Pigeon drinking from fire hydrant, Seal Beach, CA
Roger Camp
Artwork for ‘Birds‘ (Issue 26)
The Science
As humans we experience a peristaltic action in the upper part of our oesophagus when we swallow. Most birds cannot do this, and have to rely on gravity to get water and food into their gullets. Pigeons’ and doves’ anatomy are unique. These birds can perform an action analogous to a human drinking through a straw due to the anatomy of the beak, tongue and glottis.
The Medium
I walk the Seal Beach pier daily. After observing multiple pigeons drinking from the hydrant over a period of time I thought it would make an interesting photograph.
The Artist
Roger Camp is the author of three photography books including the award winning Butterflies in Flight, Thames & Hudson, 2002. His documentary photography has been awarded Europe’s prestigious Leica Medal of Excellence and published in numerous journals including The New England Review, New York Quarterly, North American Review and Orion Magazine. He was a visual fellow at the Fine Arts Work Center, Provincetown and a Fullbright Fellow in photography in Brazil. His archives are held by the University of California, Santa Barbara, Library, Special Research Collections.
Copyright statement. This work is published under the CC BY-NC-SA license