INTERVIEW ON THE PRICE OF BUSINESS SHOW, MEDIA PARTNER OF THIS SITE.
Recently Kevin Price, Host of the nationally syndicated Price of Business Show, interviewed Rosemary Mosco.
“Whether you like pigeons or loathe them, in the new book – ‘A POCKET GUIDE TO PIGEON WATCHING: GETTING TO KNOW THE WORLD’S MOST MISUNDERSTOOD BIRD’ – readers will find a funny, well-researched guide that will turn them into dedicated pigeon watchers and will change the way they relate to the world around them!
“It’s written by ROSEMARY MOSCO – a bird-lover, science communicator, cartoonist, and coauthor of the bestselling ‘The Atlas Obscura Explorer’s Guide for the World’s Most Adventurous Kid.’
“Rosemary’s available to talk about everything birds and pigeons on November 9. She’ll even give you the top 10 reasons to go pigeon watching!! Your outdoor fun will never be the same!
“Pigeons coo, peck, and nest all over the world. These wildly fascinating birds are often met with indifference or disdain. But in a new guidebook – you’ll get a new appreciation for these misunderstood birds. In A POCKET GUIDE TO PIGEON WATCHING: GETTING TO KNOW THE WORLD’S MOST MISUNDERSTOOD BIRD (Workman Publishing; on sale: November 9, 2021; $14.95 US) – ROSEMARY MOSCO will have you looking at pigeons in a different light!
“This fun guidebook not only opens the eyes of every town- and city-dweller to the wildly fascinating birds petering across their very own stoops and sidewalks, but also teaches readers how to “speak” pigeon and offers practical tips, such as what to do when they see an injured or lost pigeon. A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching will ignite an interest in and an appreciation for the mighty and unduly maligned bird!
“Brimming with fascinating facts, surprising history, charming cartoons, and accessible science, this fun guidebook covers it all, including unique pigeon behavioral quirks and talents:
“Pigeons kiss each other, mate for life, and applaud themselves after they mate
“Pigeons have been trained to distinguish impressionist paintings from cubist paintings, play Ping-Pong, and detect malignant tumors
“Pigeons, like dogs, pant to avoid overheating. They can even breathe deeply and pant at the same time.
1. It’s free.
2. Pigeons are often easy to find, especially in urban areas where other wildlife is scarce. You can watch them on long drives, during boring commutes, or on lunch breaks. If you’re in a dull meeting, take a peek outside and enjoy the soap opera of pigeon life.
3. Pigeons are gentle and safe to watch, so long as you look out for their poop. They won’t attack you, screech at you, or spray you with a noxious scent. (If they do, you have misidentified your pigeons.)
4. They do strange and wonderful things. They blink with three eyelids, kiss with vigor, feed milk to their babies, and applaud themselves after mating. Their lives are both alarmingly alien and charmingly familiar.
5. If you’re searching for dating tips, look no further than a species that mates for life (usually) and dances to impress.
6. Pigeons are food for many birds of prey. If you can find pigeons, you can find majestic hawks, falcons, owls, and all sorts of other shy aerial predators. The more you watch these birds, the more you’ll appreciate the full breadth of nature that’s quietly making a living all around you.
7. Thanks to some fascinating genetics, pigeons come in a variety of colors, patterns, and plumages. You’ll find birds with funny feathery socks, odd-colored eyes, and dazzling hues from red to blue to white. Try to spot them all!
8. As our domesticated companions for millennia, pigeons have a lot to teach us about human history and culture. If given the power to speak, any pigeon could teach a master class on colonialism, inequality, architecture, agriculture, and changing food preferences.
9. Rescued pigeons make great pets—and if you’re concerned about poop, you can dress your pigeon in a custom-made rhinestone-studded diaper. Seriously.
10. It’s a hard world. Sometimes you just need to look at a soft bird.
“The pigeon’s significant roles in and influence on human history:
“Pigeon poop has been used to make gun powder, soften leather, and fertilize crops.
“There are numerous pigeon war heroes, such as World War I’s most famous bird, Cher Ami. Her successful delivery of a critical message saved the lives of US soldiers being bombarded by friendly artillery fire while trapped behind enemy lines. For her service, Cher Ami received one of France’s highest military honors!
“Pigeons were beloved by Charles Darwin and Nikola Tesla. In addition to being a famous inventor, Tesla was a lovelorn pigeon nurse who fed crumbs to the birds from his window and rescued sick or injured pigeons he saw on the street. His relationship with one particular bird was described as the ‘love story of Tesla’s life.'”
Anatomy facts and identification tips:
· Pigeons have 3 eyelids per eye.
· Pigeons have 14 bones in their neck. What appears to be a pigeon bobbing its head is just its body catching up to its elongated neck.
· How to spot specific breeds, like the Crested Fairy Swallow, which has wing feathers on its legs, or the gentle King Pigeon, a glorious white beefcake of a bird.!
About the Author: ROSEMARY MOSCO is a science cartoonist, author, and expert naturalist who loves connecting people with the livingworld using humor and wonder. Her carefully researched Bird and Moon nature comics have appeared in Ranger Rick, Audubon magazine, Nature Ecology & Evolution, and more. They were the subject of an award-winning exhibit at Cornell’s Museum of the Earth and were collected in a book that became a 2019 ALA Great Graphic Novel for Teens. Rosemary cowrote the New York Times bestselling book The Atlas Obscura Explorer’s Guide for the World’s Most Adventurous Kid and has authored acclaimed science books for children of all ages. Her work has been featured on NPR’s Science Friday, BoingBoing, Comicosity, and TreeHugger and in Birds&Blooms magazine, io9, and many more.. According to BirdWatching magazine, “She is the rare humorist who understands nature and biology well enough to make even the most cranky birder crack a smile.” Find her at rosemarymosco.com and see her comics at birdandmoon.com.
LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW IN ITS ENTIRETY HERE:
The Price of Business is one of the longest running shows of its kind in the country and is in markets coast to coast. The Host, Kevin Price, is a multi-award winning author, broadcast journalist, and syndicated columnist. Learn more about the show and its digital partners at www.PriceofBusiness.com (scroll down to the bottom of the page).
