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PART 2 is up!

Okay! Part 2 with Rosemary Mosco is here! It’s wall to wall Patreon questions from y’all and we cover everything from wedding pigeons to tiny pigeon outfits to the de-extinction of the passenger pigeon.

Anyone else now have a soft spot for pigeons? BE HONEST.

Loving these episodes tbh,

Wardpod

Ps: hello from Mexico City where I’m gathering a few Field Trip episodes but also I have completely lost my voice. It’s a hoarse whisper and actually creepy. What is it?

PART 1 is up!

Ooooooh, I love these pigeons episodes. You all had such good questions and author and comic book artist Rosemary Mosco was so soothing and lovely we had to make it a two-parter.

So many age-old questions about pigeons are answered: where are the babies? What fancy breeds are there and WHY? How do they find their way home? What’s up with their nests? Do they carry diseases? Or can you have one as a pet and love it forever?

Just a joy of a time with Rosemary. Is anyone already familiar with her Bird and Moon comics? Anyone going to get her Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching?

Also there’s a little miniminimini field trip secret at the end.

Also I can’t decide which pigeon name is my favorite. I mean. Enjoy.

Cooocooooo,

Ol Father Ward McPod

Files

Columbidology (PIGEONS? YES) with Rosemary Mosco - alie ward

Part 1: You love pigeons. You might not know it yet. Espionage! Fancy breeds! Internal GPS! Weird feet! Should you be afraid of them? Should you adopt one?

Comments

Raja

You interviewed Rosemary Mosco!!?? I haven't been a Patreon for very long so missed the info! I LOVE Bird and Moon!! Can't wait to listen! She's THE BEST!

Paul Hoffman

I love the idea of a two-hour episode being two one-hour episodes, with the whole second episode being our questions.

Connor Chapman

Do they sing? Or just the animated ones. Also I heard they're constantly squatting, is this true

Corey

oh my gosh this was a DELIGHT- I can't believe you hadn't seen all the incredible different pigeon breeds!! They're fascinating!. In NZ we have a protected pigeon species (Kerūrū- wood pigeon) But we also have annual pigeon races for homing pigeons to go from Christchurch to Dunedin (~450k/300miles?) *it's a thing!* 😅💜

Jeri Webb

Loved the episode, bought Rosemary’s book today, and can’t wait for next week!

wicker bitch

God forgive me... What does squab taste like? Is it good? Should we eat it? Should we not eat it? Is it just a dish for bragging rights? Looney Toons sold me, back them up or convince me otherwise.

Nick A

This episode was fun as heck. I hope you make a clip of the “guess which pigeon name isn’t real” aside, I would share that broadly

Alie Ward

The episode is up and published and we talk about squab flavor!

Fred Rodgers

We had a flock of racing pigeons when I was growing up. They are amazing and one of my all time favourite birds.

jangonator

My partner and I treated ourselves to a fancy restaurant, and PIGEON was on the tasting menu. Pigeon-enthusiast that I am, I couldn’t bring myself to have it so they gave me couscous as a replacement lol.

Jessica Rudd

Pigeons!!!!!! What a great episode! I really didn’t know how much I didn’t know about pigeons until listening to this. Very excited for Part 2. I’m going to add Rosemary’s book to my reading list now too, because I want all the pigeon info I can get.

Dylan V

I absolutely loved this episode. Where I grew up on the east coast pigeons are a blueish gray color. Every time Alie said they're brown I was so confused, but then learned of the million breeds of this under appreciated bird! 🐦 🐦‍⬛

Scalebar

I have a few pigeons that adopted me - including a racing pigeon that stopped for lunch and never left. They'll wander into the house to beg for food. What do they think I am? A person, a weird big member of the flock?

Shawn Hebrank

Alie! I just tattooed a rescued (and now pet) pigeon on the founder of the Great Lakes Pigeon Rescue, and she even brought a cute blind one to the appointment that also wore a diaper. I can’t believe the timing of this episode. 🖤

Naomi Jane

I had no chance with guessing the fake name!

Britt Kline

Omg, I’m so excited! Pigeons are the funniest, weirdest and I can’t wait to hear all about them! 😆🫶🏻🐦🩶

Karyn Molines

I lover her comics and books and give them as gifts to my neices and nephews. One big question I have which I hope is answered next week...How many species of pigeons are there? Is "pigeon" like "duck" that include mallards and buffleheads and coots*? Or is there just one species that is Pigeon. * not the grumpy-old-man coot, but the bird coot which aren't ducks but rails but look and act like ducks.

