Introduction

The pigeon is an amazing creature as exemplified by the guidance displayed in its behaviour, to the extent that al-Shāfiʿī once said: “It is the most intelligent of all birds.”^[1] Specifically the carrier pigeon in this regard, as it ferries documents from place to place; it may be considered greater in value than even human beings held as servants or wards in one’s household. This is because the purpose that is fulfilled by means of these birds is not achieved by another means — be it human or animal. It is an animal that is capable of travelling over one thousand leagues before returning to its exact place of deployment, transporting and spreading news, commands, and communicating the intentions of people upon which the missions and goals of entire kingdoms and cities are contingent.

The Prestige Attributed to Carrier Pigeon Lineages

Those who are truly able to grasp their significance pay due care and attention even to their lineages, attaching great importance to it. To this end, they will intentionally separate certain males from female pigeons at the time of their mating, ensuring that certain males breed with specific females. They express fear and worry over the corrupting of certain breeding lineages with crossbreeding. They will even seek to be acquainted with the various family trees and their respective locations. This is all because of fear that a certain male may breed with a female of a lower standing, introducing a defect into that breeding line. This is to the extent that those who care for them do not seek the preservation of their own wives’ wombs to the extent that they seek the preservation of the wombs of their female pigeons, actively protecting and maintaining its sanctity. Those who care for them in this way possess principles and protocols that they uphold in such matters and implement with great care and alacrity. So well-versed are they that should they discover a fallen pigeon on the ground, they are immediately able to determine its standing, its lineage and place of origin. They even glorify and praise those granted a keen awareness and experience with such birds, permitting themselves to grant a handsome fee to such experts for their services.

Selecting Specific Males or Females as Carriers

They will specifically select male pigeons to deliver their documents. They justify this choice stating that the males of the species naturally experience greater affection and longing for their places of residence than for their female companions. Male pigeons possess greater physical prowess, their bodies strong and resilient, and possess a keener sense of direction.

Although a party among pigeon enthusiasts opine that the females of the species are to be selected for this purpose. They justify their claim stating that when the males travel long distances, they often become infatuated with females such that they yearn for them. This often occurs whilst they traverse their path of flight, such that they may observe a female pigeon with whom they are unable to show the patience necessary to prevent an interaction, such that they veer from their intended course to satisfy their carnal urges.

The Astonishing Guidance Inherent in the Habits of Carrier Pigeons

The degree of guidance displayed by any pigeon is dependent on its training and place of origin. Among the astonishing aspects of this guidance as well is that, when transporting letters, they will intentionally take a longer route to their destination in order to avoid cities or heavily populated areas. This is to diminish the chances of encountering that which may impede the delivery of their payload. They will even intentionally avoid the watering holes frequented by people for this purpose. When flying, they are even able to recognise birds of prey by their pattern of flight through the air, and are fully cognizant of the individual varieties of prey sought by these raptors, and will specifically avoid those that hunt them such that they remain safe. They are habitually able to distinguish between vultures and eagles, the Egyptian vulture (Neophron perenopterus) and falcons, crows and hawks, able to recognise which birds of prey seek to hunt them and those that do not. [So great is their sense of self-preservation that], upon seeing the Indian falcon, it is for them akin to seeing a lethal poison. They are overcome by a sense of panic and paralytic fear in the same manner as a sheep that spots the wolf that seeks to hunt it, or the donkey [gazelle, bison, etc.] that observes the approach of a lion.

The pigeon — as a species — is attributable to prosperity, success, familiarity, comfort, sociability and geniality. They have always possessed love for mankind just as mankind in turn possesses love for them. They are naturally domesticated, and are among the animals that will remain firm and steadfast in fulfilling the tasks set out by their handlers, even when they are mistreated by them, always seeking to return to them even from extremely distant locales. There are even instances of their return flights being blocked, where they are caged in far off lands for many years, but they still seek to fulfil their responsibilities as soon as they are given a chance and possess the ability, returning to their original handler.

