The St. James Town Pigeon

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Yael explains why St. James Town is a perfect habitat for the St. James Town pigeon.

The St. James Town pigeon is well known to area residents. They can be found in the neighbourhood mornings to night. One of the favorite places where the St. James Town pigeon calls home is at Food Basics. Food Basics is an area which is densely populated, and where there is people – there is food. More precisely people willing to provide feed. And even more precise seniors!

The pigeons in this vicinity are commonly referred to as the Food Basic Pigeons. Food Basic Pigeons differ from most other St. James Town Pigeons by their lack of fear for not only people but for cars. In fact, when not focused on cosying up to seniors, pooping on cars is one of the favorite past-times of the Food Basic Pigeons.

The competing Rose Ave School pigeons, find begging for bread crumbs from seniors a little below them. Considered far more educated than their peers, the St. James Town Rose Avenue School Pigeons prefer to hang around the local community centres, parks and schools. In fact, anywhere students abound. These upscale pigeons know two important facts: one that students are constantly eating and two it is extremely rare for students to clean up after themselves and use a garbage can.

Factoid: The garbage can is the dreaded enemy of both the St. James Town Food Basic Pigeon and the Rose Ave School Pigeon.

Besides the vicinity of where these two pigeons search for food, it will be difficult to tell these two pigeons apart. They both congregate in large groups Commonly known as “flocks”. While feral pigeons display in a variety of colours, the St. James Town pigeons are almost all grey.

Pigeon academics the world over have long argued among themselves about the special attributes of the St. James Town pigeon. 

 
What makes the St. James Town pigeon unique from most other pigeons they ask? Scholars conclude that it is their love for nesting in balconies. With 19 high-rise buildings in such a small area, St. James Town is a perfect nesting place. Perching high above the streets, St. James Town pigeons have almost an unlimited view of their next meal. And it is from these balconies that the flock sings the St. James Town national anthem, “The coo coo coo”. Particularly at 6 am, while people are sleeping. 

 Another agreed upon fact is that while most of Toronto’s feral pigeons enjoy eating worms, insects and spiders, the St. James Town pigeon diet consists entirely from human feed - popcorn, bread crumbs, sandwiches, cookies, muffins – are their favorite.

Why is St. James Town such a favorite habitat of the Pigeon? Many people believe it is because of the high population of seniors living in the area who suffer from isolation and loneliness. For many of these low-income seniors, the St. James Town pigeon have become an important part of their social life. In some cases, these pigeons are the only friend they have, and taking time to befriend them and feed them has become a daily routine.

This puts these seniors at odds with other St. James Town residents whose balconies, walkways, streets, parks and general enjoyment of the outdoors have been tarnished with unwanted pestering for food and of course…disease carrying pigeon poop.

Life for the Toronto’s pigeons in St. James Town and elsewhere may soon be getting a little bit harder. Toronto is considering banning feeding pigeons all across the city. If this law is successful, the St. James Town Pigeon may need to end preying on St. James Town Seniors and explore new avenues of food. Rather than rely on the loneliness and isolation of St. James Town seniors for their next meal perhaps they may have to court St. James Town’s law-breaking teenagers.

 

Written by
Yael Gottesman

Journalist
FOCUS Media Arts Centre

 


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