Anne

Can’t wait for part 2!!

Spencer Parks

Those pigeon names were truly next level and I was fully expecting that at the end of the quiz you were going to say that they were ALL real names!

Hope J 🏳️‍🌈

Love Rosemary’s comics and Instagram, they always make my day, especially once I learned about the butter butt bird. Funnily enough, as I waited for my train at the end of the day, I saw a pigeon fly up into a little nook in the building’s stone and interact with another. After listening to the episode I was wondering if this could be a pigeon sitting on its nest. Thanks for an interesting episode!

Borzmatic

Neurodivergent, A pigeon flips in the sky. Oh, what have we done?

Emily Krieger

this is one of those episodes where I go in skeptical and you two persuade me! Nicely done. The being pooped on by a pigeon story reminded me that a pigeon once shat on my head while I was talking to a Home Depot employee inside the store. I felt something warm and wet land on my head from above, and then judging from the look on the employee's face, I asked, "a bird just shat on my head, didn't it?" and he said yeah. I learned then that the pigeons that like to hang out in the rafters of Home Depot can shit on you while you're shopping so head's up!

Nathalie Jones

Alie ugh you have me crying in my physics office hour that no students ever come to (lol)... My aunty rescues pigeon and other wild birds and I always thought she was weird and gross for it. (She has to have hundreds of birds at one time... The poop omg...) But this episode has me changing my mind a bit. I shall send this her way for sure!

Daniel Lawson

I was going to mention the kererū as well! Someone posted an image of one next to a 90s boy band in sleeveless t-shirts and now I can't unsee it

Devyn

This isn’t specific to pigeons and maybe it’s an unpopular opinion but I love the really long episodes because I hyper focus and nerd out on the topic all week long. Also I can’t believe how many beautiful types of pigeons there are! After living in New York City I thought they only wore beanies and rode short longboards while smoking a clove cigarette

ChimeWitch

I've heard pigeons are particularly tough birds- that they're able to recover from injuries that other birds might not. Is there any truth to this? Why might that be? I'll have to check this episode off soon.

Erin Bridges

Need to say this very loudly: PLEASE KEEP EPISODES LONG, IT'S THE PERFECT LENGTH THANK YOU

Scott Hanley

Ologies episodes are never too long. They are exactly as long as they need to be. Some info dense ones I even listen at 1/2 X speed to be able to absorb more. ❤️❤️❤️

Keerat Singh

This episode was so energetic and interesting! Exactly what i was looking for this week!

Mal

So good! Also, listened to this on my drive home from work and saw SO many more birds than normal??? Cool ones too, including an eagle! I give credit to this episode (...not the clouds.)

Renee K.

This episode has opened my eyes to so many things PIGEON. I frequently see pigeons in the parking lots and city parks of Houston. But recently, I have noticed a lot more Pigeons and fewer great-tailed grackles. What is up with parking lot ecology? And how can the large, currently-asphalt spaces be improved? Future episode on something related to eco-urbanism & sustainable city planning?

Hailey

I love the episode lengths - I drive a lot and this is my favorite podcast in general but also my favorite to listen to in the car because time flies!! Also, I’m so glad to finally hear an explanation for why their nests are so bad… they’re not bad, just the bare minimum for what they need for their eggs!

Raja

I've listened to this episode a few times now. Excellent! Also, just for the record, I'm down with any length episode. I just use my pause button if I need to!

Scott Hanley

@123454567U9IO09 your user name is too long.

Austin Broadwater

How come I can’t find over half of these pigeon breeds that are named on Google? Literally nothing comes up for French baguette pigeon or white-winged Weiner or hamburger skull.

ChickenChomper

my favourite bird of all time! I was so excited for this episode thanks PodPop and Rosemary!

Colby Evans

At least one might be a translation thing (?). Found a video that has 700 breeds including Hamburg Helmet. Or Maybe bad note taking during that cross country flight...

Austin Broadwater

Ah good point ! That could certainly throw a wrench in things.

Hope J 🏳️‍🌈

Update: there is definitely a pigeon sitting on something up there. Hoping for pigeon babies!

