50 Animals Who Woke Up And Chose Nonsense

It’s no secret that there’s never a dull moment whenever animals are involved. Even though they might not speak our language, they clearly show what they want and let their personality shine through with their behavior. And needless to say, it can get pretty goofy.

The silliness is not limited to certain species only. Any animal, from horses to cats, and birds, even, can act like total goofballs. (And if the pictures on this list are not proof enough, just look at Hayden Kristal’s videos from her farm.)

It’s safe to assume that owners of cats and dogs have seen their critters engage in silly behavior countless times; some of it may have even been caught on camera. And even though they seem to enjoy being foolish, we know for a fact that they can be really smart… when they want to.

But what about other species? Clearly, wild animals or birds enjoy being goofy, too, (which has likely inspired more than one animated movie), but what else is known about their behavior?

Well, today, we wanted to learn more about a species that is viewed as goofy by some, but is, in fact, very intelligent. And that’s pigeons!

Some people don’t think that there’s much happening behind the eyes of pigeons, some of the most professional photobombers out there. However, they are actually very intelligent. A study from a couple years ago found that these birds’ problem-solving abilities match artificial intelligence. In addition to that, they are also great navigators with an incredible sense of homing – finding their way home.

We wanted to learn more about them, so we got in touch with research scientist and conservation biologist Dr. Barbara Frei, who was kind enough to answer a few of our questions, starting with, how did pigeons end up living in cities?

“Pigeons—also known as rock doves in some areas—are originally native to Europe, North Africa and western Asia, but have now become established in cities around the world through people bringing them there – either on purpose or by accident,” the expert said.

“People have domesticated pigeons and bred them for thousands of years, using them as a source of food or even for transmitting messages due to their incredible sense of homing that allows them to travel over a thousand kilometers at high speeds (>100 km/hr) at short distances. Their natural habitats include rocky cliffs, caves and other open, sparsely vegetated areas. This is why they have adapted to use cities as a novel, or new, habitat.”

Talking about why pigeons, as well as many other bird species, tend to move around in flocks, Dr. Frei noted that just like many other non-feathered animals (fish or deer, for example), they hang out in groups or flocks because there is safety in numbers.

“There are more eyes available to keep an eye out for predators or other dangers, so that even when you are feeding there is always a good chance someone else is looking around to keep the group safe. It also means that if a predator does show up, it’s harder for them to identify a single target, especially if the flock flies away and moves together.

“Also, there is a chance to ‘learn’ from each other, especially for younger members of the flock, such as good foraging techniques (for example, the best place in town to eat) and safe places to roost (rest or sleep).”

Asked about what makes pigeons stand out from the rest of the bird species, Dr. Frei emphasized that they are incredible navigators. “They have been shown to use landscape cues as they fly, like reading a map, as they travel thousands of kilometers back to their homes. They even hear incredibly low-frequency sounds or infrasound, well below what the human ear can detect, and it's hypothesized that they may hear faraway ocean waves to help them orient themselves during flight. Trained pigeons have been used to carry messages during wartime, from the Roman Era to the World Wars.”

“We shouldn’t forget that even though some species seem plentiful, like pigeons, it doesn’t mean that they can’t one day disappear,” the expert pointed out. “The passenger pigeon, a species native to North America, was once the most abundant bird in North America, maybe even the world, numbered in the billions! There were so many of them that when they migrated they would fill the whole sky, creating giant black clouds that would take hours to pass by. But primarily due to overhunting by humans, the species was driven to extinction in just 50 years.”

Whether it’s pigeons, dogs, horses, or any other animal, for that matter, they are sure fascinating creatures to look at, especially when they’re playing around, being goofy. So, if you’d like to continue browsing pictures of them being their silly little selves, check out our animals category for more similar content and enjoy the boost of serotonin!