One Bwogger takes on the herculean task of understanding what the pigeons of New York have to say to the world.

Here I sit, quarantined in my apartment. I haven’t seen the sun in days, and I spend my days in my room in the shadow of the airshaft. Outside my window, pigeons fly about, sometimes perching on a fire escape, but more often than not they find their way to my windowsill or sit on my AC unit. I’ve begun to wonder if they have something to say to me—some sort of important message to relay—perhaps wisdom to get us all through these “trying times.” I’ve decided to decode their messages in the hopes that you can all understand the mysterious wisdom of the pigeons.

Firstly, I conjectured that the pigeons are communicating in Morse code. How, you ask? Well, they’re not speaking French. After listening to a bit, I figured that their coos and taps were dots and that their wing flutters were dashes. After devising this method of communication, I spent the weekend recording what the pigeons were trying to say.

I recorded pauses as differences between letters (spaces between dots and dashes), and I recorded each visit to my window as a single word (forward slashes). My records are as follows:

– .. .- /..- .. -. .. -./ … .. ..- ..- ..-/ — –.. /. -… – — / .-. ..- -… / — .. – . –. .. ..- -… / … ..- -. — — . / ..-. . … .- / –.- .. . — .-.. … / ..- .–. . … / .- ..- ..- ..- / .— .- –.- .–. .-.. -.. / .- … -.. ..- -. -… . / –.- — … … / ..- ..- .– — .–. / –.- .–. -… / .- -.-. -.-. / — .-. -.. .. / -. –. – — / .- .-.. / .-.. -.- -. / — .– -. .-.. .- .– … / — ..-. / .- …- / .. .- – .. / — -. – …. . / .-. . / .. … / -. — .– .- -.– / – …. .- / – .- / -… . . / … …. — / ..- .-.. -.. -… / . / .- -… .-.. / . – — / ..-. / .-.. -.– .. – … / .– / .. -. –. / … .- .-. . – / — — … — / .- .-.. .-.. – / — –. . – / .. – / … ..-. .- – .-.. .. – / – .-.. . / -… — -.. -.– / — / ..-. ..-. / – …. / . –. .-. — / ..- -. -.. – …. / . / -… . / . — ..-. / -.-. — ..- / .-. / … . ..-. .-.. .. / . … .- -. -.– / .– .- -.– / … / -… . -.-. .- ..- / … . -… . . / … / -.. — -. / – / -.-. .- .-. / . .– …. .- – / …. ..- / — .- -. / … – …. .. / -. -.- / .. / … / .. — .–. — … / … .. -… / .-.. . / -.. …. ..-. .–. –.- ..- ..- -.. — .- — -.. -… .–. / .–. .- -.. ..-. -.- .–. –.- ..- . ..- …- .-.. / .–. — — .-.. … -.- -.. ..-. / …. … .–. .. . -. .-. … / –.- .-. ..- . .–. .- -.. ..-. -… / -.. .–. .- / ..- / .- — -.. .. / … -. — .–. / -.. …. / .. / — .–. .- . -. / .— -.. .- / .–. / –.. -. -..

Painstakingly, I spent the following few days figuring out how exactly this set of morse code translated to letters and words. Here are my results:

TIA UININ SIUUU OZ EBTM RUB MITEGIUB SUNOOE FESA QIEOLS UPES AUUU JAQPLD ASDUN BE QOSS UUWOP QPB ACC ORDI NGTO AL LKN OWNLAWS OF AV IATI ONTHE RE IS NOWAY THA TA BEE SHO ULDB E ABL ETO F LYITS W ING SARET OOSM ALLT OGET IT SFATLIT TLE BODY O FF TH EGRO UNDTH E BE EOF COU R SEFLI ESANY WAY S BECAU SEBEE S DON T CAR EWHAT HU MAN STHI NK I S IMPOS SIB LE DHF PQUU D MAM D BP PAD FKP QUEUVL POOLS KDF HS PIENRS QR UEPAD FB DPA U AODI SNOP DH I OPAEN JDA P ZND

Sadly, these results proved inconclusive. There were a few words that deciphered to English, such as rub, bee, car, and pools, but I don’t see any correlation or hidden messages. Perhaps Morse code isn’t the method of communication through which the pigeons are imparting their wisdom, or further deciphering is necessary to grasp the true message.

pigeons via Bwog Archives