City, Country, Ovunque! (Everywhere)
Because I am doing my studies in the cities of Italy, I unfortunately do not interact with a lot of wildlife. However, in every city you visit, there is one animal you can always expect to see: the pigeon!
Piccioni are a trade mark of Italian cities, much in the same way as they are in the USA. In my opinion, piccioni are tolerated much more in Italy than in the States. While many Italians still don't like them, I think they are treated with much more kindness and good humor. While in New York some see them as gross and as pests, I think that most Italians treat them like minor annoyances.
There are two common piccioni in Rome, Florence and Palermo (the three cities I have visited so far). One is a brown and white variation and the other looks similar to the grey-with-green-neck variation common in the U.S.
Personally, I love pigeons. Even in the U.S., I have always thought they were really cute. Seeing them in Italy has made me really happy because it reminds me of home, but they also behave differently enough that I feel like I am interacting with a new animal.
