JW Anderson did it first with its viral, Carrie Bradshaw-approved novelty pigeon purse. But New York City native Abby Jardine is redefining what it means to be a pigeon lady.
Pigeons: you either love them or hate them, but these birds have certainly become cultural landmarks in their own right. Or, at the very least, they’re present at most landmarks. Once celebrated as humanity’s great allies, carrying everything from vital messages to love letters through the air, they’ve since become something of a misunderstood neighbour. You’ve heard New Yorkers complain about the avian residents of their streets, or watched children reconnect with nature by feeding the birds in a London park. Undeniably, pigeons have become an anti-romantic symbol of urban life. It’s no surprise, then, that designer Jonathan Anderson turned the bird’s image into a handbag (which, mind you, went very viral). Even Carrie Bradshaw sported one in And Just Like That….
It was time we embraced the pigeon renaissance. While theJW Anderson Pigeon Clutch might be a little out of budget to some, there’s something even better about having your very own, one-of-a-kind purse pigeon. Carrying a teeny-tiny dog in your handbag is so last season; the newest, hottest thing is adopting a feathered friend to tote around town. Leading the charge is NYC-based Abby Jardine, who has made a name for herself by bringing pigeons into the spotlight. I first stumbled across her during a TikTok doom-scrolling session, her chic, all-black bird perched on her head as she talked her audience through her skincare routine. The fascination was so infectious that, before long, my feed had been taken over by birds. Between styling videos and educational content, the learning is that many pigeons in big cities are descendants of domesticated carrier pigeons – and there’s plenty to love about them: they’re social, full of personality and remarkably loyal, and they mate for life.
As these things tend to go when a new obsession takes hold, the following weeks and months brought with them an increasingly persistent temptation to adopt a street pigeon of my own. In my defence, it makes sense. I’m particularly sympathetic to the foxes in my backyard when I return home from a night out, and I’ll always stop to pet my neighbours’ cats on their nightly strolls. Still, I’m all about being prepared. Before bringing a bird home, I decided to go straight to the source to find out everything there is to know about purse pigeons.
Catching up with Abby on a late-summer afternoon in London, after being virtually introduced to Pidge – whom she rescued as a baby from the side of the road, and who’s a strong contender for the title of the internet’s most famous pigeon – we discussed the rebranding of the “pigeon lady”, how she feels about her internet moniker, what she wishes more people knew about pigeons, and, naturally, how to get your own purse pigeon. Keep reading…
How do you feel about pets as accessories? We had the chihuahuas in the bags, and then the cat backpacks, and now you have a purse pigeon.
I think that as long as you’re still treating your pet as its own being and you’re taking good care of it, I’ve never seen any harm in having your little pet in a purse. I really believe it’s good enrichment, and it’s the safest way to do it. Sometimes people are like, “Oh, it’s just an accessory to you,” but absolutely not. I feel like I give her the best life of any pigeon I know of.
You’ve made a real pigeon advocate out of me, but what is something that you wish more people knew about pigeons?
I think people don’t really realise how much of an individual, big personality pigeons have. I didn’t have any bird experience before, but I’m assuming it’s true of a lot of birds. Because they’re so tiny, you don’t really think of them having as big of a personality as a cat or a dog. Pidge brings so much life and fun to my house, and everyone who meets her sees it really quickly.
How do you feel about pigeons coming back into the mainstream and having a bit of a renaissance? There’s the Jonathan Anderson bag, and maybe it’s because I’ve engaged with this kind of content, but my algorithm has been pushing me a lot of pigeon merch. Do you feel like this is a trend or is it here to stay?
It’s definitely a trend, but I feel like it will have more longevity. What are some other trendy animals? Capybaras were very trendy for a second, but they’re not living around us, you don’t see them all the time, and you don’t have the option of having them as a pet. I think there’s some [lasting power] due to the fact that pigeons are all around. Plus, people have liked pigeons for thousands of years, and it’s been like a 100 year blip that we don’t, so it feels more like a reset to the norm rather than a splash in the pan.
