r/stupiddovenests • u/tooshpright • 5d ago

Strange quirk of evolution! (no picture)

I just discovered this sub. Yes they do have unbelievably terrible nests. It is both funny and sad. I once saw a nest in the eavestrough around the garage. thought it was a bad place but assumed the birds knew better. No they didn't, it rained and it became a roaring torrent and the babies drowned. The End.

It's as if they sense they ought to do something, but have forgotten quite what it was.

42 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

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23

u/noooooid 5d ago

It's the declining education system.

15

u/mkbeebs 5d ago

*eggucation

6

u/MangyRaptor 5d ago edited 4d ago

Rock doves (most common city pigeons) used to live in mountains without too much vegetation, so evolutionary they did forget how to build 'proper' nests - they are used to rely more on eggs being on a high ledge that is inaccessible to predators.

4

u/tooshpright 5d ago

That's very interesting, thank you. So it looks like a trade: more food in cities v. egg safety. There's certainly plenty of them so it's working out.

4

u/WickyNilliams 4d ago

Also we domesticated them, and then essentially abandoned them. Much like your average cat/dog probably wouldn't do great in the wild, the pigeons struggle a bit!

2

u/Filing_chapter11 3d ago

the tall buildings remind them of the steep rock mountains they come from so they’re attracted to them 😭