The Pigeon Lady of New York City
I found this video that I thought you would enjoy, it shows Alayne Patur Salahuddeen better known as “The Pigeon Lady of NYC”. She takes us into the world of urban pigeon keeping on the rooftops of New York City, sorta like how my uncle got started raising pigeons. Go ahead and check the vid out below I think your gonna find it interesting.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzJfZGbjv4s]
Meet the Pigeon Lady, an East Village pigeon fancier who’s been stealing pigeons from prized coops for nearly a decade. From drug dealers using pigeons to carry illicit messages to bird wars and the sociopaths who fight them, the Pigeon Lady breaks down the New York City pigeon scene and explains where exactly to find it.
Up until the 80s pigeon racing was primarily a “made man’s” sport and a relatively common site around New York, but as the size of the Italian Mafia began to dwindle so did the amount of pigeon fanciers and the amount of pigeon wars. Theres still a notable amount of flocks in the East Village but most of today’s culture thrives in the outer boroughs where new generations of mostly Spanish fanciers hold pigeon auctions where birds are bought and sold for thousands of dollars.
The Pigeon Lady (Alayne Patur Salahuddeen) grew up in the East Village in a building her father, jazz musician Muhammad Salaahuddeen, used as an underground squat and afterhours saloon for touring jazz musicians. Alyne started collecting and racing pigeons on a suggestion from an old boyfriend and today her East Village rooftop coop fluxuates between 200 and 300 birds. If you happen to be in Tompkins Square Park, just before dusk, look up on the corner of 7th Street and admire the sight.
Meet the Pigeon Lady of New York City
The Leading Online Pigeon Racing and Racing Pigeons Magazine – The Pigeon Insider
I LOVE TO Meet The Pigeon Lady
Love the video; you go girl! I have pigeons and know how wonderful they are.
Ithink the bird lady was great , good to see ladies in the hobby or sport raising pigeons.She also decribed it perfectly,the birds are better than taken a drug to relax. It is almost like freeing your soul when you turn your birds loose and can excape, if just for a little while. Great job lady . J. Dennis Lathum
i totally agree…”there’s something about pigeons”!
While it can be exspensive to race I was thinking if she can affort to feed 300 pigeons if she cut her team in half she would be able to affort to race.
ALL SHE SAID WAS TRUE I FLEW IN SEVERAL BROOKLYN CLUBS THEY HAD THE SAME THING PIGEONS BEING CAUGHT AND TRADED FOR FEED OR MEDICATION AT THE PET SHOP.THIS I REMEMBER FROM THE FORTIES AND FIFTIES. RAY BROWER
Hellow again. This video reminds me of a time long ago when my friends had their lofts high up on the roof tops.It was fascinating to watch these hugh flocks of flights,tiplets.and other assorted birds take to the sky. Back then the purpose was to entice other fancier’s birds to join in with your own flock in order to catch their’s. Why you ask? In those days a pigeon caught was money. My friends would take the caught birds to the local pigeon store and trade for feed or cash.After all we are talking about thirteen year old kids who dreamed of what it must of been to fly high above the roof tops of New York. If memory serves me, this is how the name pigeon wars came about.
Thanks for reading Nick Demas
I’m sorry that she is a little misinformed. She could race if she really wanted to. Even on her budget. People would help her I believe.
Well a pigeon can go and sit/shit anywhere he likes. What a great thing it would be to fly like they do.
i did not think that they still allowed people to keep pigeons on roof tops in a big city like New York any more but it was great seeing it. it brought back menories of growing up on the west side of N Y, every body had Birds on the Roof tops in the 1950’s and it kepth us kids out of trouble.
Your comment about Thugs being attracted to this sport is correct, Hitler loved Animals and so do i but because i love Animals and flying birds does not make me a killer and or Though but i get it.
The F.B.I. has people on that job that it got in to racing Homers that have actually infiltrated these Pigeon Clubs to get next to these wise guys.