Alexandria's "Fancy Pigeon" Has a New Home

"The black-and-white pigeon with elaborately feathered feet immediately caused a stir when it appeared at Alexandria's Amtrak station in June. "Why is a penguin here?" ticket agent Octavia Scott says she and her coworkers joked. Commuters posted photos of the bird, which was quickly identified by online sleuths as a Lahore pigeon, a domesticated "fancy pigeon" prized by aficionados. While people online tried out monikers like Paul and Pickles for the bird, the staff decided to name him Gregory Alex-Alex for Alexandria and Gregory just because it seemed to fit the way he presented himself. "He's like an old man," Scott explains-elegant and a bit reserved."

"Scott bought a bag of birdseed for Gregory after noticing he wouldn't touch the food that commuters began to bring to the station-bread, sunflower seeds, and, because this was Alexandria, pieces of croissants. Gregory didn't seem scared of humans, says Elga Ozols, who commutes to DC on the train and named the pigeon "Alexandria's Very Fancy Bird" on Bluesky, frequently posting updates and photos. There was a period this summer when posts about Gregory were unavoidable for anyone with a social-media feed that included Alexandria residents."

"After fliers and online posts asking whether anyone had lost a fancy pigeon received no responses, Scott and her coworkers began to view the bird as their responsibility. Gregory reciprocated Scott's attention in particular, puffing his chest out when passengers stopped her to ask about the bird as she fed him. Scott called the Humane Society, where, she says, the person who answered the phone advised her that the pigeon could live outside, but if he would let someone touch him, he'd benefit from going to someone's house."

A black-and-white Lahore pigeon with elaborately feathered feet appeared at Alexandria's Amtrak station in June and immediately drew attention. Ticket agent Octavia Scott and commuters photographed the bird and jokingly compared it to a penguin. Station staff named the bird Gregory Alex-Alex while online users suggested other monikers and posted frequent updates. Scott provided birdseed when Gregory ignored food left by passengers. Gregory accepted human contact, puffed his chest when receiving attention, and was treated as the station's responsibility after lost-pet inquiries produced no owner. The pigeon attracted tourists and occasional attempts to capture him at night.

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