The Guidance of Pigeons Displayed in Their Mating Rituals

Among the natural proclivities of pigeons during their mating rituals is the immense kindness and tenderness exhibited by the male pigeon whilst courting his female companion. He begins the mating ritual by spreading his tail feathers and lowering his wings to the ground before her. Then, he approaches her while chirping and singing. He then kisses her and feeds her food from his beak. Then, he puffs the feathers of his breast out, swelling and raising them such that he is scrutinised and examined thoroughly by his intended mate. All the while, the female pigeon lowers her shoulders and wings to the ground before him. When the act of mating has concluded, the female will then mount the male! This is a part of the mating ritual that is completely non-existent in the rituals carried out by every single other animal on earth.

The Support of Male Pigeons of Their Female Companions During Brooding

When a male is cognizant of his mate’s womb containing that which shall result in progeny, both he and his female companion commence in the gathering of reeds, clumps of grass and small twigs which they use to prepare a nesting place. They will weave the gathered materials into their chosen nesting site, creating a bare place within it that is just sufficient enough to house the clutch. The constructed nest is orchestrated such that its borders are raised, made to stand on edge such that the laid egg is unable to roll out of it, and the nest becomes a sanctuary for the rearing of their chicks. Then, both the female and male pigeons will perpetually return to it, preparing and adjusting the nest, supplementing it with that which will make it warmer, cozier, and more comfortable for their offspring. Their work will successfully negate the previous nature of the nesting site, incorporating within it a nature and pheromone extracted from their own physical bodies, constituting their scents. The wisdom behind this is that the egg shall be laid in a place that closely resembles the environment of its mother’s womb, mirroring its warm and cool aspects, as well as its moisture and rigidity.

The Guidance of Pigeons in The Fostering and Nurturing of Their Hatch

When the female pigeon is finally in egg labour, she will immediately return to that nesting site to lay her eggs. If she is frightened by the peal of thunder in the area of that prepared nesting site she will immediately remove her eggs and transport them to another site, in the same manner as a human woman that experiences a miscarriage from extreme fright. If the eggs are laid in the prepared site, both parents will perpetually visit their eggs, both involved in its incubation. Then, when the time of incubation has elapsed, their chicks hatch, and their rearing is again supported by both birds. They start by blowing air into its airways, inflating and expanding its craw, due to their awareness that its current dimensions are unaccommodating of the nourishment it requires. Thus is the craw of the chick widened following this close union with its parents, rent and slit open after being formed. Then its parents — fully cognizant that while the nestling’s craw is now widened — it is still unable to handle solid food in the pre-weaning stage, so instead its parents will feed the developing chick from their own mouths, providing it with saliva containing dissolved, semi-digested food containing nourishment. Both parents also know that their chick does not currently possess the constitution necessary to be fed continually, that the chick requires some encouragement and training that shall act as a catalyst towards it gaining some physical hardiness and fortitude, so they will bring it moist, soft seeds from the base of trees which they feed it from their mouths. Then, they progress to feeding their chick harder, more dense seeds. They both will continue to feed their newborn seeds and water (i.e., crop milk), progressing and evolving the nature of the food provided in a manner consistent with the development of the chick. All the while, their chick will constantly cry out, actively seeking their support. Then, when its parents finally perceive its ability to collect its own food, they will both gradually stop feeding it, such that it adopts the duty of scavenging, practicing and becoming proficient at it.

Among the aspects of guidance imparted to the species of pigeon is that the male and female divide the duties involved in the fostering of their newborn equally between themselves.

1. The responsibilities of the egg incubation and hatching, upbringing and teaching, and responsibility for protection and tutelage falls to the female.
2. The male takes responsibility for foraging and feeding the chick from his mouth. Personifying the father as the one responsible for providing and caring for the family, while the mother is the one responsible for carrying the egg, incubation, birth, and nursing the newborn.

