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If You're Scared Of Pigeons Then You May Have Ornithophobia

If You're Scared Of Pigeons Then You May Have Ornithophobia

If you fear the feathered city centre dwellers, you are not alone

Jake Massey

Jake Massey

There are many phobias that almost all of us can empathise with to some extent: arachnophobia (spiders), acrophobia (heights) and pteridophobia (being too near ferns), are just a few examples.

But a fear of the humble pavement plopping pigeon, that can't be an actual phobia, right?

Well, yes, of course it is, and it's called ornithophobia. The phobia actually refers to a fear of any type of bird, but pigeons are one of the most commonly feared birds among those with ornithophobia.

According to Very Well Mind, the phobia is most commonly brought on by a negative encounter with a pigeon. In fact, most animal phobias are caused this way.

An article on the website says: "The most common cause of ornithophobia is a negative encounter with the feared animal. Many birds can be somewhat aggressive in hunting for food, and childhood run-ins with pigeons or seagulls bent on stealing popcorn or other snacks are common.

"You don't have to experience the negative encounter directly. Birds sometimes fly through open windows or down chimneys, causing an uproar in the home. If your parents were nervous during such events, this could be enough to trigger a phobia."

So cast your mind back ornithophobiacs (if that is indeed the term) - might it be that a traumatic encounter with a pigeon scarred you as a child? Did a whole flock fly down your chimney and nick all of your biscuits?

via GIPHY

We shouldn't take the piss too much though, as ornithobia can result in quite a few complications. According to Very Well Mind, suffers may end up avoiding 'picnics and other outdoor activities' and 'become unable to visit pet stores'.

How anyone gets by without regular picnics and trips to the pet store I will never know.

In extreme cases though, people may end up becoming agoraphobic, fearful of leaving their homes in case they end up crossing paths with a pigeon. You mustn't allow yourself to get to this point though, that way the pigeons have won.

Indeed, Anxiety Care UK advises that avoiding the birds is the very last thing you should do if you want to overcome your fear.

An article on their website says: "While some people simply jump a little when they hear a pigeon's wings fluttering, others can barely cope with the anxiety this brings.

"In the early stages of an animal or bird phobia, people sometimes try to overcome their fears by brief encounters with the dreaded creature, usually retreating instantly. This avoidance brings a reduction of the tension, and rapidly becomes a habit, so that the next attempt becomes more difficult, and so on until they stop trying to face the problem altogether.

"Avoiding the situations that make us feel frightened ensures that we become more sensitive to those situations, and so 'conditions' us to fear them even more.

"This is why phobias can be such a big problem. Because we tend to avoid the things we fear, the fear can worsen very rapidly. To recover, we need to put that process into reverse."

So get out there and conquer your fears. Pigeons can't really hurt you, and remember, they're more scared of you than you are of them (possibly).

In the meantime, I hope the videos in this article of pigeons being eaten by seagulls and blown up by canons have brought you some comfort.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Interesting, Community, Animals