# Pigeons that are too fat to fly?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pigeons-that-are-too-fat-to-fly/194496>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 11, 2003, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pigeons-that-are-too-fat-to-fly/194496 "2003-08-11T22:36:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ElectroSunDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b5e925/32.png) [@ElectroSunDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElectroSunDog)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pigeons-that-are-too-fat-to-fly/194496/1 "2003-08-11T22:36:25Z")

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Someone once told me that he’s seen pigeons that have become so morbidly obese that they can’t fly anymore and just waddle out of the way when you walk by. Is he just pulling my leg or has something like this actually happened?

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**Author:** ![speckfisher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac91a4/32.png) [@speckfisher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/speckfisher)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pigeons-that-are-too-fat-to-fly/194496/2 "2003-08-11T23:12:36Z")

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If you are talking about the run-of-the-mill “wild” urban pigeon the story is probably BS. There is no way a pigeon outside of a closed environment could gain enough weight to prevent flight and still survive.

That being said, there are certain breeds of pigeon that don’t have the same ability as the average ones, but they can still fly. My grandfather raised pigeons and always kept a few of an oversized (almost as big as a chicken) variety, and they couldn’t fly much at all. They could get onto a rooftop, or into a tree, but they couldn’t take a tour of the neighborhood.

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**Author:** ![Cyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@Cyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyn)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pigeons-that-are-too-fat-to-fly/194496/3 "2003-08-11T23:36:19Z")

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[Margaret Cho] Baby, You’re too FAT to fly…[/Margaret Cho]

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**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pigeons-that-are-too-fat-to-fly/194496/4 "2003-08-11T23:42:27Z")

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The pigeons in Trafalgar Square don’t usually take off if you walk by them, they prefer to waddle away unless you start to chase them, but that’s because they’re more used to people.