Algernon the clever pigeon

Three pigeons Photo by Simon Hurry on Unsplash

I want to speak up for our feathered friends. Why do some people use the term ‘bird brained’ for a stupid person?

I have a memory of a bird who was far from stupid.

I was about ten years old when this happened. I was living with my father and older sister in a council flat in London. Our kitchen looked out onto the balcony at the front of the flat and was on the top floor of a four-story block.

During a very turbulent thunderstorm I heard a thump against our kitchen window. On looking out, I saw a pigeon laying on the windowsill. Initially, I believed it to be dead. But I soon realised it was just exhausted from being buffeted by the storm.

My sister, who also saw the bird, gave me some seeds we had in a cupboard, and I dropped them onto the windowsill. The pigeon, which turned out to be a racing pigeon, ate the seeds and once the storm had passed, flew away.

But that wasn’t the last we saw of the bird.

The next day, a much brighter day, we heard a tapping on our kitchen window. It was the racing pigeon, and he was demanding his lunch.

We were able to repeat the previous days’ catering and after the pigeon had lunched and departed, my sister sent me to buy another bag of seeds. She also named the pigeon Algernon.

With a good supply of seeds (I have no idea what they were, but Algernon was happy with them.) we were able to feed Algernon every time he landed on the windowsill and tapped on the window.

I can’t remember how long Algernon kept visiting us for his midday meal. It was always about the same time every day, and he always announced his arrival by tapping on the window. But one day he stopped coming.

Perhaps he arrived on a day no-one was at home and flew off in a huff. Maybe his owner sold him. Perhaps he found another place to eat lunch. I don’t know. But I never saw Algernon again.

I was inspired to write about this incident from my childhood by Trisha Faye, who wrote about two ducks who regularly visit her for meals. Thank you, Trisha, for the idea and reminding me birds are not stupid.

Bird brains indeed!