Animal of the Month

1. The pigeons you meet in gardens and town squares are actually rock doves who were once kept by people but have now gone feral (returned to the wild).

2. Whilst you'll find feral pigeons in every town and city in the UK, wild rock pigeons are only found on the West coasts of Scotland and Ireland, where they nest in nooks and crannies on cliff faces.

3. With only 37 taste buds to humans' 100,000, it's little wonder that pigeons aren't particularly fussy eaters!

4. Pigeons have excellent eyesight, which has led to their being used in search-and-rescue missions. They can see in colour and can also see ultraviolet light.

5. Pigeons also have very good hearing and are able to detect many sounds that people don't pick up on. The next time you see a group of pigeons, watch for a while to see if you notice them reacting to sounds that none of us can hear.

6. Scientists think that pigeons use the Earth's magnetic fields to find their way home. The birds are also thought to recognise main roads and to follow their course by using these and other familiar landmarks as a guide.

7. Pigeons can fly up to 600 miles in a day, reaching speeds of 50 miles per hour!

8. Pigeons pair up for life and share the job of looking after their young.

9. Young pigeons are known as "squabs". They are very difficult to spot, because their parents do such a good job of hiding them out of the sight of predators.

10. Some people consider pigeons to be "pests", and there have been calls to cull (kill) these feathery friends. Other people think that they are wonderful animals and enjoy feeding them birdseed and other little treats.