Day 83: They're not the brightest crayons in the box, the Columbidae. The family includes both doves and pigeons, and whether wild or tame, there is an absence of intelligence which makes me wonder how they have survived and even swollen to such numbers as to be considered pests in urban areas. Here, my most frequent "pigeons" are Band-tailed and Mourning Doves (Zenaida macroura) shown above), but the occasional Eurasian Collared Dove shows up, to my great dismay. They are considered invasive, as if the Band-Taileds (protected) weren't pests enough. Anyone standing outside my living room might see me rushing headlong at the windows, arms flailing and a ferocious scowl on my face at the height of Band-Tailed residency, or yanking open the kitchen door to yell, "Getouttahere, you g**-d***ed pigeons!" I never thought I could dislike a bird, but Band-Taileds in particular have incurred my enduring wrath for being gluttonous and messy. On the other hand, I rather enjoy the soft cooing of the Mourning Doves, and their soft colours are attractive to the eye even if their tiny heads are filled with metaphorical fluff. Also in their favour is the fact that they only come in pairs or trios, not dozens, and they seldom linger for more than a few days.
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