Megan M

My first time asking a question, asked it immediately on the day it was posted, eagerly waited 5 weeks to hear her thoughts /if she'd heard of my favourite pigeon book and my question didn't make it in 😞

Margaret Downs

Ditto on the episode lengths! I know you can't make everybody happy with episode length, but imo the longer the better. I listen at work a lot while doing solitary/repetitive tasks and it really breaks up the monotony!

Alie Ward

We had so many but I do remember saying your name when I asked her about pigeons in the media!

Alie Ward

What about chickens, Chicken Chomper??

Alie Ward

We linked the source on our episode webpage if you need it!

Alie Ward

Aaaaahahahaha, glad that delight came through. But yeah, maybe 1 hour 40 minutes on the sun was too long? ITS VERY BIG SCOTT.

Alie Ward

Ahaha, thank you for that! Breaking long ones into 2 is a little easier on my mental health, but I never know if y’all want them broken up or really looooong.

Alie Ward

I’m so glad I have some closure on the nests, too!

Alie Ward

This is a great question! Maybe find Rosemary on socials and ask her!

Alie Ward

Wow!! The other birds must have been jealous of pigeons.

Alie Ward

Wonderful! The whisper asides were a little quiet but glad it all came together

Alie Ward

Ahaha, thank you!! I will find a good balance, I hope

Alie Ward

Good question and we do address some ailments they struggle with

Alie Ward

Ah!! Love to smell a clove go by on a skateboard. And the looong episodes can be harder to make but I try to strike a balance

Alie Ward

Awww, that is so so sweet. I hope she enjoys it! I wonder if she has Rosemary’s book!

Lizzy Martinez

This was such a sweet episode. I love pigeons even more now. And thank you for sharing how we can help pigeons stay safe and live happy, dye-free lives.

Alie Ward

Ohhhh look at that! Immediately useful!

Alie Ward

Well I had to throw one fake one in, to surprise you

Alie Ward

Good questions and I thiiink the fancy breeds are like dogs but check me on that

Alie Ward

NO WAAAAAAAAAY! I hope she hears it!

Alie Ward

No way! Dis it have an ankle band?

Alie Ward

Awww, glad they didn’t squabble with you about the substitution

Alie Ward

How sweet! Did they live in a dovecote?

Alie Ward

That is SO FAR for them to fly!

Alie Ward

We do address their coos and such — hope you like it!

Fred Rodgers

Dad actually rehabilitated birds as a hobby and we had a pretty big aviary by the time we inherited the pigeons

Alie Ward

Great! It’s actually easier on my brain to split them up but I know folks are divided on it

Shawn Hebrank

I’ll make sure of it! The best part is I tattooed it sitting in its basket nest that it stuffed with pipe cleaners. So fucking cute.

Chandler Witherington

I’m currently in Peru for work and we’re at this very nice hotel with a beautiful pool and as I walked by I snapped a photo of a pigeon bathing in it and it made me very happy

Seán Thomas Kane

Fascinating episodes! Inspired me to listen to the song "Feed the Birds" from Mary Poppins as soon as I finished Part 2.

Corey

They are impeccable creatures 💜💜

jangonator

The sub was delicious, I ‘dove’ right in

Leah Anderson

It was really nice to hear that pigeons--like the mourning doves who waddle around beneath my bird feeder--shouldn't be thought of as invasive species. While it's hard not to like those poofy guys, now it's even easier because I don't have to think of them as harmful... ooh, Ward-Dad, you may need to do an episode just on house sparrows, which, when I can't immediately remember their names, I just call "the shitty birds" because they overrun all the birds that were calling Wisconsin home before they were brought to the U.S. to help European settlers feel more at home :-(

Leah Anderson

Dah! I wanted to pull out my hair when I heard people had painted them.

Scott Hanley

Not at all. Like the Heliology episode was super sciencey with concept after concept, if I listened at 1x I would miss things thinking about what I heard. So I tried .5x and it was much better. Hammered would be slurred but it wasn’t, just a littler slower. ❤️

Megan M

I think that was a different Megan.. it's ok, I have got a LOT of joy from this podcast over the years, which more than makes up for yesterday's disappointment ❤️

Scalebar

Yeah, I can't read it and the death rate of racing pigeons is disturbingly high so I figured if it wants to shack up with one of the more handsome street pigeons and bring its multi coloured babies to visit then it's welcome. Maybe I should replace it with a nicer one, little bit gold, maybe a stone or two, something to complement that shiny plumage

Margaret Downs

Somehow pigeon milk was COMPLETELY news to me and I am equal parts awed and disgusted at the description. Suffice it to say I'll never be the same.

