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Bird Week | Mike Tyson Defends the Pigeon A Cuomo Against a
Portrait, and Mothers
Stamps From Space,
With Brooklyn Ties
BY MIKE TYSON MAY 4, 2011 1:20 PM 32 Against Budget Cuts

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Mike Tyson feeding his pigeons on a rooftop coop in Brooklyn in 1985.

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It’s no secret that I love pigeons. They have been a conversations about New York City, has been archived. Send
fascination of mine since I was a young boy, and they questions or suggestions by e-mail.

BROWSE POSTS BY BOROUGH

continue to bring me great peace even now. People are Brooklyn | The Bronx | Manhattan | Queens | Staten Island

curious as to why I have such great affection for them.

The answer is simple. It’s because Bird Week

they aren’t difficult to understand. A weeklong
celebration of
Unlike human beings that have the avian life in
capacity to manipulate and deceive New York
City.
one another, they are basically See All Posts »

animals of habit. If you treat them

well, feed them, give them safe housing and lots of
love, you can expect a good relationship with them.
However, that isn’t the case with human relationships.
Through life experiences we learn that treating
someone decently and being loyal to them will not
necessarily guarantee you the same in return,
although it should.

As a child, I was very awkward and never felt as

though I fit in (anywhere). On the roof, none of my
insecurities mattered. As I watched the birds soar
above me, in that moment I was free just like them. I
didn’t have to think about my growling stomach,
wondering where I was going to get my next meal. I
didn’t have to worry about the other kids trying to
bully me or make fun of me because I didn’t have
money to get nice clothes.

My birds never judged me or made me feel

inadequate. I was actually the most important
relationship that they had. They were totally
dependent on me for food and shelter and I felt
honored to be needed, and this made me feel wanted
and relevant.

Actually if it weren’t for a pigeon, I may not have been

the heavyweight champion of the world. Pigeons were
the first loving relationship I ever had. As a matter of
fact, when a bully that was antagonizing me killed one
of my birds in front of me, I snapped and began
fighting him. If it weren’t for this guy hurting my
beloved animal, I may not have ever had the desire to
fight. By him hurting an innocent being that I loved
and cherished, it was the catalyst to the fighter within.

Now that I am retired from boxing and living a fairly

normal life … a wife, kids and a home in the suburbs, I
still have my birds. My pigeons have gone on an
amazing journey with me from a child to a man.
They’ve been with me when I didn’t have a pot to piss
in or a window to throw it out of. They were also there
when I had more money than I could even count. But
rich or poor never meant anything when it came to my
birds.

Unfortunately, pigeons get a bad rap, especially by

New Yorkers. However, the next time you pass a
pigeon on the street and consider kicking it out of
your way, be reminded of my story. They are highly
intelligent animals and arguably the most loyal. Make
a pigeon your friend and you’ll never be lonely.

Mike Tyson, the former world boxing champion, was

recently featured in a six-part documentary for
Animal Planet, “Taking on Tyson,” about his passion
for raising and racing pigeons. Originally from
Brooklyn, Mr. Tyson currently lives near Las Vegas,
but keeps one of his pigeon coops in Bushwick,
Brooklyn. For Bird Week, we asked Mr. Tyson for his
thoughts on New Yorkers’ winged nemesis, the
pigeon. This was his response, which we received via
e-mail from his wife, Lakiha Tyson.

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