True Facts: Pigeons Are Tricking You

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Credits
Dr Damian Scarf, University of Otago
Dr Elizabeth Carlen, Washington University in St Louis
Dr Robert Epstein, American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology
Dr Shigeru Watanabe, Keio University
Ramona Kelley / ramonakelley
ImUn / @imunn
Navdeep Singh / @navdeepclicks
Little loft on the hill / @littleloftonthehill
Their own world / @theirownworld7170
chiloschista / @chiloschista
HandyMe Horse Sanctuary / @handyme
Mellifex Farm / mellifexfarm
.cheeto.0
r/BalconyBabies
r/BadPigeonNests
Fern
TrickyReaction9690
the-bess-one
Spiritual_Berry_6868
lilweedkid
Check out Curiosity Stream! Go to curiositystream.com/zefrank and use code: zefrank to get 25% off when you sign up!
merch: ze-true-store.myshopify.com/
patreon: / posts
classical music: / 5-audio-track-1
sponsor music: incompetech.com/
Credits:
Dr Damian Scarf, University of Otago
Dr Elizabeth Carlen, Washington University in St Louis
Dr Robert Epstein, American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology
Dr Shigeru Watanabe, Keio University
Ramona Kelley / ramonakelley
ImUn / @imunn
Navdeep Singh / @navdeepclicks
Little loft on the hill / @littleloftonthehill
Their own world / @theirownworld7170
chiloschista / @chiloschista
HandyMe Horse Sanctuary / @handyme
Mellifex Farm / mellifexfarm
.cheeto.0
r/BalconyBabies
r/BadPigeonNests
Fern
TrickyReaction9690
the-bess-one
Spiritual_Berry_6868
lilweedkid
Pond5
Envato
iStock
Motion Array
Canva
Citations
Clark W, Colombo M. Seeing the Forest for the Trees, and the Ground Below My Beak: Global and Local Processing in the Pigeon's Visual System. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.888528.
Friedman, M. Visual control of head movements during avian locomotion. Nature 255, 67-69 (1975). doi.org/10.1038/255067a0
Frost, BJ; The Optokinetic Basis of Head-Bobbing in the Pigeon. doi: doi.org/10.1242/jeb.74.1.187
Fumihiro, Kano & Naik, Hemal & Keskin, Göksel & Couzin, Iain & Nagy, Máté. (2022). Head-tracking of freely-behaving pigeons in a motion-capture system reveals the selective use of visual field regions. 10.1038/s41598-022-21931-9.
Johnson, M.H. & G. Horn, Development of filial preferences in dark-reared chicks, doi.org/10.1016/S0003-3472(88....
Land M. Eye movements in man and other animals. doi: 10.1016/j.visres.2019.06.004.
Levenson RM, Krupinski EA, Navarro VM, Wasserman EA. Pigeons (Columba livia) as Trainable Observers of Pathology and Radiology Breast Cancer Images. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0141357.
Niu, Xiaoke, Zhenyang Jiang, Yanyan Peng, Shuman Huang, Zhizhong Wang, Li Shi, Visual cognition of birds and its underlying neural mechanism: A review, doi.org/10.1016/j.avrs.2022.1....
Patton, Tadd & Szafranski, Gabrielle & Shimizu, Toru. (2010). Male pigeons react differentially to altered facial features of female pigeons. 10.1163/000579510X491090.
Scarf D, Stuart M, Johnston M, Colombo M. Visual response properties of neurons in four areas of the avian pallium. doi: 10.1007/s00359-016-1071-6.
Scarf, Damian & Boy, Karoline & Reinert, Anelisie & Devine, Jack & Güntürkün, Onur & Colombo, Michael. (2016). Orthographic processing in pigeons (Columba livia). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 10.1073/pnas.1607870113.
Scarf D, Colombo M. The formation and execution of sequential plans in pigeons (Columba livia). doi: 10.1016/j.beproc.2009.12.004.
Shimizu, Toru & Patton, Tadd & Husband, Scott. (2010). Avian Visual Behavior and the Organization of the Telencephalon. Brain, behavior and evolution. 10.1159/000314283.
Solov'yov IA, Mouritsen H, Schulten K. Acuity of a cryptochrome and vision-based magnetoreception system in birds. doi: 10.1016/j.bpj.2010.03.053.
von Eugen K, Endepols H, Drzezga A, Neumaier B, Güntürkün O, Backes H, Ströckens F. Avian neurons consume three times less glucose than mammalian neurons. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.07.070.
Ware E, Saunders DR, Troje NF. The influence of motion quality on responses towards video playback stimuli. doi: 10.1242/bio.011270. PMID: 25964659; PMCID: PMC4571084.
Watanabe S. Pigeons can discriminate "good" and "bad" paintings by children. doi: 10.1007/s10071-009-0246-8. Epub 2009 Jun 16. PMID: 19533184.

[@zefrank]

Check out Curiosity Stream! Go to curiositystream.com/zefrank and use code: zefrank to get 25% off when you sign up!

[@-redacted_by_youtube]

We all just failed a field sobriety test.

[@17Liberty76]

Need me some true facts about the sarcastic fringe head fish

[@deathsnitemaresinfullust2269]

After the end of this video I'm kinda surprised we didn't get an 80's Pop style "Bees Just Wanna Have Fun" song for the last video. 😄👍

[@AquaFox155]

I believe our ours do move smoothly in one circumstance: following a moving target. All other eye movements are partial. This is the basis behind the "follow the pen with your eyes not your head" field sobriety test. When incapacitated, the smooth movement is impacted.

[@ruditapper4225]

Very nice video ! If you do another on pigeons please explain the odd shape of Wood Pigeon eyes and also explain Roller Pigeons (got excited when saw the Falcon thought you may mention them !)

[@mystery1020]

“And that’s not all. Pigeons can make children cry, with science!” Well I’m sold

[@eloerch7]

I hope for your sake this means you have a lot of True Facts to watch. Makes me a lil jealous 😉

[@MossyMozart]

@@eloerch7 - I am jealous, too. I've been caught up for ages.

[@user-oz9jq5ss4s]

This guy killed a popular translation voiceover channel in 2022; copyrighthole, don't watch him.

