A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching by Rosemary Musco

The book’s first thing that stands out is the humour laced into every paragraph. This begins with the introduction itself. The author enjoys the topic, or that is what shines through the entire book.
I chose to read this because of this topic. I have seen pigeons around (who hasn’t?!), and if someone recommended I pigeon watch to pass the time, I would not have taken them seriously. The title of this book, therefore, was very intriguing.
Like many other non-fiction titles that I end up trying, this has a great collection of art. The pigeons are colourful and keep pace with the narrative. They are even used to help with a punchline or two. I would have liked a few actual photographs included towards the end of the kind of pigeons still in existence, but that is one thing I did not get. I did google a few just to check them out.
The author covers the history of pigeons, their uses (by humans) and the different breeds. This last part was fascinating, as was the reproduction. The author actually talks of the visible genetic markers for some broader types and how they are transmitted to future generations based on the type of the mate. The author also gives us an in-depth view of their daily lives and some typical behaviour.
There is not much I can talk of the content other than that it is provided in a friendly fashion. I would recommend this to anyone who finds it usually hard to pick up non-fiction and is curious about pigeons.
I really enjoyed the read but did not read it in one sitting. I had to space it out solely because I had to process all the information I was being given. It is the kind of book you can have at home and peruse whenever you feel like pulling up some remarkable factoids.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.