For a few years now I have subscribed to a free internet service called Google Alerts which allows you to enter a key search word, in my case, 'pigeons', and receive a daily report of print media articles containing the search word . My daily report lists newspaper articles from around the English speaking world which for the most part, other than the game results from an Aussie rules football team called the Pigeons, deal with local bylaws restricting the feeding of feral pigeons or pigeon raising in their community, pigeon pest control problems, vandalism of backyard pigeon lofts and pigeon clubs closing their doors. If these newspaper articles reflect a valid picture of the state of the pigeon fancy, at least in the UK, North America and Australia, then the future of our hobby looks bleak. Why and how has this happened? I believe there are two main causes for the current state of the pigeon fancy; urbanization and the pigeon itself.

Urbanization, the mass movement of people from the country to the city, has been going on for centuries but has accelerated in recent times. According to Stats Canada, currently around 80% of our population reside in cities compared to 55% in 1950. This change from rural to urban living is now widely accepted as much a social process as an economic or territorial one. It is easy to see why people are attracted to the jobs, educational and economic opportunities of the city, but the move includes significant lifestyle changes. These changes involve living in close proximity to a more diverse population which can cause the loss of traditions and the dispersal of the extended family more common in a rural setting. The intergenerational transfer of interests doesn't or can't occur.

The second cause is that the pigeon is a victim of its own success. Evolving from its wild form as the rock dove nesting on rocky cliffs in the Mediterranean , the feral pigeon now has an estimated worldwide population of 400 million and lives on every continent other than the polar regions. There are an estimated one million pigeons in New York City alone while Vienna holds the record for the highest density with 3 pigeons for every person. Its formula for success is easy, it is very adaptable - city buildings and bridges substitute for cliffs as roosting and nesting sites, it eats a wide variety of food, much of it sourced from human activity, it is prolific - it reaches sexual maturity early and raises several broods a year and it is very hardy and long lived.

Unfortunately its growing population and characteristics of feeding in flocks and using the same site for multiple nests without removing droppings as many birds do, has caused the feral pigeon to be regarded as a pest in cities. The effect of the growing populations of both urban people and pigeons means that the vast majority of people do not view pigeons the same way fanciers do and consider them only as a pest and potential health hazard. These population trends and the way pigeons are viewed are unlikely to change leaving the possibility of the demise of the pigeon fancy on the horizon.

In the meantime pigeon clubs are the hobby's lifeline by keeping fanciers in touch through shows. But as membership declines it gets to the point where a club is no longer viable, so keeping their club membership active is the best way for fanciers to ensure their hobby continues, at least for the time being.