[@m0-m0597]

when i was a kid i thought pigeons have a clockwork and gears inside them and that's why their heads bob

[@tashagimera]

@@user-oz9jq5ss4syou are mad bro, just let it go jeez

[@redwitch12]

I live in a major US city in a place where it tends to be very hot 'round the clock in summertime. Like many city-dwellers, I did not have a very positive impression of pigeons, what with all of the pooping and half-ass nest building mess. One night, though, during a nasty heat wave (we're talking over 100F even at midnight), I went through an area at my workplace where there was a pigeon nest on top of a block wall, under the edge of a roof. Both parents were present, but one of them was perched on the roof edge while the other was hanging onto the edge of the block wall, vigorously flapping its wings. After a good five minutes, they traded places, and the flapping started up again from the one now hanging on the block wall. I suddenly realized that they were taking turns fanning the chicks, trying to keep them cool despite temperatures that can, and have, killed adult humans. I went inside, got a cup of water, and left it near the wall for them; after I walked a few feet away, the resting parent flew down to drink, then took up fan position while the other went to drink. (A few hours later, I found that one of my coworkers--an older lady who rarely had much of a kind word or gentle demeanor for anybody--had brought out the little battery-powered fan from her desk and clamped it to the roof edge a short distance from the nest, and both parents were taking a break and preening each other.) I've had a different view of pigeons ever since that incident. That kind of parental devotion deserves some recognition.

[@whwhywhywhywhywhywhy]

Plus their eggs taste good

[@jii.]

Damn. XD ​@@whwhywhywhywhywhywhy

[@notrobert8284]

they shit absolutely everywhere. If not for that I wouldn't have dashed their nest drom my 8th storey apartment.

[@ecurewitz]

Pigeons are supposed to make very good pets

[@judithsixkiller5586]

​​@@ecurewitzI was 8 when I found a pigeon that couldn't fly but was very friendly. I kept him as a pet for several weeks .He was a nice,gentle and affectionate pet who liked to play until an older kid stole him from his cardboard nest in our front hallway.

[@apathetic_aesthetics]

I'm so glad more people are appreciating pigeons now. They've been domesticated and owned as pets for so long that they're really more like stray dogs or stray cats than any other 'pest.' We brought them to our cities and then abandoned them, and I'm glad they're getting recognition for how sweet and smart they are!

[@TasteOfButterflies]

Pigeons have been in every role. Heraldic animal, animal raised for meat, service animal, pet, military animal (and simultaneously peace symbol 🕊️), and now I guess we've decided they're vermin and got collective amnesia about their intelligence, but seriously, name a more iconic creature.

[@francesca5295]

I alwayws loved them... apparantly when I was little I was so obessed that I took a feather from the road and start hugging and call it my child... I do not remember XD But did always found way cuter animals like pidgeon, rats, possum and raccoons....

[@durere]

If you like pigeons so much, here's a whole rap song about them: *Aesop Rock - Pigeonometry*

[@shroomyk]

I grew up in rural areas where there weren't just tons of pigeons hanging out. But whenever I visited "the big city" I loved seeing all the pigeons and I love the cooing sounds they make. Everyone else who is more used to seeing them in a more urban area thought it was so weird because they hated them. Even when visiting a foreign country, the pigeons were there and I tried to speak their cooing language and make friends.

[@MajorJakas]

​@@TasteOfButterfliesmost people today treat pigeons like muhammed treated dogs.

[@FriendlyKat]

6:30 "Have you ever been in a box with a banana? Might be kind of overwhelming, going through the life choices you made that led you to that moment." LMAOOOO

[@gregoryvn3]

Too accurate! 😮

[@cygnia]

"Pigeon Love" -- the B side to "Stuffin' Puffin Muffin"

[@chrisbarry9345]

Ostrich mating dance is the best of them all

[@jcdisci]

I LOVE IT!

[@Vohlfied]

I mean it's no _Cricket (Cricket) That (That) Don't (Don't) Giva (Giva) F***_ but still, _MFin' Sexy Ostrich_ is dope.

[@ascellaplays]

im still waiting for all of them to be released on spotify

[@mythreepants]

​@@ascellaplays Full album

[@MX-oz5rx]

I've got to be honest, it sounds to me like pigeons make better pets than parrots! They're smart, clean, relatively quiet, and they can't rattle off swear words when your 5-year-old nephew visits.

[@judahmac1799]

Why else would you own a parrot if not to swear at your 5 year old nephew.

[@MX-oz5rx]

@@judahmac1799 Good point.

[@lob19]

they are not clean, they shit in their nests.

[@squatchjosh1131]

​@@judahmac1799And those things live to like over a hundred years old. They can literally corrupt generations.

[@littlehizzle]

Also when a pigeon gets pissed off at you there’s a virtually zero percent chance that the pigeon will be able to break your finger.

[@Shedoesdiy]

10:40 I'm a driver for a racing pigeon club. Our longest race is 500 miles. I drive the pigeons 500 miles away, and they fly home. We fly 100, 200, 300, and 500 mile races. They always beat me home 😂

[@samhiatt]

So freaking rad. Birds are the best.

[@a.randomjack6661]

@@samhiatt I totally sgree

[@burakoshimazaki]

That's probably because they take the shortest path, "as the bird flies" 😂 ba-dum dish

[@Greentrees60]

That is honestly really impressive

[@a.randomjack6661]

@@Greentrees60 Not as much as your selfishness and narcissism. did you chose where when yo be born? Did you choose your set of genes? Did you choose,,, oh, I don't know, not have a work accident, not been born blind or autistic? Or not to get overly intoxicated by lead from drinking water which impair cognition and alter behaviors. You've been exceptionally lucky, but believe you are better than others. So yeah, stuff it you know where.

[@UhOhItsDorian]

I watched this with my mom and now she’s wandering around the house singing “he don’t puke in my mouth no more…” … THANK YOU ZEFRANK! More people need to appreciate pigeons. Just the other day I went to a volunteer group to learn how to catch them when their feet get tangled and safely free them. They’re the most wonderful little things and the way they’re generally treated is so unfair.

