A tour of the Brooklyn rooftops where man’s best friend has a beak and wings

From above an abandoned tenement building in the Bushwick neighbourhood of Brooklyn, 2 Tone tries to lure in the idealised ‘true pigeon, that’ll never break your heart’. On the other side of town, Goodwin and Super 13 tend to their own diverse 300-bird collection. Each pigeon-keeper possesses an intimate knowledge of their flock, and shares the same goal of coaxing other keepers’ birds away. It’s a niche hobby in New York City, but it’s born of a human-animal bond that dates back thousands of years to when pigeons were first domesticated for their meat, before being bred as pets and message-carriers. A refreshingly unique rooftop-level take on an endlessly scrutinised city, Pigeon Kings of Brooklyn delivers an intimate look at the birds who make cities their home, and the people who continue to value this interspecies relationship.