In cities, pigeons are often considered as a bunch of pests. But in Australia, the pigeon surprised everyone with its ingenuity by creating a nest of poppies.
A pigeon stole flowers from the grave of an Unknown soldier at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.
This is an impressive work, given the crucial role of the pigeon in modern history (especially during the First and Second World Wars) and the importance of poppies (a symbol of endurance for soldiers).
It took time until the staff of the National War Memorial found out where all the poppies were disappearing. Initially, they had no idea what was going on with all the flowers on the monument to the unknown soldier. But soon the innocent thief was found when someone noticed a lot of poppies next to the window.
A few moments later, the criminal appeared with another flower in his beak. Needless to say, everyone was happy to find out that the flower thief was actually a pigeon.
Coincidence or not, the stained glass window in which the beautiful nest was built depicts a «wounded soldier». As if this pigeon wanted to «remind everyone of the strong bond between man and bird on the battlefield.»
«Pigeons were actually the most effective way of communicating messages,» said historian Melia Hampton. «They [pigeons] were especially useful in war when it was necessary to convey a message. Sometimes a pigeon can do this when there are no other possibilities.
During World War II, pigeons played an important role in communication. As proof, 32 pigeons were awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal, an award given to animals trained for their dedication to work. One of the most famous pigeons of that time was «White Vision».
