alt Hacker NewsOh, I don't think pigeons spread disease. I just think city pigeons are filthy and poop all over everything. Frequently mutilated, missing toes or whole limbs. Also frequently run over by cars.
I like the kind of wild pigeons you can see outside cities. I reserve my contempt for city pigeons, which I like to call "flying rats".
I also like crows, but there aren't any (that I can see) where I live. I've seen them in other locations, of course.
The missing toes thing seems related to the existence of polyester thread and similar strong synthetic fibers. I'm vague on why they encounter it a lot - does it make attractive nest material? - and as to why they can't get it off their feet, well I guess pigeons are bad at untying knots, but from what I've observed tangling with constricting fibers looks like the mechanism of action.