How One Pigeon Survived Hurricane Sandy In The Church Avenue Subway Station

It’s been three years since Hurricane Sandy hit and many are still recovering from the terrible storm. But one type of New York resident is not often considered when remembering the hurricane: the pigeon. Neighbor Cathryn Swan recently wrote in the Huffington Post of a pigeon she noticed hiding out from the storm in the Church Avenue subway station.

She paid attention to the bird after the storm and tried to help take care of it.

On Tuesday, once reports came through that it was safe to cautiously walk around, I went back to the Church Avenue station. I was able to walk down the stairs into the vestibule area. The turnstiles were roped off with yellow tape: Do Not Enter. Through the bars, I saw the hardy pigeon. I identified with her perhaps. I brought bird seed, throwing it between the bars to the off-limits area; my new friend made her way over, eating steadily.

She was impressed with the hardy, steadfast pigeon that had found a way to wait out the storm in relative safety.

The pigeon had fared well though and seemed comfortable within the massive station. Once trains resumed, I would look for her when I took the train, and on other days during neighborhood walks, bringing sustenance for her with me which I provided as discreetly as possible.

She came to know me: when I walked down the narrow, cave-like corridor, she would recognize me from afar and fly to meet me, landing within steps of my feet. It was an amazing thing to witness – this pigeon masterfully and elegantly navigating the underground space, often flying over 30 feet. Sometimes it felt I was the only one who noticed, except one day I heard one of the workers mention her, he seemed both proud and protective of this survivor bird.

But one day she stopped seeing the pigeon and although she hoped it would come back, she never saw it in the Church Avenue station again. Cathryn writes that she hopes the pigeon made its way out of the subway to join a flock.

“It was like we had our own secret within the Church Avenue subway station. The smartest bird in NYC? Possibly,” writes Cathryn.

Did you notice the pigeon in the Church Avenue subway station?