Great Uncle Fred, why do pigeons hang around in train stations? (Sofia, aged five, Summer 2009)

Sofia, they`re hungry. They are hungry and they will eat almost anything and they have worked out that humans in a hurry will, also, eat almost anything and will drop large amounts of almost anything on the ground and there the happy pigeons will gobble it all up. They might get trodden on but it is worth the risk - imagine being a pigeon tucking into one big fat chip: a feast! But the pigeons we get in railway stations are especially brave because they are descended from Rock Pigeons which you can see living on cliffs if you ever go out to sea in a boat. So, they are used to "roughing it" and doing everything they can to survive. They are fighters and scavengers and amazing in a way. But there would not be nearly so many of them in railway stations if people put their litter in the bins! I hope that answers your question.

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