[@9xqspx6]

They are just so filthy and disgusting when they get so dirty in the city; and they supposedly spread disease as well (f.e. people are not allowed to clean up their feces without a full on hazmat suit). Why/how do they get so dirty and unwell-looking anyway?

[@catevaimagini]

I did it once by instinct in Barcelona...people were feeding some feral parrots in a park, of course there were pigeons around but mainly ignored and gathering left overs from parrots. we were feeding the pigeons and noticed one with feet tangled...both of them horribly...I know their eye sight, which is amazing, went to small blind spot, got him..there was a guy feeding parrots that helped me untangle the poor guy..rewarding experience and amazing that there are this kind of workshops...

[@orko714]

"Remember, this was the '80s. Everyone was on cocaine." True facts, indeed.

[@chemicalwonderland2492]

It's 2024 and we are still on cocaine 🤣

[@absalomdraconis]

​@@chemicalwonderland2492: Ah, but it's different, because there was so much going around in the 80s that you have to suspect that meaningful volumes even drifted to the top of Everest on the wind. The 80s was a time all it's own, which is why part of the 90s was just a giant hangover.

[@mayhemmacy1566]

yea they were. and guess what? movies and music made back then was AWESOME

[@carlosfranciscocardoso]

@@absalomdraconis facsn't

[@geminidefect]

cocaine turns hair white. that's how you spot the users ;) t's a fact

[@heathercreates]

I’m loving the internet’s new wave of pigeon appreciation and debunking misconceptions. At least the side of the internet I spend my time on.

[@adidasfan360]

Heather, I want to give a giant female pigeon, which has your soul, my special worm.

[@adidasfan360]

Heather, I would want you to become my mate if you were a pigeon.

[@GodheadNee]

as a long-time pigeon defender I'm so happy. They deserve our love and respect! It's like if we collectively abandoned the chihuahua after breeding them for a specific purpose for hundreds of years and decided they were just stupid wild animals.

[@adidasfan360]

@@GodheadNee I have a crush on pigeons.

[@Mikakarot23]

Disgusting rats with wings.

[@Shiorevi]

A bonus people don't talk about is that Pigeons must be perched in order to defecate due to how tucked in their feet are during flight, So they cannot hit and run you after doing a fly-by. Seagulls on the other hand.......

[@alexgac1801]

That's false. My car is always parked 3 meters away from any wall or tree and I guarantee you they still manage to shit on it. Or maybe they go directly on it to shit ? But seems more likely to me that they fly over to our building windows. I have never seen a pigeon on a car where I live.

[@Shiorevi]

@@alexgac1801 Pidgeon and seagull shit are extremely similar so perhaps...... regardless, even if you aren't in a more seaside location, probably happens when they take off.

[@gregoryrolin9738]

I really love seeing the citations. A lot of channels don't show the studies they reference or rush through them really fast.

[@billcynic1815]

6:31 If you think that pigeon with the banana is dumb, remember the pigeon figured that out faster than a game journalist figured out how to jump over a pillar in the Cuphead tutorial.

[@goldfencer]

“Cleverer than a game journalist” isn’t a high bar to clear.

[@FidgetThePepperTheGhost]

It's also hard to launch yourself into flight when you're in a box barely larger than your wingspan

[@W4iteFlame]

Come on. You have to compare the pigeon with someone at least of the similar intellectual level

[@Lyze]

We should train pigeons to be gaming journalist.

[@alecLogan]

@@goldfencer But it does clear, so they’re officially smarter than some paid actors.

[@debayeuxchats5607]

One more important note about the pigeon nests: a lot of the time when you see a photo of a pigeon with like, five sticks? That's actually a "stress nest". That's a female pigeon who needed to lay, but was kicked off of her nest by another pigeon (or had it destroyed in some other way). That's like making fun of someone for using the bathroom in the bushes, then realizing their house caught fire while they were headed to pee- yeah, it's not the most dignified, but the body's gotta do what the body's gotta do and we're just doing our best!

[@MossyMozart]

@debayeuxchats5607 - Awww! I feel like crying now..... B^(

[@kyosokutai]

Heart-rending, but complete bullshit. That's a "nest" by rock pigeon standards. A nests only function is to keep the eggs from rolling out. In a tree, you need a rather elaborate nest setup. In a rock-face, full of nooks, crannies and other uneven surfaces, you probably just need a few sticks. - When humans began building "mountains" of their own. Rock pigeons moved in and are still trying to figure out where the nooks and crannies are in our bizarre perfectly smooth concrete crags. Leading to, yes, nests that look kinda pathetic. - But it still works because there's plenty of flat surfaces and few natural predators. Considering they're considered "sky-rats", they have no problem surviving and breeding in cities.

[@raraavis7782]

​@@kyosokutai I had no idea, pidgeons are descendants of cliff dwelling birds. How interesting.

[@kregy7509]

​@@raraavis7782isnt it literally said in the video?

[@bari2883]

So true. I had a pair of mating pigeons build in our shed and they made a beautiful perfect nest with lots of straw and soft filling.

[@LTWeezie]

Wilbur, our rescue pigeon, was quite a character. He LOVED playing in the tub like he was a duck. He would stand on the toilet seat while you got into the tub, then jump to the edge of the tub while you brought your knee over to the edge. He would hop onto your knee and wait until you slowly lowered the knee into the tub. Then he would spread his wings and float away. If you happened to walk into the bird room with a towel. he would just have a fit because he thought he was going to take a dip! He lived 15 years after he came to us. We still miss him every day. ❤

[@mrmarten9385]

Being stuck in a box with a banana sounds like an upgrade to me, the furthest I got was being stuck in a box with someone asking me annoying questions and telling me how much I suck. That pigeon is going places I tell you.

[@satalia]

“I almost died of nerd.”😂

[@lolabunnie85]

I just got to that lol

[@patriciadilday447]

I am sooo stealing that line

[@tammylaronde8593]

🤣🤣🤣

[@DanGamingFan2846]

First Casual Geographic, and now Ze Frank. It's so great to see pigeons starting to get the appreciation they deserve. Also, "Pigeons can make children cry, with science!" is Ze Frank's best out of context quote yet.

