by Editor Jane Lyons
Edited and published by Yvette Depaepe, the 17th of April 2026

“You have to accept the fact that sometimes you are the pigeon, and sometimes you are the statue.”  ~ Claude Chabrol ~ 

‘Accessorized’ by Steve Hill

If there is one thing that the international community of 1x truly has in common, it must be the pigeon. No matter whether you land in a bustling capital city, a weathered coastal town or somewhere in between, they are always there. They are constant. The feral 'rock dove', the city-hardened branch of the Columbidae family, has quietly claimed its place as one of the few truly global citizens.

They’ve never had the best reputation. At some point, they were labelled the underclass of the bird world ‘flying rats', as people like to call them, usually without much thought. But that label says more about us than it does about them. In reality, pigeons are remarkably clean creatures. They preen constantly, navigate with a precision that still puzzles scientists and adapt to human environments with an intelligence that’s easy to overlook if you’re not paying attention. Despite the myths, they pose little threat to human health. In fact, it's human behaviours surrounding them — the feeding, clustering and chaos — that shape their reputation.

untitled by Kadir Erten

‘Pigeons in Patan Square, Katmandu-Nepal’ by Dan Mirica

‘Hitchcock in Milano’ by Tzvika Stein

‘Pigeons’ by Allan Wallberg

‘pigeons’ by Iwona Podlasinska

’The man of Pigeons’ by Juan Luis Duran

‘Moksha’by Rakesh J.V

‘lighted pigeons’ by Pavol Stranak

‘The Pigeon Charmer’ by Chris Stevens-Yu

For photographers, pigeons are everywhere — and that's precisely why they're so appealing. They are accessible, unpredictable and endlessly expressive. Just look at the way they gather in loose, shifting constellations. The sudden ignition of a flock — one bird lifts, then another, and within a heartbeat the entire ground erupts into motion. It is that split-second transition from stillness to chaos that is magical. 

‘Agata and the pigeons’ by Iwona Podlasinska

untitled by Ali Ayer

‘Pigeons at Bolhao’ by Rui Palha

‘escape’ by Damijan Sedevcic

‘Prag’ by Mogens Balslev

‘Morning Routine’ by Ajay Pant

‘Close Friends’ by Nader El Assy

‘On Line for Food’ by Jian Wang

Capturing it, however, is another story. Their bursts are irregular and almost defiant. You can anticipate them, but you can never fully predict them. Getting the right shutter speed is less about technical settings and more about instinct — about learning their rhythm and waiting for that invisible cue. When you get it right, though, it’s worth every missed frame. Wings carve shapes in the air, light catches iridescent feathers and suddenly the ordinary becomes electric.

Then there are the people — the regulars who bring bread and sit quietly as the birds gather at their feet. They seem to exist in a parallel rhythm with the birds. They add another layer to the scene. Eccentric and sometimes overlooked, they are undeniably compelling. Together, they create moments that feel both chaotic and intimate.

Pigeons may be at the bottom of the social hierarchy, but through the lens, they rise.
Shape, movement, tension — they have it all. You just have to be willing to see it. 

‘Shadows’ by Giorgio Pizzocaro

‘The man with pigeons’ by Elena Raceala

‘the pigeon mother’ by Roswitha Schleicher-Schwarz

‘on the doorstep’ by Pier Giorgio Franco

‘Divine Intervention’ by Jane Lyons

***** Breaking News  MANHATTAN (WABC) -- The sculpture of a giant pigeon at the High Line and its run as an art installation has a growing petition to keep right where it is. It already has more than 5,000 signatures on change.org. The petition urges city officials to keep the sculpture called "Dinosaur" permanently perched. It's been on display at Manhattan's High Line elevated park for a year and a half and is scheduled to be taken down next month.

***** the lowly pigeon might be regaining its status in NYC.