61. Pigeons

Once considered noble and heroic, pigeons are now viewed as an urban nuisance — one that costs cities millions of dollars a year. Zachary Crockett tosses some crumbs. SOURCES:Andrew Blechman, journalist and author.David Champagne, owner of Bird Busters, Inc. RESOURCES:"Racing Pigeon Sells For A Record-Breaking $1.9 Million At Auction," by Carlie Porterfield (Forbes, 2020)."Feathers of Honor: U.S. Army Signal Corps Pigeon Service in World War I, 1917–1918," by Frank A. Blazich Jr. (Army History, 2020)."Pigeon Wars," by Jon Mooallem (The New York Times, 2006).Pigeons: The Fascinating Saga of the World's Most Revered and Reviled Bird, by Andrew Blechman (2004)."Pigeons Have Magnets," by Charles Walcott, James L. Gould, and J. L. Kirschvink (Science, 1979)."The Pigeon as a Quality-Control Inspector," by Thom Verhave (American Psychologist, 1966). EXTRAS:"Freakonomics Radio Live: 'Jesus Could Have Been a Pigeon,'" by Freakonomics Radio (2018). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.