Dvě duše z náměstí (Two Souls from the Square)

Description

(acrylic markers + Prismacolor)

I love pigeons. They’re birds we see every day, and their beauty fascinates me. When we look at them up close, we discover that their feathers aren’t just gray at all. They have blue, green, and purple shimmer, delicate patterns, and so many different shades that each one is completely unique.

Our city pigeons are descended from the rock pigeon, which originally lived on rocky cliffs and was domesticated by humans.

It had no desire to live alongside us. We bound it to us more than 5,000 years ago, and it was from this bird that a wide variety of pigeon breeds—including carrier pigeons—emerged.

Pigeons are incredibly intelligent birds and have an extraordinary sense of direction. They can find their way home even from great distances, and it is precisely because of this that they have been used to carry messages for centuries. People also made use of their abilities during World War I and World War II.

Both parents care for the eggs and their offspring. They take turns incubating the eggs, and both feed the young with a special nutritious fluid—known as “pigeon milk”—which they produce in their crop.

Unfortunately, in the harsh urban environment, most wild pigeons live, on average, only about 2.4 years. But when conditions are right, they can live much longer.

There is a documented case of an American carrier pigeon named Levi, who served with the U.S. Army Signal Corps and, after being retired from military duty, lived to the incredible age of 31 in peace and under human care.

The inspiration for this illustration came from two rescued pigeons, whose photo was shared by the Pigeon Conservation Institute.