BIROS Of LISBON

Evening Star, Issue 20028, 20 November 1928, Page 1

BIROS Of LISBON

PROTECTED BY AUTHORITIES PIGEONS AND SI’ABIUAVS ABE GREAT ATTRACTIONS TO VISITORS TO PORTUGAL. Of late years pigeons have been permitted to live and mnltipl.y in Li lion, protected by the authorities, as well as by the public, wiio take great interest in these feathered inhabitants of tho “ eity of marble and granite.” Visitors to Lisbon, when passing through the, Rocio or any ot tho other open spaces in the centre of the city, cannot fail to remark' tho number of pigeons that, abound here. Absolutely indifferent to traffic, the pigeons Dock round their numerous friends, who daily feed them at certain hours, their white wings shining in the sun “ like now silver ” as tho Portuguese express it. The birds are mostly blue gray and white, but in the blinding light the general effect E while.

They are so lame they barely move out of the way iff adults, unless purposely friglitcned, and of children they seem to have no fear at all. But more interesting, perhaps, than the pigeons are the sparrows of Camoens. This square is planted with lime trees on Ihe south side and elms on the north. Tho sparrows have chosen a certain huge lime tree for their roosting place, and are never seen in any of the other frees. Just before sunset thousands and thousands of sparrows converge on Camoens, resting first, on the roofs and moldings of a church on the opposite side of the .street. Then like leaves blown before the wind, they drift into (he branches of the lime. Their shrill chirping drowns tho noises of the street, and is punctuated by special hursts indicating a squabble for place, further marked by little floating feathers.

People slop ami watch the process of settling down lor the night, quite unable to tear themselves away. It takes almost an hour for the last sparrow to be perched to Jiis liking, and even then their sleep is apt. to be disturbed by the apparition of a mysterious bird, believed to be an owl," that flits through.the square, taking toll of the crowded branches. No idea of the number of arboreal lodgers can bo obtained in summer owing to the loaves, but in winter, when the tree should bo bare it appears still to retain its leaves. Every inch ot twig bears its little puffed-out ball of gray leathers, giving the idea of a ■willow tree in spring. A revolution will scare the birds away for a time. hut. after a few months they come back in as great numbers as before.