Pandemic Pigeons—A Love Story

A pair of feral pigeons befriended the photographer’s family, who were isolated in their apartment in Vlaardingen, the Netherlands, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ollie and Dollie, as the family named them, were regulars in the house, their daily visits a reminder that humans are not alone on this planet, even while living isolated in urban areas. Feral pigeons (Columba livia domestica) are descended from rock doves, which naturally inhabit sea cliffs and mountains, and now live in urban areas on every continent except Antarctica, with a global population in the hundreds of millions.