61. Pigeons

July 30, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Pigeons: From War Heroes to Urban Pests

Dave Champagne spends his days in the nooks and crannies of San Francisco, hunting down one of the city's most notorious pests. "The worst jobs are the church steeples," he says. "They're normally infested, and you gotta suit up like a space suit to clean it." Champagne runs a company called Birdbusters Incorporated, and roughly 60% of his business comes from a single bird: the pigeon. "They're smart animals," he notes. "If you have something missing, a spike falls down, if you don't do something right, they find a breach, they'll capitalize on it."

There are an estimated eight million pigeons living on the streets of North American cities. They gather in enormous flocks, roost on roofs and under bridges, and their acidic poop eats away at buildings, car paint, and solar panels. Cities pay companies like Birdbusters millions of dollars a year to get rid of them. But pigeons weren't always considered pests—they were once celebrated, worshipped, and even credited with saving thousands of human lives.

A History of Heroism

Continue reading the full summary in the app — free to try.

Read Full Summary →

Free • No credit card required

Listen to Audio Summary Open in App

Never miss an episode of The Economics of Everyday Things

Get every new episode summarized in your inbox — free, ~5 minutes to read.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

What you'll learn

1 (01:42) **Pigeons: From Revered to Reviled** - Zachary Crockett introduces the pigeon, a bird that is both a celebrated historical asset and a modern urban pest, setting up the episode's core question of how this shift happened.
2 (02:48) **The Pigeon's Glorious History** - The narrative pivots to explain that pigeons were once worshipped and are the world's oldest domesticated bird, tracing their journey from fertility symbols to military heroes.
3 (05:26) **Heroes of War** - The transcript details the pigeons' critical role in warfare, where they served as a low-tech, highly reliable communication method that saved thousands of lives.
4 (07:24) **Pigeons as Elite Athletes** - The focus shifts to the modern sport of pigeon racing, explaining the mechanics of the race and the massive sums of money involved, particularly in Asia.
5 (09:54) **The Problem with Feral Pigeons** - The episode returns to the present-day problem, explaining how domestic pigeons became feral and why they thrive in modern cities.
6 (13:56) **The Economics of Pigeon Damage** - Zachary Crockett details the massive financial cost of pigeon infestations, which has created a booming industry for bird control professionals.
7 (17:20) **The Business of Bird Removal** - The episode details the modern methods of pigeon control, which have shifted from killing to humane removal and exclusion.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

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. This episode was originally published on August 25, 2024.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.