I don’t know about you but until recently I had not paid much attention to pigeons. In New York, they are everywhere. They coo, act horny, ride buses, steal bagels from sparrows and bathe in dirty little puddles. Recently, though, I started volunteering at the Wild Bird Fund, a wonderful organization that helps wildlife in New York recover from insult and injury. Pigeons, who like me are immigrants to this country, often suffer from window-strike and lead poising. Some people call them flying rats. That’s just not nice. Believe it or not, pigeons actually smell really good (unless they just took a bath in a dirty puddle, which isn’t exactly their fault. It’s hard to find clean puddles to bathe in in New York). After a few weeks at the WBF, I learned that each pigeon has its own personality. Ever fed puppy chow to a bunch of nestlings? No? I have. Each and every little guy reacts differently to being handled. Some struggle, some play along, some stare at you, some roll off the table the moment you let loose (no worries, I caught him). I have encountered adult pigeons that looked at me suspiciously when I first entered the fly room but who, after a few days, seemed to recognize me. There’s one pet pigeon—he’s too friendly to be released—I could swear has a crush on me. He lands on my shoulder and pecks my cheeks, ever so gently. He also watches my every move. If you want to know how smart pigeons a really are, read this article.

I think if you gave them the opportunity pigeons could be very talented little businessmen, which is why I gave them little suits made from recycled men’s shirts from Goodwill! They’re real New Yorkers who always look professional!

This couch throw or children’s quilt is 71x51 inches and stitched by hand. Top and backing are 100% cotton, the batting is pure wool. It can be machine-washed and line-dried. Contact me for price.

Photos: Rebecca Krasnik