I know you got Pidge off the street and that she was just a baby, but can you adopt a pigeon right off the street? And if I wanted my own purse pigeon, how would you recommend going about that?
There are a lot of pigeon rescues, and I think that that’s probably the easiest route to take…
So you’re not just snatching them off the street, okay!
Well, it was fine that I snatched her because she needed help and she wasn’t going to make it. But with that being said, they mate for life, so if you find one outside that’s an adult, it probably has a family. Because mine was a baby, she didn’t have a partner, so it wasn’t like I was stealing her away.
Okay, so I don’t want to be a home wrecker.
The baby situation that I had was kind of perfect, at least in terms of taking one from the outside. Because I wasn’t trying to get a pigeon, I wasn’t looking at rescues and what’s out there. I think if someone was intentionally looking to get a pigeon, that would be the easiest route. And then in terms of putting them into a purse, no one did that but me.
You were the trendsetter.
I made it up. But she was so little!
Does she fly away? How do you keep her in the purse?
She wants to be in the purse when we’re outside. You can tell if she’s trying to escape because once we get into the building, she knows she’s home. Sometimes she’ll fly down the hall with us to the apartment door. I think starting it when they’re young and making it normal. She never had a bad experience with it, I really approached having a pigeon like having a dog. [I wanted her to] be meeting people and socialising, and I think that was a good approach. But I didn’t ever have any other birds, so I don’t know how much of this is [unique to] her personality versus if maybe most of them would enjoy it.
And how do you feel about being “the pigeon girl” or “the girl with the pigeon”? I know you don’t go by that but it’s how a lot of people might know you. Were you deliberate and intentional about making content with Pidge or was it more about showing your day to day, and your pet just happens to be in it?
I didn’t ever post on TikTok before her, so I think on that platform that’s only ever what it was. In terms of getting that label… I guess when you’re lumping someone in with the pigeon lady and it’s a little crazy. Is that my favourite thing in the whole world? No, but it’s not something I’ve tried to stop either because it’s distinctive. It’s good branding, even though it’s weird. I think over time the perception of it changes.
And what was the initial reaction to her? Have you felt like it has changed over the past three years?
It has been really positive, which has surprised me. Most of my friends are animal people as well, so it was weird, but not in a bad way. Everyone was into it and then once you meet her, everyone loves her, so in my real life it was easy. Online, it’s mostly been positive. Instagram used to be a little more negative, which is why I held off on posting things there for a long time, and then I was like “I don’t care.” What’s happened recently which has been really cool is if people post negative stuff, I don’t even have to say anything because people will argue with them in the comments.
I have to say, you could not have picked a chicer-looking pigeon.
I know, I got very lucky.
Pidge might not be the only purse pigeon, but she’s definitely the most famous one. Has owning her influenced how you shop for purses, are there things that you keep in mind?
I love that question because I feel like I have this eye now where I know what would make a good pigeon purse. It’s a combination of a certain length and the depth because she has broad shoulders. The bottom has to be flat and sturdy enough for her to stand on. I’ve modified a few purses. I really want to get her a basket for the summer.
It’s a Jane Birkin pigeon.
I think that would be really cute.
Have people ever approached you in public when you have her, or I guess recognised you from your videos?
She’s so tiny that most of the time people don’t notice her, which is so funny. It’s only ever if I’m on the train and very obviously filming. Sometimes even then people don’t notice, in New York everyone’s got their own thing going on, I’ve seen weirder animals here for sure. And she’s always good. I get compliments on her good behaviour, so it’s only ever positive if people notice.
A proud parent. And does Pidge get PR? Has she gotten any proposals for TV appearances?
I haven’t done any film stuff with her, but there was a Nordstrom campaign that I’m really excited about. It was really fun, and she really likes being in front of the camera. She kind of poses and likes flash. They always ask if it’s okay to use flash and I tell them she actively gets excited about it!
What a diva!
She’s made for it. This is her calling. She gets a little bit of PR, and we’ve had a few things with brands that will send her a bag and I’ll do a video with Pidge in the bag. I’m hoping that it will continue to grow because it’s really fun.
Words – Julia Novis
