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The Mountain
come to Mahommet
I find it difficult
to comprehend the thinking of ignorance - so I have brought the
mountain to the masses
ETHOLOGY &
THE PIGEON FANCIER
INTERTWINING LIVES OF PIGEON & MEN?
Ethology is the study of animal behaviour in relationship to human
behavioural patterns. This science was once and in some circles
still is considered to be heresy, with religious orders refusing
to accept that man is an animal and not a supremely created being?
Today Ethology is an accepted middle science, filling the gap between
Zoology and Psychology; some would even say that it is an alternative
to Philosophy and that its students seek Utopia. It is believed
that by understanding animals and educating man that, he might understand
himself better! That wars or strife may be avoided, even the stress
of everyday life may be relieved!
Animals have
a wealth of knowledge to teach us, or, to be more accurate, remind
us of that which we have forgotten during the ages of our social
evolution. Ethology does not deny the possibility of Devine creation
but, accepts that there is a pattern of natural order throughout
all inhabitant species upon this planet. As an applied science Ethology
is finding many uses: the planning of housing for social groupings;
environmental effects, order within the work place, cause and effect
of stress and even military strategy!
There are witting
and unwitting Ethologists', the witting may be scientists like Dr.
Desmond Morris (The Naked Ape), or Otto Kohler (Prototypes of Human
Communication Systems in Animals) and N. Tindbergen ( Combat and
Threat Display in Animals). (See below for a list of recommended
reading - click here). The unwitting may be artists or cartoonists
that give animals human characteristics based upon observation;
The pet owner that who treats the creature as an equal or substitute
child and the wise observant pigeon fancier who develops an affinity
by humanising his birds!
There are pigeons
that build enormous nests, others provide barely a twig; this may
be likened to the houseproud person, or the other who finds little
satisfaction in anything but the barest of essentials. It is possible
to find one thousand similarities within a pigeon loft that relate
to human behaviour, yet that is only the tip of the iceberg because,
further studies might reveal one thousand more!
Socially; man
has become inferior to animals at this present moment in time. Through
our worldly - technological advancement; we have forgotten our basic
nature. Man has become de-sensitised throughout his advancement
since Cro-Magnon; evolving very little physically but, having made
an enormous "Quantum Leap" in a technological sense. Originally,
he was a social, territorial hunter-gatherer, with a tribal established
hierarchy; fighting only defensive wars until he became a "Scientist"!
Mans' very first weapon was invented out of innocence, designed
to eliminate physical contact and danger from the beast upon which
he preyed. Prior to that point in time, his human conflicts would
have been decided and mostly settled without death by animal gesticulation;
the weak succumbing to dominant personality or recognised superior
physical strength. How could early man know that by inventing the
spear, it would lead to the Hydrogen Bomb?
How could he
know that his deterrent of superior weaponry, could ever be used
with such devastating effect against his own future generations?
How could the inventor of harmless Polystyrene, know that it would
one day be used to produce a Napalm bomb, or the chemist that produced
selective weed-killer think that it would be used as a defoliant
in the Vietnam war with such lasting catastrophic effect? WE HAVE
BEEN DE-SENSITISED!
The family loving
bomber pilot would be highly unlikely to ever murder innocent children
or civilians in face to face confrontation. Yet; under orders he
may drop a non discriminating bomb (the only animal that would do
such a thing), with minimum personal danger but maximum devastating
effect. He may be decorated as a hero for his action under fire,
innocent of any crime; totally de-sensitised! Our society is based
upon fear, fear of being a coward, where death is preferable to
stigma. This fear is used by governments and their armies in the
controlling of their troops.
Animals know
no such fear, nor hero - coward ethics; they strut, display, assert
their social standing, then settle to natural order; the very thing
that technological man has forgotten! Every and any new advancement
can become a weapon of potential weapon, miraculous medical cures,
provided by bacteriological testing, may provide a weapon of war!
An innocent science like Ethology could feasibly be used for psychological
application against another lesser educated or malleable nation,
employee in his place of work, or government wishing to control
potential followers. Was this not done in recent history and isn't
it still being done in various parts of the world today?
I have painted
the worst possible scenario, an ideal world will never exist but,
it is possible to understand animal behaviour patterns and by understanding
apply them to our everyday life. The pigeon fancier is in a prime
position to recognise these everyday natural events within his loft
and by recognising them he has a glorious opportunity seldom afforded
to others; to recognise himself, his hopes, needs, aspirations,
reasons for actions and those of others around him! By preempting
the problem so may it be avoided and disputes neutralised before
they flare. Ethology could certainly help at R.P.R.A Regional level
and save committee members an awful lot of wasted time!
