by Claire Golden
I was hurrying to class last week when a flash of black-and-white caught my eye. Instantly all thoughts of looming finals vanished, and I grabbed my phone and ran across the Urban Plaza to snap a picture of Cow Pigeon. You may have read about Cow Pigeon in the Pacific Sentinel. This extraordinary bird has captured the love of PSU students, one of whom anonymously chronicles CP’s adventures on Instagram @littlecowpigeon.
Why do people love this bird so much? Because he’s adorable, hilarious, and he makes people smile. He brings together the PSU community by giving people something to bond over.
He helps me remember that amazing things are everywhere if you keep your eyes open. I started looking, Cow Pigeon was everywhere – last week marks my 17th sighting of him. When I put my phone away and spend time in nature, I end up feeling so much better, and this bird helps me remember that.
Cow Pigeon reminds me not to take myself so seriously. On Valentine’s Day, I wrote an entry for PSULoveStory about my friendship with Cow Pigeon…and it got fourth place!
The biggest lesson I’ve learned from this little pigeon is that it’s OK to be different. I get weird looks sometimes for getting so excited over a pigeon, but life is more fun when you get excited over the little things. Cow Pigeon is unlike any other bird in Portland, and that’s what makes him so special.