I am a longtime bird breeder and birder ... and I have to say, that cartoon captured the personality of pigeons and doves perfectly! I find it amusing to watch them feeding in a group and subtlely using their bodies to block their flockmates from getting too close to the seed that they are claiming for their own.

The Selfish Gene Prize, however, goes to the pair of zebra doves who nest outside my kitchen door. For a long time, I have propped the door open in the late afternoon and allowed them to come inside for some high quality seed mix. When their last clutch left the nest, they hung around with their parents for a couple of weeks ... and the older birds would wait until their offspring were distracted before racing into my kichen. They had no intention of sharing this secret food source--even with their own young!