[@mmmadame]

absolutely! humans did these poor babies so dirty. thank you for spreading pidgeon awareness, frank♥️🐦

[@anabee8310]

One step closer to cross over episode, yes.

[@dzuchun]

"Pigeons can make children cry" is a well-hidden Casual Geographic reference

[@rabbithomesteading3797]

I love pigeons mainly because as a kid, dad had all white tumblers/rollers. So beautiful flying in blue sky. I have had fan tail and some mix breed that I hand fed after mother and dad got eaten. Yea with a syringe to mimic pigeon milk. Took lots of time. Look it up if you dont know pigeon milk but basically regurgitated food to feed chicks. Spent lots of time with them to end up as more cat food. Stupid stray cats ruined that for me! Got them all!

[@Windmelodie]

Agreed! I work voluntarily for a local pigeon rescue, where we not only help injured birds, but also swap their eggs with fake eggs to help slow down population growth (which sounds barbaric at first, but considering pigeons lay up to 9 clutches, each containing 2 eggs, PER YEAR, it's sadly the only form of population control that doesn't involve killing birds) and we also help educate on pigeons, such as their literal urge to lay so many eggs, even when starving, since humans have bred them to do so. Or how pigeons can't just be relocated, since they are loyal to where they live and always try to return. OR how they don't actually transmit diseases (unless you basically eat their poop directly)... at least not unto humans or other mammals, but instead onto other pigeons. There is so much misinformation on pigeons out there. Calling them rats of the sky when we humans are the ones who made them into what they were once they lost their use for us is just... unwarranted and unfair. Pigeons do not enjoy eating fries and human vomit. They are super clean animals, so they don't enjoy being covered in dirt. They are really intelligent and don't deserve to be chased or kicked around. Even to those humans who don't like them regardless, please t least don't abuse our local city chickens. They are nothing more than former pets who have to survive on the streets, like street cats or street dogs would.

[@strawberrysangria1474]

I started humming "you don't puke in my mouth no more" in public, and I blame you for this!

[@tashagimera]

This is the best episode you have ever made…. “It’s bullshit. It’s VARN!” This is THE ABSOLUTE EPITOME of humor!!!!!!!

[@tarico4436]

"You don't puke in my mouth no more." Brilliant. Heart-warming.

[@balckfire344]

Here some pigoen ❤

[@rotciv1492]

"And they have a field of vision that covers 340 degrees. Compare that to the 0 degrees covered by a dead pigeon" Thank you ZF. That really puts things into perspective 😂

[@auricstorm]

Here's a question I'm suddenly wondering... If 360 is the 2D complete field (a circle), What's the 3D version (a sphere)? Is it just 360*2, or is it 360*360?

[@Burevix]

Which, coincidentally, is more perspective than a dead pigeon has.

[@HiddenWindshield]

@@auricstorm If you draw a square that's one meter on a side on a flat surface, that's one square meter. If you draw a square that's one degree on a side on the surface of a sphere, that's a square degree. Just like you need square feet/meters to measure a flat surface, you need square degrees/radians to measure the surface of a sphere. A whole sphere has a surface area of 4π square radians, which is just over 41,000 square degrees.

[@rotciv1492]

@@Burevix Dunno about that. The dead pigeon already knows the answer to the Big Question, so its perspective is nothing to scoff at.

[@boudewijnb]

@@auricstorm You are probably thinking about the steradian en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steradian

[@blendpinexus1416]

pigeons really are the nicest birds i've encountered. and pretty smart too. one learned who i was and that i'd share my lunch with it. in turn i got to watch a pigeon for an hour and be far more relaxed. wonder where that bird is right now *knocking sounds at the window*

[@chelseaswan4553]

Thank you for this video as somone who's been keeping pet pigeons there whole life and always getting asked why I liked the "sky rats" so much, it's refreshing to see such a nice video about them come out

[@curio_sphere]

Funny that you've had people call them sky rats as an insult when land rats are actually also amazing pets xD

[@petar.stoyanov]

Last month we found a baby pigeon, fallen from the nest. With several visits to a vet (who initially gave it very little chance of survival), and few weeks of syringe feeding it - it made full recovery, became quite social, and yesterday we gave it to a wild animals rescue center, so it can properly integrate with other pigeons. Both my wife and I got really attached to the little rascal, we both miss it, and this video hit the bull's eye!

[@springheeledjackofthegurdi2117]

had a similar story about a year ago, a bit older, but couldn't fly so we've had them ever since, it rules the house with an iron wing

[@schnetzelschwester]

Baby pigeons are not fed by their parents by putting the food into their beaks like other birds do, they don't open their beak voluntarily. The babies reach into the throat of their parents and eat from there. At the first time both parents produce some kind of milk in their throats to feed the chicks, later they give them predigested grains. Pigeon experts feed baby pidgeons with feeding bottles like in this (German language) video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gYe7qohrq72Na9E Alternatively you can hold the food between your finger tips and the baby gets its food out of there. Only feed them grain or grain flakes, never any kind of insects, worms or cat food. Their diet is strictly vegan.

[@katiekane5247]

Nice! Thanks for being a good human ☺️

[@petar.stoyanov]

@@springheeledjackofthegurdi2117 I didn't realize how social these birds are. The little rascal would escape his cardboard box, go next to my feet, peck at my socks for a bit and then proceed to snooze next to me. It would go looking for us if we leave the room...

[@LouseGrouse]

@@petar.stoyanov ​​⁠​⁠​⁠That’s so adorable. As domesticated animals I wouldn’t be surprised if they are genetically predisposed to be less averse to human company. They are some of our oldest friends:’)

[@MsRENO1977]

OMG…the closing song..”You don’t puke in my mouth no more…getting shit on from above…I think this pigeon love is gone..” I am rolling! Thank you Ze…I needed this so badly today..❤️❤️❤️

[@WadeAlma]

I want the pigeon song.

[@travisguillory4380]

@@WadeAlma I can't find it but if you do please let me know.

[@mastermill79]

"Do a little dance, make a little DOVE!" Come on Ze, it was right there!

