Coo-Coo Cool!

Watch the birdie!

Don't look for a camera; these kids are really watching the birdies--pigeons, in this case.

Why? It's for science.

The same kind of animals usually look pretty much the same; all chipmunks look alike, for example. But pigeons come in many color combinations. Scientists wonder why.

Kids from all over the country are helping the Cornell University Lab of Ornithology (orn-i-THALL-uh-jee) with Project PigeonWatch by--what else?--watching pigeons. Scientists at Cornell, in Ithaca, New York, think the way pigeons act might explain why they come in so many different colors.

It's really a lot of fun, says Tampa, Florida pigeon-watcher Patrick Pate, nine.

"People used to think about pigeons that they are really ugly birds," says Patrick. "But they're not, if you look at them."

Pigeons are all related to the rock dove, which only came in one color pattern, called "blue bar." (See chart, "Pigeon Color Morphs," page 19.) Then humans began using the birds as racers or homing pigeons. Many different color patters developed. Lots of those birds escaped to the wild. Now most cities are filled with flocks of multicolored feral (FARE-ul) pigeons.

Ali Leist, seven, prefers the basic model, though, "I liked the blue bar because it's a really pretty one," Ali says." And they were the easiest ones to spot."

Keeping tabs on the pigeons is tough, kids in the project are learning. "They always go up in high buildings and up in dark places," says Ali.

"You have to look up. We used binoculars," she adds.

Being sneaky wasn't the answer, either, said Patrick. "One time we got up really, really close to this one group of pigeons. We threw some popcorn down and we thought they'd go for the popcorn, but they just flew away," he says. "We learned not to sneak up on them."

Offering a snack and then waiting for the birds to arrive worked best. "We always used popcorn; that always draws their attention," Patrick says, letting them get a close look at the birds.

But the pigeons aren't the only thing getting a good, hard look from these kids; their interest is science has also grown, taking off on a wing and a stare!

RELATED ARTICLE: Tracking the Bird Bird

Scientists have three ideas about why pigeons show so many color patterns:

* Few natural predators: Unusual colored animals often top the menu. Since most cities have few pigeon predators, odd-colored birds aren't in as much danger.

* Plenty of food: In cities, where most pigeons live, food is plentiful, so all the color patters would thrive.

* Mating patterns: Perhaps birds prefer to breed with others of their own color morph, or with birds of a different morph. Cornell scientists hope that kids can report what color morphs are most common in different parts of the country, and which color morphs tend to win the food fights and the competition for mates.