How pigeons took over the world - Elizabeth Carlen and Joanna Moles

譯者: Zoe Walmsley 審譯者: Helen Chang

It’s the morning of June 12th, 1944

1944 年 6 月12 日清晨，

and a pigeon named Paddy is making an epic 368 kilometer journey.

名為派帝的鴿子展開 一段長達 368 公里的旅程。

He manages to dodge Nazi falcons then beats on through stormy weather,

牠成功閃過納粹的獵鷹， 穿越暴風雨的天候，

flying an average of 79 kilometers per hour for almost five hours straight.

以平均 72 公里的時速 連續飛行近五小時，

Paddy’s carrying the first news of the D-Day invasion back to England.

將諾曼第登陸戰的消息 第一個傳回到英格蘭，

He wins a medal for gallantry for this accomplishment.

牠因此獲得一枚榮譽勳章。

Paddy was one of around 250,000 pigeons

派帝是 25 萬 鴿子大軍的其中之一，

used by the British during World War II to speedily transport secret messages.

英軍在二次世界大戰時 用來迅速傳遞機密。

In fact, pigeon delivery systems are ancient human practices.

事實上，人類用飛鴿傳書源遠流長。

Seeing their meat as a protein source

發現鴿肉是蛋白質來源，

and their nitrogen-rich poop as the perfect fertilizer,

富含氮氣的排泄物也是絕佳的肥料，

humans brought pigeons into captivity as far back as 10,000 years ago.

人類早在一萬年前 就開始捕捉養殖鴿子。

We then tapped into other traits.

之後又發現鴿子其他的特質。

Pigeons are naturally speedy and possess a powerful homing instinct

牠們天生速度就快， 又有很強的歸巢本能，

that drives them to navigate long distances

讓牠們自然而然，即使距離遙遠，

back to the location they consider “home.”

也能飛回「家」。

So we began developing pigeon posts and breeding and training them for racing.

於是人類開始設鴿站， 飼養、訓練鴿子競飛。

In a hobby called “pigeon fancying,”

有「賽鴿」這個嗜好的人

people selected for traits like head plumage

常從鴿子的頭羽、

and fabulously feathered feet.

或腳部有漂亮羽毛去做挑選。

As we carried pigeons around the world, they escaped or were released,

而一些被人們放飛的鴿子迷路或逃離，

forming the wild urban flocks we're familiar with today.

就形成了都市內常見的野鴿群。

Pigeons are now one of the most abundant, widespread species on the planet,

如今鴿子是地球上數量最多、 分佈最廣的物種之一，

managing to thrive in chaotic cities.

牠們在混亂的城市中繁榮興盛，

They owe their success to an ideal combination of traits,

這得歸功於一個完美的特性組合，

including some that were accentuated by humans.

其中有些還因人類而特別顯著。

Unlike birds that nest on the ground or in trees,

牠們跟巢居在地面或樹上的鳥不同，

pigeons were originally cliff-dwellers.

鴿子最早是築巢在峭壁上的。

City buildings mimic their natural habitat.

城市高樓有點類似牠們天然的棲息地。

And pigeons set a notoriously low bar when it comes to homemaking.

在築巢這方面，鴿子的標準出名地低。

Add some sticks to any window ledge or highway overpass

隨隨便便在窗沿還是高架橋 放上幾根樹枝，

and it's a great spot to raise babies.

就是很不錯的孕育下一代的巢了。

This unfussiness allows them to live in environments

如此不挑剔的個性讓牠們得以

where more specialized species can’t.

活在其他物種活不下去的地方。

As generalists, pigeons take advantage of urban food waste.

鴿子是廣食性的鳥， 很會利用都市的食物殘渣。

With an organ in their throats called a crop,

鴿子喉嚨中有個嗉囊，

they can gorge themselves when food is available and store some for later.

這個構造能將食物儲存到需要時吃。

They provide “crop milk” to their young instead of having to fetch them live food.

同時還能分泌嗉囊乳用來哺育幼鳥。

Chicks grow quickly with this fat and protein-rich meal.

富含脂肪及蛋白質的鴿乳 幫助雛鳥迅速成長。

If conditions are right, pigeons breed year-round

條件理想的話， 鴿子一年到頭都可交配，

and produce new offspring every six weeks.

每六個星期就能生產新的一代。

They actually have higher breeding rates in cities

城市中的鴿子繁衍率更高，

because of the abundance of food and shelter.

因為有充足的食物及棲息處。

These booming populations attract predators.

由於數量繁多，也吸引了掠奪者前來。

New York City is home to a million pigeons,

紐約市有一百萬隻鴿子，

which support large populations of raptors.

給數量頗大的掠奪者提供了食物。

But pigeons’ aptitude for swift flight,

鴿子與生俱來的飛行速度，

further exploited by being bred for racing,

再加上被繁殖去比賽，

means they’re made for high speed chases.

快速追逐對牠們來說輕而易舉。

Compared to barn owls, which are a similar size,

與體型大小類似的倉梟相比，

pigeon wing bones are thicker and more curved,

鴿子翅膀的骨頭較粗，彎曲度較大，

providing extra space for muscle mass.

多了許多空間發展肌肉組織。

They can reach speeds of 125 kilometers per hour.

牠們速度最快可達 125 公里的時速。

And their large flocks ensure safety in numbers and more eyes on the lookout.

大型群聚保證絕大多數的安全， 也多了許多眼睛守望相助。

While pigeons play a starring role in urban wildlife,

鴿子佔據城市野生動物中的重要一角，

we’re not always enthusiastic neighbors.

可是人類卻不是很友善的鄰居。

In 1966, New York’s parks commissioner coined the term “rats with wings”

1966 年，紐約公園處處長 創了「會飛的老鼠」一詞，

and it stuck.

從此這個詞就黏住了。

Indeed, their poop,

事實上，

which we originally cherished as fertilizer, presents a unique problem.

就連原本當成珍貴肥料的鴿糞 也成了獨特的問題。

Just one pigeon can leave behind 11 kilograms of acidic excrement per year,

一隻鴿子每年排出高達 11 公斤的酸性排泄物，

which, in the United States, scales to about $1.1 billion

在美國相當於 11 億美金的損失，

in structural damage annually.

來自建築物結構受損。

Though incidents of infection are rare,

雖然發生感染的機率很低，

this poop can host fungi that are harmful to people if inhaled.

鴿糞還是能提供真菌生長環境， 人類如果吸進對健康有害。

They may be numerous, noisy and a little too keen on your lunch,

鴿子可能數量太多、太吵， 對你的午餐興趣也太高，

but the pigeons that swirl around us

可是在我們身邊迴旋的鴿子

are evidence of an ancient, ongoing relationship.

也是一段古老的、恆久關係的見證。

Their rise to world domination has been a collaborative effort.

牠們之所以能達到今天的規模 來自於集體的努力。

For better or for worse, we did this to ourselves.

是好是壞，終究是人類咎由自取。