[@RtoioBnoiy]

"They can see 340 degrees with their field of vision. As opposed to the 0 degrees that a dead pigeon covers. Regards, ZF. It truly puts everything in perspective.

[@nathangamble125]

bot

[@heatherbpitty]

Once I witnessed a pigeon trying to mate a fake owl on top of a gas station. That fake owl wasn't focused on her job.

[@feuerling]

That one was definitely at the leg-humping-chihuahua level of horny

[@jamesgeschwender1024]

The fake owl is probably for scaring hawks not pigeons

[@newfreenayshaun6651]

We usually just went behind it, but to each their own, I guess.😅

[@Liz-kj2jj]

Wow, way to victim blame. The fake owl couldn’t physically move from her job station and you’re blaming her for getting harassed

[@shadydaemon4178]

Okay, so Pigeons know the difference between a real or fake bird, maybe?

[@jackielinde7568]

Ze, my cat sat through the WHOLE EPISODE. He's still staring at the screen. I think you hit one out of the park with this episode.

[@jean-bastienjoly5962]

"What's the cat doin'?"

[@jackielinde7568]

@@jean-bastienjoly5962 At the time, he was hanging out on the corner of the bed and staring intently at the screen. No chittering or anything.

[@AnneAndersonFoxiepaws]

My cat loved videos like that too, I bet your cat is thinking "how can I use that cleverness against them?" Or other cat-world domination thoughts!

[@slwrabbits]

truly, this is the best and most objective measure of a video's greatness. I bow down to your cat's wisdom.

[@jackielinde7568]

@@slwrabbits Can I stop you in mid bow for a moment to point out this is the same fluffy arse who has costed me almost $4,000.00 USD between two sets of vet visits for eating foam rubber stuff... He did this TWICE. You'd think he'd learn his lesson the first time he was cut open. And it was almost exactly a year apart, too. He's not that smart. And I used to say he was the smarter of my two cats. Don't know about that anymore.

[@dearrasilbersztein]

I had a pet pidgeon. My little son with autism was growing up a bit with her and she was most caring, sweet and fun animal I ever had in my life. They were chasing around the house, she insisted to see him in the morning drinking his milk and she was whole time on my shoulder lightly pecking my ear 😂 He is now 7y old and he still try to pet any pidgeon he sees thinking it's her. ❤

[@thelastvalkyrie1998]

I have about a dozen or so pigeons who nest and congregate around my apartment, which they nestle in a closed off alley between my place and the next building. I’ve lived here for almost a year and have noticed some “regulars” who frequently stop by my window every day, the same time each day. Initially I thought they were unintelligent and dirty, but they are in fact sentimental and observant little fellas. I adore them. Thank you for sharing things I didn’t know about them before!

[@MicroBlogganism]

I'm gonna need a full length version of the end credit song

[@benparker2522]

Me too

[@tfishart]

Commenting to beg for this to make it to Spotify.

[@SizzleMoonSong]

Same - maybe it will make it to his zefrank channel on sound cloud.

I'd be surprised if Ze makes a full length song to then only play a small bit in the outro. Well... not that surprised.

[@felixjones9198]

Agreed.

[@gameguy6003]

Fun fact. The pigeon pattern recognition is so good that during WW2 US experimented with pigeon guided anti ship bombs. The pigeons would be put into a box and trained to peck at ship silhouettes. The placement of the pecks onto the screen membrane would then be translated by the bomb into guidance adjustments. This worked very well in testing but in the end US didn't adopt it.

[@elizaalmabuena]

There was also an attempt to train pigeons to detect people lost at sea not too long ago. They were more accurate than the computers, but it was also not implemented.

[@Perri_Redder]

Animal rights people would have had a field day with the torpedoes. I remember reading about that somewhere. With finding people at sea, the ship would have to stop, release, and wait. Otherwise they wouldn't find their way back. They would lose LoS but remember the position from geomagnetism.

[@peppermintgal4302]

AI generated comment. Downvote it.

[@Mr_Bunk]

@@peppermintgal4302 How can you tell?

[@thekoifishcoyote8762]

It wasn't adopted because pidgeons couldn't tell the difference between allied and enemy ships

[@ItsFreakinHarding.]

8:00 "Remember this is the 80s, everyone's on cocaine." Truer words have never been spoken!🏆😂

[@ItsFreakinHarding.]

2:00 "And Pigeon on a Treadmills the name of your next album...you're welcome."😂🤣💀

[@jameshatton4405]

Pigeon fancier right here! Do you know that some pigeons breeds are known for specific acrobatics styles? Some dive and corkscrew like they have been shot in 1 wing and will spin so fast that they make figure skaters look lame. Some dive like a pencil closed wing for thousands of feet (15K+ feet) and only open their wings to pull out of terminal velocity at about 100 feet and they sound like a rocket ship passing with the roat of their wings? Some so forward flips over and over, some do back flips over and over, some do back flip roll to reverse then invert flip forward roll to forward direction on repeat over and over! They are pretty amazing acrobats. These breeds are not as good at homing as racing pigeons though.

[@Firesgone]

Sounds like they do acrobatics for fun! I know some other species do too, but it's always cool to learn about!

[@jeffery9543]

@@Firesgonethey don't do it for fun. They're bred to do that, but it comes from genetic fuckups, so its not good for the health of the pigeon. Their balance is fucked and some get so messed up by these breeders, that they just roll on the ground. Its abusive, but many people don't realise since they don't know why the animals are doing that.

[@jameshatton4405]

@@Firesgone Donnick, Tumblers, Rollers, Wooders, Danzigers

[@jameshatton4405]

@@jeffery9543 actually you are incorrect. This is something that they do for fun and it does NOT stuff up their balance and it's not caused by genetic stuff ups either? It's caused by selective breeding for the desired traits; but most have been caused by accident? Just something that the a some birds started doing? The birds are definitely not balance or impaired in any way, in fact most of the birds that are the best at performing are usually have heightened balance and eye sight because when they perform their "stunts" they also need to look out for predatory peregrine falcons. My pigeons would often do tricks in front of the falcon sometimes? Any bird that i owned that showed signs of genetic restriction or abnormalities never would be allowed to breed, I wouldn't allow it? The donnick breeds in particular have been known to have some birds so intense with their tricks that they don't pull out and may crash into trees; however this is because these birds haven't learnt to counter spin to prevent giddiness. I never had this problem with my birds because they were OCD and would do the exact number of spins 1 direction as they do the other 👍 I'm also an environmental scientist and know lots about genetics and breeding of animals. I can assure you that you've been misled if someone has told you this?

