“Bulam” is a young feral (or city) pigeon, named after the mountain close to where I live in Nowon-gu, northeast Seoul. He was wandering near a hiking trail at the base of the mountain, with one leg either stunted or injured, and as yet unable to fly. Due to his lack of nourishment, and also due to the number of magpies around, he wouldn’t have lasted long! So instead he rode quietly in my camera bag back to my apartment, where he has lived in the bathtub – alternating with a cardboard box on those rare occasions when I decide to shower – for two weeks now.
A pigeon isn’t a bad-smelling bird to have in an apartment, believe it or not. And he’s not too noisy. He (assuming Bulam is a male, because I think it’s impossible to tell at this point) eats a surpising amount of food, and is gaining strength daily. Hopping around and trying out his wings. I’m venturing a guess that within the week he’ll be flying, and then he’ll be relocated to the nicest park I can find. Preferably a place where people feed the pigeons!
According to Wikipedia: The Rock Pigeon (Columba livia), or Rock Dove, is a member of the bird family Columbidae (doves and pigeons). In common usage, this bird is often simply referred to as the “pigeon”. The species includes the domestic pigeon, and escaped domestic pigeons have given rise to the feral pigeon.
Wild Rock Pigeons are pale grey with two black bars on each wing, although domestic and feral pigeons are very variable in colour and pattern. There are few visible differences between males and females. The species is generally monogamous, with two squabs (young) per brood. Both parents care for the young for a time.
Habitats include various open and semi-open environments, including agricultural and urban areas. Cliffs and rock ledges are used for roosting and breeding in the wild. Originally found wild in Europe, North Africa, and western Asia, feral Rock Pigeons have become established in cities around the world.
For more information on pigeons in general, see BBC’s Science and Nature website, or Pigeonwatch, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s international study of feral pigeon colors.
How sweet, i hope he makes a rapid recovery and finds a nice park to live in….
[...] I almost forgot – speaking of birds -Bulam the Pigeon (the Bathtub Buzzard) was released into a big pigeon-friendly park several weeks ago. He left his [...]