I observed a group of urban pigeons and their nesting habits for a couple of years (you gotta have a hobby), and I started getting upset by threats to their suc

I observed a group of urban pigeons and their nesting habits for a couple of years (you gotta have a hobby), and I started getting upset by threats to their success, like when jealous humans put up netting, or when a buzzard shows up, or when a chick gets sick and dies ... until it occurred to me that I was more invested in their lives than they were. They care deeply about the competitive process of making chicks, defending nest sites, getting the best twigs and food, and about the eggs ... but once they hatch, if a chick vanishes (they usually only have two at a time), the parents' reaction is "Yay! Time to make more! Let's remodel the nest and get busy!". They're at it again within half an hour, with no sign of distress. I guess that's life as a prey animal. There are quaint old picturesque dovecotes in a lot of historic places ... those were for harvesting the squabs, to turn into pies. On reflection I think this was a reasonable arrangement for keeping things in balance (a modest proposal, even).