[@jameshatton4405]

I misspellined the breed name donnick when it is meant to be Donek Here is an example of them performing, although I've seen thia breed do much tighter corkscrews? The birds i used to have would maintain more synchronicity (they would all dive together) and kept a much tighter pattern so as to avoid unintended collisions? There is also some benefit to individual bird performance when there is a smaller flock; they become more daring and wild so the performance is dialled up to 11....... Because they have all got more room between each other. Their movements are more fluid as they aren't trying to avoid each other as much? The result becomes more expressive performance (as if to compensate for having less birds needs to be more wow?) less jolty counter movements due to avoidance means a much more focused performance on their trick rather than crashing. It's more fluid and they feel more "on show" so there is more competitive behaviour to "out spin" each other. So in this clip keep in mind the guy is running a much bigger flock so it looks very chaotic and messy. Note: there is 1 bird that did a tighter spin than the rest, that would be medium grade in my flock i had growing up 😉 kzbin.info/www/bejne/hqWvipyueMR4pZY Try arguing that these pigeons aren't doing it for fun?

[@kafenster]

Mr Frank, it just so happens that a pigeon has been nesting underneath my back patio chair the past couple weeks, guarding 2 eggs, and AS OF THIS MORNING, the bébes hatched! Your timing could not be more perfect, sir. Well done.

[@MsLeenite]

Mazel tov!

[@rhov-anion]

Pigeon bebes!

[@quitlife9279]

get ready for some serious puking action. There was a pigeon baby outside my window that was getting puked on so much by its parents trying to feed it that it can't even eat it all, and the ledge was just covered in puddles of pigeon puke. And shit.

[@ZayZoot]

Apparently pigeons were so effective at making their homes on the ledges of buildings because they originally nested on cliff edges.

[@Jazzstan98]

The head-bobbing portion is so reminiscent of the ‘My Pupils’ episode of ‘A Show’. Since watching that I have remembered the word ‘sycades’ all these years later. Love seeing the callbacks to the old ZeFrank episodes in these videos.

[@starmaker75]

Pigeon: have a GPS level of navigation in their brain and can be as smart as crows for problem solving Also pigeon: will built their nest in the dumbest places and will not see the danger of a predator.

[@adidasfan360]

If I was a pigeon then I would enjoy having you as my "predator."

[@tyrongkojy]

It's like a scientist. Smart people can be the dumbest morons ever.

[@scrappydoo7887]

Lol that's so true

[@BlooCollaGal]

Absolute truth

[@darknesshas1]

All the brain power went to the gps

[@kyze8284]

Wait until ZeFrank or a science hippy gets footage of rock pigeons going onto docks, pulling pieces of bark up, then waiting for a forklift or person to come by and snap them off for them without realizing it’s the pigeons making someone else make their nest materials We really need a wildlife music album from you, your music is amazing

[@user-lf3kr1nq2d]

Or music on any topic

[@AndrewPonti]

Massive new appreciation for the intelligence and complexity of pigeons. Birds are all so amazing and have evolved a lot since their dino ancestors. Thanks for helping me continue to appreciate the natural world even when I didn't think I could be in awe of it any more.

[@jfess1911]

I once had a professor who did a lot of studies involving pigeons and honest, he bobbed his head when he walked. We spent hours trying to listen, but it was difficult since.a great deal of mental effort went into stifling laughter.

[@ApetureTestSubject]

You know, I never have seen a pigeon baby before. They're much more yellow than I'd have expected. Thanks Ze Frank. Also, "Do a little dance, make a little love, get down or a stick for the nest" was brilliant.

[@anonymoose2474]

They are commonly eaten in fancy restaurants. "Squab"

[@suzettedavidson7062]

sadly, my roommates and I had to (ahem) rid our balcony of pigeon babies. the entire place was covered in, well, pigeon poop and they had decided it was their place. no. it is not their place. we have to keep chasing them out. "go to the neighbors! they can afford to keep the poop off." Oy.

[@Matt-ye8vh]

Imagine getting cat-fished by an abstract art taxidermy. But for the park lady’s stale bread, i think itd be worth it

[@SpeckleKen]

09:42 - Oh look! A pigeon remembering the pattern: *Person - Woman - Man - Camera - TV.*

[@apocalypseyah7870]

Well now you're making me doubt Ze Frank when he says their brains are as large as a walnut :-)

[@lavapop1900]

10:14 "...field of vision that covers 340° compare that with the 0° covered by a dead pigeon" 😂😂😂

[@Adogcallednoortje]

I love that you keep calling the people whom help making the episodes ‘science hippies’.

[@llofdarkwater9152]

Well, that's what they are called. Now.

[@PhyynP]

And here I was thinking pigeons were just government drones but turns out there IS evidence of a baby pigeon

[@michaelcarter3149]

Don't fall for the gov propaganda, they are spies! Lol

[@DJstarrfish]

That's exactly what the government _wants_ you to think

[@SlaaneshChampionMako]

they DID train pigeons to guide missiles and torpedos back in the day, so they are kinda like drones in a way

[@seattlegrrlie]

Birds aren't real

[@drchicken2477]

*baby drone.

[@641mamaluigi]

8:40 “Pigeons can make children cry… with SCIENCE!” XD lol, that line is funny 🐦

[@teresashinkansen9402]

Would be nice to see a video about horses, they are seen as just the common farm animal that pulls plows and runs fast but there is a lot of pretty incredible stuff going on their bodies, their senses, their intelligence, and well the obvious their athletic performance. Learning about horses taught me that pigeons are some very underappreciated and incredible animals, i think horses are in some way in that position.