From the very
first pair bonding the pigeon will mate for life, only outside interference
will alter events. This is also true of the majority of people,
there will be minor flirtations, even a degree of promiscuity and
the occasional clash of temperaments between mates. Outside influences
take a variety of forms, social/working/environmental stress, continued
illness, loss of attentive partner or mate, re-location of home,
a younger or more attentive new partner, interference by an unwanted
third party. The latter can possibly increase or destroy any motivation
toward the bonding of heart and home (widowhood - obsessive parental
opposition)! A strange analogy, but, how many marriages are made
in hell and how many form stronger bonds through unwanted opposition?
If one observes closely, the pattern of life is not dissimilar to
our own but, the pigeon doesn't wage an ongoing war and may even
re-pair to its original mate with success at some later date!
The pigeon will
share an equal responsibility for parental life and this is becoming
more of the norm in modern, happy human households. A single parent
situation inside the loft is accepted without question, though the
single parent may still have a lover. There are pigeons that prefer
it that way, happy to raise a nest with nothing but casual acquaintance
and this is becoming more socially acceptable amongst humans. Would
anyone deny that we are refinding our basic social understanding,
or that we are animals that have temporarily lost our way? This
is unwitting Ethology in action!
Prisoner stock
in an overcrowded loft become dejected, losing their lustre for
life, nest raiding, egg breaking, fighting and bullying young birds.
This is a direct product of social stress caused by lack of sufficient
personal space and absolutely no different to humans in skyscraper
blocks or substandard overcrowded inner city housing! An old faithful
well settled pigeon that is sold for stock, may refuse to breed
at its new location without extreme patience upon the part of the
new owner. It has become institutionalised, stressed by loss of
familiar surroundings, unhappy and unable to cope with changed situations.
Is this any
different to the regular soldier who suddenly finds himself in a
civilian, unfamiliar world and feels rejected, or even the long
term worker who is relegated to a position of prideless unemployment?
Where is the caring patient pigeon fancier who will council them
back to normality as he would with his birds? This is also Ethology,
not philosophy, it is understanding animal needs and acting accordingly!
The abmigration
(Fly-away) of pigeons is no different than a human leaving an unacceptable
place or situation, it is re-location, home/place of work; we do
it all the time and yet we are not branded as worthless fools for
this action. There are towns and villages devoid of educated youth,
having abmigrigrated in search of working opportunity; too many
people for too few jobs or insufficient satisfying personal space.
Others descend upon hopefully more productive areas, only to find
it no more hospitable; eventually they become the despondent part
of a feral flock. But of course they are human, they should be above
such self pitying, whingeing, none productive, socially unacceptable
ways; but a man is a man (or animal) for all that, he is following
a naturally progressive way!
Man has a variety
of languages that he believes are unique to the human race, but
animals also have language and dialect indigenous to local areas!
The chaffinch learns its song from others of its species, but develops
a localised dialect from other birds within its indigenous area.
A chaffinch in a garden filled with blackbirds has a different dialect
to one that came from a garden populated mainly by thrushes. Is
this any different to "GEORDIE" or "BRUMMAGEN"
within the British Isles, or localised dialect detectable village
to village?
A female elephant
bereaved of young will suckle the offspring of another; perhaps
even kidnap, so too will a pigeon or even a human being. In China
the Emperors were raised in this way, by suckling surrogate mothers;
their own offspring having either died or been disposed of. Take
away a pigeon's eggs or young, it goes immediately back to nest,
but is this really any different than the maternal instinct of a
mother in the third world who continually loses her children to
famine or drought? She is only fulfilling an animal instinct to
ensure or try to ensure the continuity of her family line or species
(race). Yet we call them foolish, irresponsible and contributing
towards their hunger! This is Ethology in action, not condescending
philosophy, but recognising and understanding the basic animal pattern
in mankind!
Dominance in
animals may be observed in different ways; the rook takes the uppermost
nest position, the baboon the highest point upon the rocks; a man
forms this same kind of pyramid of status to assert his power. This
power is found attractive to females and is part of a common mating
display, partially attained by physical strength but mainly accreditable
to intellectual strength and control of those around him! The dominant
lion maintains a harem: mankind was also polygamous during his early
years and it is still practised in some cultures today During medieval
times, within the British Isles, it was law that the Lord of the
Manor bedded every new bride of the village during the first week
of marriage. This was to ensure that his superior genes flowed through
his serfs and upgraded his human stock. The crafty serf would bed
his future wife one week prior (at the pain of death) to upset the
rulers plan; this also happens with animals and pigeons, but, it
isn't always so ob!
vi!
ous. At one time it was thought to be a pointless exercise; thinking
that the female would only conceive at the peak of fertility and
copulation at that time. This is now known to be incorrect, because
nature provides defence against the second mating. Sperm recognise
each other, providing an army against future invasion, although
only one may fertilise the egg, the remainder live on, destroying
those of another body and remaining active for considerable time.
