as 1,770km away. So, pigeons became messengers. Rock Pigeons carried messages for the U.S. Army Signal Corps during World War I and II, saving lives and providing vital strategic information.

Around 16,000 pigeons were sent out, and 1,000 came back with messages from occupied Europe, even when they’re badly injured.

逐漸地，人類還發現了鴿子驚人的歸巢能力 - 他們能從遠處飛回家。實際上，歸巢的鴿子可以從多達 1,770公里的地方找到回家的路！就是這樣，鴿子成為了信鴿。

第一次世界大戰和第二次世界大戰期間，人類利用鴿子的歸巢能力，為美國陸軍信號兵傳遞消息，挽救了無數生命並且傳遞重要的戰略信息。

大戰期間，大約 16,000 隻鴿子被發出，然後只有 1000 隻附著傷，斷了腿的鴿子成功回來，並帶著歐洲帶回來的消息。

放逐 The Exile

隨著社會和生活現代化、農業式微，人類需要鴿子的需求亦大大降低。從人類珍而重之的好夥伴，鴿子被「釋放」， 被放逐到野外「自力更生」。被放逐的，還有沒有價值的賽鴿。(按此了解更多)

但幾千年來的馴化和人工配種，鴿子已經失去了原來的「野性」。他們頑強的適應能力令他們由原始吃種子的，慢慢習慣了吃雜食、吃垃圾都可以生存。幾千年來被人類飼養著，鴿子適應了人類的生活，對人類失去警惕性。

在野外「自力更生」，鴿子無疑是能夠生存。慢慢的，他們學會了吃垃圾、喝渠水，但換來的卻是免疫力下降，染上疾病、體內體外寄生蟲等。

自私的人類把鴿子利用完了後，就這樣抱著垃圾不在我家門前就不是我的責任的態度，放逐了鴿子。

With the modernisation of the society, decline of agriculture, pigeons’ contribution are no longer needed. So humans released pigeons upon the belief of ”Nature will take its course”.

With no proper adaptation measures for these birds, pigeons are forced to adjust into being “wild”. Yet after thousands of years of domestication, pigeons had lost their foraging ability, and prefer to stay close to humans.

They modified their diet from being seed eaters, to becoming omnivores. After decades of breeding and perfecting their DNA, pigeons can survive by eating trash, they get by; they get by drinking trash water. Yet in exchange, they are exposed to internal and external parasites and deadly diseases.

迷思 The Misconception

其中一個根深蒂固的迷思，就是鴿子是傳播疾病 (禽流感等) 的主要途徑。但很多人不是多的是，鴿子的基因令他們擁有著強化了的免疫系統，成為很多病毒的最終宿主，包括禽流感。

根據2002年世界衛生組織（WHO）的調查，鴿子和其他鳥類的比較研究結果顯示，鴿子對禽流感具有抵抗力非常高。

隨後在中國，日本，土耳其，羅馬尼亞和烏克蘭採樣的鴿子的研究顯示，在2004年出現的H5N1禽流感病毒，幾乎都不是由鴿子傳播的。(是集體飼養的家禽，如雞鴨鵝等飼養場爆發)

實際上，根據Panigrahy et al. 1996 年，通過靜脈（IV）或經鼻腔，將在雞和鴯鶓身上找到的禽流感病毒注入了鴿子身上；鴿子由8到32個月大不等。 21天後，所有鴿子身上都找不到病毒抗。鴿子的咽部或排泄位置和內部器官均不含禽流感病毒。

One of the deep-rooted misconception people share about pigeons, is that these birds are one of the main source in spreading diseases (the avian flu included). But little did they know, the nearly perfect DNA of pigeons, possess a strong immune system and is the “End Host” of many viruses.

According to findings by the World Health Organisation (WHO) from 2002, comparative studies involving pigeons and other bird species showed pigeons were resistant or minimally susceptible to coming down with bird flu.

Subsequent studies on pigeons sampled in China, Japan, Turkey, Romania and Ukraine suggest that pigeons have played a minimal role in the spread of the H5N1 avian flu virus, which emerged in 2004.

In fact, Panigrahy et al. 1996 introduced pigeons to AIV from chickens and emus. They gave 8 to 32 month-old pigeons AIV through intravenous (IV) or nasal passage. Virus antibody titers were not present after 21 days. Both choanal or cloacal swabs and internal organs were free of the virus.

Pigeons given the virus did not spread it to chickens in direct contact. In short, pigeons are quite resistant to infection of avian influenza virus (AIV).