[@Thomas-yf1ve]

so wild to imagine now common animals in their natural habitat. now it looks so weird to see a pigeon on a cliff, as if they were trying to find a city-adjecent habitat. same with chickens being jungle birds. just looks so funny to see in such a different context then youre used to

[@84rinne_moo]

Have you seen mourning doves before? They are very similar kind of bird. Pigeons are actually domesticated from wild rock doves

[@wickedprophet2375]

I’ve had a relationship with the crows in my area for years, but recently I’ve become acquainted with a pigeon I call Gabriel and I’ve seen him build his nest under an awning next to my job. This is the second brood I’ve seen him sire and for the first time a few weeks ago I saw what looked to me like the parents teaching the new fledglings how to fly in a flock. I’ve gained a new respect for these birds, Gabe always comes to me and helps me clean up while I set up the patio 😂

[@MystralThunder]

That's so awesome, how does Gabe (the presumed Pigeon) help you clean?

[@wickedprophet2375]

@@MystralThunder Yes Gabe is the pigeon. I work at a restaurant, and he will pick up all the scraps and crumbs while I get the tables together 😂. A lot of people have seen him just follow me back and forth out front and think it’s cute. These pretty ladies stopped and asked his story once, so he’s a certified wingman too 😝 🐦 ♥️

[@ItsFreakinHarding.]

3:25 "No Steve, I don't know what has two thumbs and wants to get laid... and I told you the joke doesn't work because you don't have thumbs!" Pure Commentary Gold!🏅🥇😂🤣☠

[@materiaartium9402]

This was amazing. Born and raised in NYC, I have always felt a soft spot for pigeons, many older dudes on rooftops in the Bronx have used these amazing creatures from selling product, as an alarm/communication system to emotional care and friendship. Man, so many stories on those rooftops with the pigeon.

[@katethegoat7507]

People in the Bronx use pigeons for communication?? That's rad as hell

[@Highlaw]

One thing's certain: If you want a pet bird get a pigeon instead of a parrot. Costs ya an hour's worth of work rather than a month's, It won't outlive you, you can playfight with it without losing flesh, it definitely wants to cuddle with your more, doesn't make any high-pitched sounds that annoy every family member, neighbour or discord friends, and if it flies away by accident in all likelihood it'll come back (well if you get them young, adults will also return, just not to you - from personal experience).

[@whynotanyting]

9:09 Oh my god, I'm stupider than a pigeon, I kept forgetting it's star if it's a made-up word.

[@DMTrance87]

They're ALL made up

[@gl15col]

Glad I'm not the only one...

[@EvilFi]

to be fair, no one was reinforcing you with little snacks.

[@celticdude234]

I think I might absolutely need that pigeon love song on Spotify lol

[@smallstudiodesign]

My sister’s second husband is into pigeon racing - it’s a fascinating sport. Pigeons are so affectionate. They are great at recognizing individual humans. Fascinating birds.

[@basdejong1598]

We need an album with all your music, so we can all enjoy Puffin' Muffin' and Pigeon Love.

[@Vohlfied]

I mean it's no _Cricket (Cricket) That (That) Don't (Don't) Giva (Giva) F***_ but still

[@johndemeritt3460]

Don't forget the blue footed boobies!

[@chrishernandez7963]

“It’s bullshit, it’s Varn.” 🤣

[@ianmacfarlane1241]

Zefrank isn't varn though 😉

[@MossyMozart]

@@ianmacfarlane1241 - Unvarned truth!

[@michaelfarmer537]

Pigeon love forever!! 11:47

[@glossaria2]

😂😂😂 The credits music on this one is EPIC. They used to keep and breed pigeons on my college campus maybe about 50 years ago. When the program ceased, they released them all into the wild, so now we have a campus full of supremely odd-colored pigeons.

[@get2dachoppa249]

As a bass guitarist, the bass line for Pigeon love is the shit, ya know, like how the pigeons do… From up above…

[@TheDJGuVna]

I had to scroll too far down to find a comment on that masterpiece...There should be a full version made

[@brianbrian1769]

@get2dachoppa249 As a guitarist I love the fact that pigeons are properly called Rock Doves. To science Hippies like me. Seach Rock Doves.

[@get2dachoppa249]

@@brianbrian1769 As a New York City native, and a science nerd myself, AND as an individual who has been shat on from above just like in the song, I am familiar with the genealogy of these rats with wings.

[@ZombieBobSponge]

there's something hilarious about pigeons pecking at screens to get rewards. It's like they're at work or something 😂

[@woodypigeon]

Poor cubicle pidgies!

[@nrm224]

The ending song is really good. Right up there with the puffin song.

[@robbieriot]

I haven't laughed this hard in years. "That's more than the 0 degrees of a dead pigeon caught me so off guard I choked on my own spit."

[@moiragoldsmith7052]

'Do a little dance, make a little love'. 😂 Song at the end was best of course! 🤣

[@felixjones9198]

Aren't those lines nicked from 'Get Down Tonight?'

[@UGNAvalon]

@felixjones9198 No no, it’s actually from the song “get down & sticks tonight”. 🙃

[@moiragoldsmith7052]

@@felixjones9198 'KC and the Sunshine band' from 1975.😁.

[@MossyMozart]

@@moiragoldsmith7052 - ZeFrank 2024.

[@milesc5291]

One thing I'll always love about Zefrank is that he constantly gives off the energy that some of these videos just come from him perusing Jstor and going, "wait, this research paper is about them training a pigeon to do WHAT?" and boom, video content.

[@Robochuck]

Amazing episode! It has all the hallmarks of a great episodes, and lands every single one of them. I am in awe.

[@alama77]

Just when I’ve given up on mankind, this spectacular genius gives me hope - once again. Comical, educational and just plain fun. Thank you for sharing your incredible talent with us! I adore you ❤

[@wilerd]

did you also know that columbidae are one of the few bird families that evolved the ability to use suction to drink? most birds have to hold the liquid in their beak and manually tilt their head back to swallow, pigeon’s beaks don’t even need to leave the water. could you imagine relying on gravity to drink?

[@xaviotesharris891]

Definitely the best closing song since Koalas in the Rain.