JENN 'Benthopelagic squirrel' ALVAREZ

Ep 2 had like 8 min left and I remembered that Nicoli Tesla loved pigeons "no way she'll bring it up now.." but YAY! I loved it!

Ben Kmo

While only bird themed in name & logo, there is a fantastic coffee & cocktail bar in Cincinnati called King Pigeon. I’m going to suggest they make a cocktail menu with drinks named after pigeon breeds.

Jordan Irons

Milk...MILK!? I have never sent a voice note to my friends faster and screamed "pigeons make milk!!!" Loved this episode so much. I'm moving to a big city soon and I can't wait to be the pigeon lady ❤️

Mercedes Maitland (Lead editor, Ologies)

I just want you all to know that my neighbourhood is seeing a pigeon baby boom lately and the entire time I was working on this episode I was serenaded by pigeons. Pigeonception.

Margaret Downs

I like 'em long, personally, but if it's easier on you to split them up by all means do so! I rarely listen in just one sitting/completely uninterrupted, even when episodes are shorter, because there are a lot of days I can't go more than 20 minutes without getting interrupted by something, so it doesn't actually make *that* much of a difference to me.

Margaret Downs

My jaw HIT THE FLOOR when I heard that part. I walked around my lab whispering "oh my god what, what the fuck" to myself over and over. (Masks made it so I could talk to myself undetected/make faces, and now I'll never kick the habit.) Somehow I have nearly reached the fourth decade of my life without knowing pigeons made milk, and I'll never be the same now that I know.

Emily Krieger

that pigeons don't bob their heads and instead it's more like they're an inchworm or slinky is a gold star TIL! Thank you!

Jeri Webb

And did we know that today was World Pigeon Day according to The NY Times??!!❤️❤️

Jessica Rudd

I sure did! So many great pigeon questions and answers!

Magsaroni

Oh my gosh, I had just listened to part one, when a white pigeon with a band came into the wildlife rehab where I volunteer. I got so excited!! It was such a magical coincidence. It is not a racing pigeon, and they think it is a pigeon that was used as a 'dove' for an event. Luckily, it's not injured, and it will hopefully find a new home soon! Also I enjoy feeding baby pigeons, they are some of the messiest, most shameless little pigs and I love it.

Sarah Williamson

I didn't realize there were so many different pigeon breeds and I definitely spent way too much time scrolling through pictures of them

Mouse Paxton

Thank you so much for this amazing two parter and helping spread the word about how wonderful pigeons are! I've loved them for years after becoming really good friends with one at a wildlife rescue (technically I think she thought we were mates but whatever). I also accidentally befriended a farmer because of our mutual love of pigeons. He lent me a massive like 500 page encyclopedia of pigeon breeds and a documentary called Pigeons: Man's Feathered Friends. I cried watching it.

ChickenChomper

haha touché Alie touche indeed! K so this episode ties with Chickenology with Tove :)- (that was my gateway ologies episode - after that I was hooked)! Both amazing :)

Talons Galore

I loved these episodes! They are what got me to subscribe to Patreon. I am a wildlife rehabber who also rehabs pigeons. I also have a non-flighted pet pigeon. His name is Handsome and he loves to torture my German Shepherd. We have dance parties. Couple of fun facts. First pigeon pants are also called “flypers” 🤣❤️ Second crop milk is regurgitated partially digested seed and esophageal cells that increase the protein.

JMash

You can float the idea of a white russian made with pigeon milk...

Leslie Holland

I absolutely love this podcast! I’ve officially proclaimed Ologies to be my absolute fav- if only could only have access to one podcast… yep- Ologies! I have shared it with countless friends and family! Thank you Alie for the wonderfully funny and insightful commentary - and your gift of bonding with your guest speakers is 💯! Thank you for creating this amazing podcast!

Lady_Marzipan

I'm watching a pigeon walk right now and thinking of this episode. Alie, thank you so much for introducing me to so many new topics and giving me new things to think about. It's humbling to realise how little we really know about the world, and also awesome that there is such a variety of specialised interest and knowledge out there.

Leah Anderson

In Pontevedra, Galicia and seeing pigeons of every color!