The pigeon Hive Hierarchy
Created | Updated Mar 8, 2005
Since my alarming discovery in my article The Pigeon Hive Mind, I have been studying these remarkable creatures for some time. I have discovered that pigeons have a hierarchy similar to that of the common ant. I have observed five different types of behavior patterns of the pigeon in this close knit community. So far, I have discovered evidence of scouts, drones, warriors, node pigeons and have managed to get close to the pigeon queen herself. I am learning something new each day, and new reports will be posted soon
Scouts
Scouts are small and sleek in apperance and are usually coloured brown.
The role of the scout is to explore the surrounding areas, locate food deposits and transfer this information back to the hive. This information is then used by the drones in the harvest. On average, the scouting process will last roughly 1 hour. Once the scout has succeeded in locating food, it will either hyper-evolve into a drone or return to the hive and enter a form of stasis that will last roughly 20-21 hours to recover their strength after scouting. once they have finished hibernating, they will continue scouting
Drones
Drones are the standard and most numerous members of the hive. They look like normal everyday pigeons that you would see on the highstreet. Their job is to collect food and materials to maintain the hive and feed the queen. This process is referred to as "The Harvest" and can go on for up to 72 hours. Drones share a similar genetic makeup to Warriors, and it has been speculated that the warrior is a mutation of the drone.
Warriors
Warriors are slightly larger than the standard pigeon drone. The can also be identified by their puffy necks. They are normally dark blue or jet black, and are extremly agressive towards threats to the hive. Their role in the hive is to protect important pigeons, such as drones that are out harvesting, and attack any outside threats e.g. toddlers with big boots. This is normally carried out via a "Bombing Run", although I have observed them attack with beak and claw in extreme circimstances. It has been rumored that deep within the hive there are specially mutated "Praetorian" warriors with thicker armour that protect the queen, but I have not found any evidence to back up this theory.
Node Pigeons
Node pigeons are the amplifiers of the hive mind. They will boost the subconcious signal of the hive mind by up to 200%. This allows pigeons within this area of influence to receive a stronger signal amd work up to 50% faster and up to 65% more efficently. Node pigeons are physically weaker than other pigeon types, but compensate with more feathers. It is important that they are not easily distinguishable among the lesser pigeons, otherwise they would draw more attention from predators. Node pigeons can normally be seen sitting buildings or in trees, watching a harvest but not joining in.
Hive Queen
Without a doubt, the most important member of the hive are the queens. They are responsible for issuing psykic orders to the pigeons under their command. They are also responsible for spawining new pigeons to serve the hive. Queens are 8 times bigger that an average drone, and are incredibly bloated. They can lay up to 50,000 eggs per day. Normally the queens are dosile, but if the nest is threatened, they will guard it with their life.