[@chupathingy6626]

No fucks given! KOALA KOALA!!! (I REGULARLY have that song stuck in my head, and totally rock out to it!!! 😂)

[@chupathingy6626]

No fucks given! KOALA KOALA! I REGULARLY have this song stuck in my head & totally rock out to it! 😂

[@novosib9017]

Great job on the the humorus commentary. Life choices in a box with a banana and forgetting how to effin fly - was gold!

[@dougmetcalf2895]

It turns out "it turns out the white tern turns out" turned out to be the best line in the video for me and now I'm wanting a full video on terns! 😄 The writing for this channel is endlessly brilliant- great work again, Ze Frank!

[@Lyze]

I like the thing the coast guard has where they trained pigeons to peck at safety orange then put them in a little glass dome on rescue planes to search for lifeboats.

[@kingvulturo]

When my grandfather passed, I helped clear out his book collection and found a book called The Featherhood. It's modern fiction based on real pigeon racing facts and details and it taught me more about pigeons than I ever believed. I'm actually surprised Ze Frank didn't talk more about the racing details but the book has given me considerably more respect for these little birds.

[@ashleyjohnson9651]

1:30 thats why for any of those arcade games where you have to follow and hit various lights as they pop up, i just unfocus my eyes and use my peripheral vision to watch where the lights go. my brain can process where the light is faster than the muscles in my eyes can move.

[@livingdecay2570]

Loving the songs in the outros of the last couple of vids, awesome addition to the content. Don't stop doing what you're doing brother, love ya vids and look forward to them every couple of weeks. BIG UPPS from Australia...

[@margakat]

For a while, the building next to me had a roof problem so there was almost always a great deal of water. I thought of it as the roof lake. I would pull up a chair to watch the pigeons in that lake. There were the "I'm just here for a bath" as well as tons of courtship dancing. Little fights between pigeons and starlings. In the morning I would watch them and couldn't get the idea of club med out of my head. I was truly sorry when they fixed the roof.

[@user-lf3kr1nq2d]

Haha! But if they didn't, it could have turned into a roof waterfall.

[@AngelOfTheMad]

Your unreasonable amount of creativity with the ending songs never fails to amuse me. ZeFrank1 End Song Album when?

[@user-vk7cp1op9p]

Well done! I learned a great deal, and never expected that pigeons knew so much! We have no pigeons in our city, or don't in the widely strewn out city that once was much larger, contracted losing all it's factories and then people living in apartments, that became low cost rentals for the rich property owners who bought up thousands of units, hoping one day for a comeback! What they rent today for $400, they will try to rent for thousands! We used to be the tool capital of the world, making all kinds of tools for tools, until we didn't any more.

[@OiledLabia]

Found these videos through my Biology teacher in my freshman year of high school (2013) glad to see uploads are still coming

[@d.h.2005]

The clip of the pigeon walking on the treadmill is freaking me out! Why are you doing this to me!?

[@kyoyaootori1104]

Mind 🤯

[@katethegoat7507]

That's a 3d animation

[@SeeingSebastian]

The head move fact was neat

[@Lenci_the_Nugget]

These videos make me think I'd like to go to school to be an animal science hippie

[@AlongZiny]

OMGosh"You don't puke in my mouth no more," goes the last tune.receiving abuse from aboveThis pigeon love, I believe, is over. I'm moving! I'm grateful, Ze.I really needed this today..

[@CapyMakesVideos]

Fun fact: during world war 1, there was a pidgeon named Cher Ami. He was a homing pidgeon. He delivered a crucial message for the American Expeditionary Forces despite being injured. He saved nearly 200 soldiers trapped behind enemy lines, enduring injury during his heroic flight. He received the French Croix de Guerre Medal, a recognition of her bravery and service during World War I.

[@TheInquisitiveShark]

I remember hearing about that story!! 😁

[@hlessiavedon]

First of all, HE, Cher Ami was a male homing pigeon. Secondly, he was an American soldier pigeon, not French. Thirdly, he was badly wounded when the germans targeted him with small arms and flack fire. He took shrapnel through the chest, had an eye taken out, and had one of his legs dangling by a tendon. He was a true badass bird.

[@TheInquisitiveShark]

@@hlessiavedon a true hero birb 🫡 🐦

[@CrazyGamer1541]

is this an ai generated comment

[@SwagelokTaj]

Wing was almost detached, or it was a claw, can't remember, and still got the message through. Darn pigeon deserved a cigarette after that journey.🚬

[@ungaa_bungaa4684]

Lyrics: "you don't puke in my mouth no more you don't drag its tail on the floor I think this pigeon love is gone I think this pigeon love is over Pigeon love, we're getting shit on from above Pigeon love, we're getting shit on from above you don't puke in my mouth no more you don't drag its tail on the floor I think this pigeon love is gone I think this pigeon love is over Pigeon love, we're getting shit on from above Pigeon love, we're getting shit on from above" (this is how i'm showing my support for a full length song)

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

Smart little dinosaurs. Glad to see that pidgeons are in line with crows (who can do multi step problem solving and recognize people) and chickens (who can count and do addition).

[@tangojuli209]

These are exhilaratingly fun Ze! Thanks!

[@starrywizdom]

So, walking pigeons "head bobbing" is analogous to twirling ballet dancers "spotting"! Cool!

[@sharonbelanoff]

This is my very favorite channel!! Thanks Ze❤

[@MinusMedley]

They're brilliant. Whilst warming eggs, I've seen them tag in each other, taking shifts. I have moved nests to opposite ends of the yard, no problem. Destroyed a nest in a plant pot, two days later they started building right next to the spot where I planted seeds, avoiding the disturbed the soil.

[@lithium444]

7:35 Slender Pigeon isn’t real it cannot hurt you, Slender Pigeon:

[@kennymorgan7709]

It was giving analog horror to me

[@moviestalker2134]

Fun fact: it takes a pigeon less time to figure out the bannan box test than it takes for an IGN gaming journalist to finish the tutorial

[@quietone748]

LOL I have to agree!

[@mehim2893]

There hasn't been a new song in a long time but "Pigeon love" is an instant classic.

[@RavenMoodle]

I've been tellin people for years how cool pigeons are- they make great pets too, they're bread to be companion animals, and they love cuddles.