(useful in polygamous "Bull System" matings) Whatever
happens with beast or bird also happens with mankind!
Identifying the dominant pigeon is not as straight forward as observing
baboons, but none the less dominant pigeons exist. Pigeon Fanciers
often believe that these occupy the uppermost perch or boxes but,
this is easily disproved; alter the loft furniture arrangement and
they take up alternative positional situations. In a free mating
situation, the dominant males may copulate with several females
before choosing a permanent mate, naturally spreading his gene pool
and placing his spermatozoan army against all others. During feeding
from a communal tray, the dominant bird and chosen mate will stand
astride occupying prime place, whilst others furtively peck at the
perimeter.
There is a natural
reason for this - food availability determines the balance of the
sexes in a natural hostile world. In seasons of plenty more females
are produced; seasons of famine more males and this provides a potential
control of species population. (useful knowledge to the fancier
when wishing to balance sexes) This also happens with mankind and
when the balance is upset man introduces curbs of his own; as was
once often the case in poorer nations. Females were sold into slavery
or even murdered at birth, a mans wealth was determined by the number
of daughters or wives that he could maintain. In the controlled
environment of a pigeon loft, the sexes are usually balanced although
that balance may be upset by seasonal change, with more birds of
one sex than another.
This phenomena
may be local, regional or national, dependant upon climatic change;
with the birds recognising pending climatic conditions instinctively.
The dominant bird may be even less obvious when fed individually
in its box and competition removed. Pigeons are very good at accepting
equally distributed wealth and man could learn a great deal from
them!
A further display
of dominance could appear at the water fountain or some other selected
spot, a brick on the floor, a certain perch, or even the exit flap
in a race pannier or nearest to the trough. The dominant male will
continue to tread as many receptive females at every opportunity,
challenged by dominant rivals whilst others passively look on. Even
the happiest married hen might welcome his attentions hoping to
secure the best possible genetic future with offspring vitality.
(how often do they do this upon leaving a nest whilst sitting/rearing
and preparing for a future clutch of eggs?)
Animals mark
out territory; the dog that urinates upon the lamp post is asserting
its dominance and control of territory; it does not do this in order
that it might re-find its way home. In the wild the dominant male
urinates upon the vanquished prone positioned, cowering rival; giving
its distinctive smell and warning against future trespass. The Rhesus
monkey defecates around its area and also upon any intruders; this
may be likened to the greedy fancier who times an excess of race
entries but we won't go into that subject any further, that is a
matter for conscience! Man marks his area with boundary walls, or
Voodoo effigies and gives his place his name, which remains until
his removal, defeat or death.
Cities ruled
the known world of the time from within walls, Athenians, Trojans,
Spartans, Romans; the British Empire had the greatest wall of all,
its coastline. Eventually the territories gain new independent dominant
leadership with new colonialism emerging and this also happens with
pigeons. Pigeons don't build walls but they do colonise space, a
rocky cliff face, disused buildings, window ledges, the fanciers
loft; forming a colony or social communal flock. They bond as a
social group even whilst in flight and this may be seen when neighbouring
flocks are exercising, joining for a moment, then splitting once
again into recognised colonial order. Strangers are only allowed
integration after an acceptable period of time, the stray will either
settle or leave and much of its fate is decided by the colony but
unnoticed by the fancier; mankind can learn a great deal from pigeons!
There are so
many other things that I would like to say or write; but, my words
are so often wasted upon the wind and it is so easy to make a misunderstood
fool of oneself. Pigeon fanciers are unwitting Ethologist's, the
secret of understanding life is all within a pigeon loft. Some see
the very essence of the essential whilst others look and never see
a single thing - this is what separates the best from the rest.
Some like myself are so totally de-sensitised we take life far too
much for granted and have hardened ourselves against adversity or
other humans needs. We require the understanding of our basic natures
and the best place to learn is in the loft. But, first one has to
find within oneself all that technological man has forgotten since
Cro - Magnon. It may be frightening, it could be a transformation,
it will certainly be Ethology in Action!
STEVE SPINKS.
THE THINKING PIGEON FANCIER.http://www.boglinmarsh.com
Spinksy
Blackpool, England
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