Scientists believe pigeons could help us tackle human diseases
Tracking what these birds consume and are exposed to can have far-reaching implications, researchers claim.
Scientists believe pigeons could protect us humans from disease if we monitor how pollution and toxins affects them.
It may sound unusual, but a researcher from the University of California says tracking them could prove extremely informative as they consume the same water, soil and air pollution as us, the Daily Mail reported.
This data could help researchers understand more about the toxins we are exposed to like metal, BPA and lead.
"They have a very small home range, spending the their life within a few neighborhood blocks," Dr Calisi-Rodriguez told the American Association for the Advancement of Science conference as she presented her research. "Because they are alive they process these chemicals in their bodies."
"This offers up the opportunity to not only find toxin hot spots in our environment, but to understand how these toxins affect biology," Dr Calisi-Rodriguez further explained.
Dr Calisi-Rodriguez believes information we learn from these birds can have "far-reaching implications".