Pigeons. Many hate them. Nicknamed “the rats of the sky,” pigeons don’t really get much love from people in the world. They’re exceedingly common and rarely do people consider them domesticated animals (even though they can be taught). Let’s face it, pigeons are the least likable birds on the planet.
This recent discovery, though, may change people’s minds about the humble pigeon. An experiment was conducted to see if pigeons could recognize cancer cells in humans, and lo and behold, the pigeons could actually do it!
The birds were 90 percent accurate in one experiment and 99 percent in another.
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That rate of accuracy is equivalent to that of people with medical training!
The pigeons were easily able to learn the difference between benign and malignant human breast tissue. It just further proves that pigeons aren’t just “rats with wings,” but very smart animals. They can distinguish identities, emotions, letters of the alphabet, and more. Their visual memory is impressive, as well. They can recall more than 1,800 images.
It’s amazing how smart these birds are and what instincts they possess. Maybe they have a deeper connection to us and the world around them than we ever realized?
