Notes:
pigeon 鳩;
commonplace ごく普通の，平凡な;
alongside ～のそばに;
feeder エサを与える人;
discriminate […を]区別する;
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If you go to a park for a sandwich in the UK, particularly in London, there is a good chance that you will not be alone – you will probably be followed by a pigeon. According to estimates there are 28 million pigeons in Europe alone. Pigeons are commonplace these days in most capitals. One reason is that it is a safe habitat and there is a constant supply of food, all year-round. Pigeons are aware of this fact and so choose urban environments before rural ones. It seems that they are fast becoming comfortable living alongside humans. A recent study of pigeons also showed that pigeons select their feeders carefully and can quickly discriminate between a friendly person and a non-pigeon liker. (by Prof. Simon Smith)
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