In the beginning of the last decade, when London was trying to get rid of the Trafalgar Square pigeons, the Wild Life Department (WLD) in Pakistan was planning to attract pigeons in the squares of Lahore. The aim to gather pigeons at specific squares was to add to the beauty of the place and attract tourist to the city. Some of these places specified at that time were Liberty Square, Chairing Cross, Chauburji, Istanbul Chowk, China Chowk and some squares of Old Lahore.
The WLD, in 2002, planned to provide feed and water for the feral pigeons to attract them to these squares and ordered former assistant director Zahid Iqbal Bhatti to make arrangements for it. “We placed special pots for water and the feed was also scattered at these places for the birds, but after some time we realised that our arrangements were no longer necessary as the public also started feeding the pigeons,” said Bhatti, current director of the Lahore Zoo. The patronage of the WLD ended soon but people continued to feed the pigeons regularly and after the passage of almost one decade, large flocks of pigeons come to China Chowk, Istanbul Chowk and Jain Mandir Chowk. The shops around these places also started selling grains for pigeons and people fed the birds considering it Sadqaa.
A combined flight of the birds at being disturbed provides a splendid feast to eyes of passers by. National College of Arts (NCA) student Sara Faizan said: “I love the scene of pigeons’ pixel picking and their flight when the traffic signal opens. It is a great view and I think all the NCA students would have felt the artistic beauty in it. I have tried to paint the scene on canvas but I am not satisfied with this painting, I plan to paint it with more perfection.”
Scientifically known as Columba Livia var, the species of pigeons is present all over the world in many different domestic strains. Earlier, these were birds of wilderness and sea cliffs, but they adapted to modern cities where tall buildings provided them habitats similar to the cliff homes of their ancestors. Bhatti said Columba Livia vars are found in abundance in cities because their need for appropriate weather, feed and breeding are fulfilled without disturbance. They nest in human settlements, on domes, tall trees and old buildings. They are social enough to form flocks of small and large size in human surroundings depending upon the available food resources. Though the natural diet of pigeons is seeds and grains, they can easily learn to exploit a large variety of food including vegetables and processed items.
Talking about their breeding, Bhatti said there was no hunting pressure on pigeons at sites in Lahore, neither did predator birds attack them, nor did they lack feed so their population increased considerably over the past few years. The Lahore Zoo director said stable pair bonds formed between birds which allowed them to breed for the whole year. The female pigeon normally lays two eggs and both parents share the incubation. Preferred nesting sites for laying eggs are dark, enclosed areas. Three broods may be produced by a pair each breeding season and pigeons may live as long as 30 years.
“They mate quite often and therefore breed all year round,” Zahid Bhatti said.
Pigeons have always been loved by human beings, however they also create health hazards in some situations. Especially their feaces are a potential problem for human health. Health hazard of their droppings was the main reason why London Mayor Ken Livingstone thought to remove them from the Trafalgar Square in 2003. However, Lahore’s pigeon corners do not cater to so big a population that it may cause such hazards.