Then, when the parents finally appreciate that the limbs of their hatchling are fully grown and replete with strength, that if they were to completely abstain from providing it with nourishment it would possess the strength necessary to find its own food and care for itself, they will beat their fledgeling (i.e., scalping) if he still seeks food from their mouths and completely prevent him from it. For it is at that point that the miraculous mercy and compassion they had previously displayed towards their hatchlings is suddenly removed, and they are made to completely forget the tenderness and facilitating kindness they previously showed as soon as they are aware of their fledgeling’s ability to fend for itself and earn. They will then restart this cyclical system with another brood.

The Dispositions of Pigeons Mirrors That of Mankind

Consider also that the natural disposition of pigeons mirrors most of mankind with their differing natures and modus operandi. For among female pigeons are loyal and monogamous, while others never prevent an outstretched wing that seeks to touch them [for sexual intercourse]. Among them are females that do not mate with another except following a rapid courtship, while others will engage in the act of mating from the very first request. Among them are those who have a husband — their association with him is well-known — but allow themselves to mate with another male in his absence, although they do not engage in the act of mating with anyone besides this other who they have taken as a paramour. While others are adulterous, not preventing themselves from the act of mating with anyone in the absence of their husbands. While still others allow themselves to engage in extramarital relations even while their husbands are present and watching them, not paying any care or attention to his presence. Among them are even females that will swaddle the male of the species, inviting them towards such acts. There are among them females that mount other females, engaging in the act of lesbianism, just as there are males that mount others males showing homsexual infatuation. Every habit and manner of behaviour inherent in male and female human beings are similarly found among the pigeon species. Among them are even females that refuse to lay eggs altogether. If they happen to do so, they will intentionally spoil the clutch to ensure no chick hatches. This is akin to the female that seeks to remain childless and barren, so that the upbringing of children does not distract her from engaging in her own personal matters.

Among female pigeons are those, when courted by a male for sexual intercourse, will immediately flee with rapidity and quickness, completely refusing the advances of anyone beside their husbands. This is akin to free [believing] human women. While others will engage in sexual intercourse with one other female or male besides their designated mate before moving on to another. All those who conduct themselves thus occupy a single tower [of debauchery and shame]. Among them are females that will have a relationship with two or more males, all of them cohabitating together until one establishes his physical dominance over the others, displaying his ability to subjugate his previously close companions. After which the female will incline towards him, abandoning the vanquished.

In a ḥadīth, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) once observed a man following a female pigeon, and said: “A devil following a she-devil”.^[2]

Also among female pigeons are those that will feed their own chicks only, while others will feed their own and others from their mouths. Among the fascinating instances of this is an occurrence recounted by al-Jāḥiẓ who said: A man once owned two pairs of pigeons; one pair with clipped wings and the two others capable of flight and had two chicks. He said: I created a small hatch in the ceiling of my room for those able to fly that would allow their ingress and egress to facilitate foraging and feeding their chicks. I was subsequently incarcerated by the ruler of that time, and became extremely concerned for the fate of the two flightless pigeons, to the extent that I was assured of their demise in my absence. I reasoned that they would be unable to exit via the hatch I had made and there would be none other than myself present to provide them with food or drink. When the ruler finally granted me my freedom, I felt no concern for anything save for the fate of those two pigeons. When I opened the door to my house, I found the two chicks had grown and matured, and that the two flightless birds were in a state of prosperous health and vitality. As I marveled at their states, the pair of pigeons able to fly arrived and approached them, coming close to their mouths and feeding them in the same manner as they fed their own chicks. Contemplate this guidance! The manner in which those flightless pigeons observed the tenderness of the newborn chicks towards their parents and the way in which they were being constantly fed. Then when the two flightless birds began to experience severe hunger and thirst, they began to mirror the behaviour of those newborn chicks such that they were affected by the mercy of the two birds able to fly. Thus, they were similarly fed from the mouths of those two birds just as the newborns were during that time.