Culture

Birds of a Feather

e American Pigeon Museum and Library nests right here in Oklahoma.

At the American Pigeon Museum and Library, guests can interact with 16 diff erent pigeon breeds. Photo by Carol Mowdy Bond “We’re a donationbased museum,” says Lauren Gandara, who greets people at the American Pigeon Museum and Library (APM&L). “ ere’s no entry fee. So people can come and check us out for free.” Gandara is also the caretaker and mother hen for the museum-owned pigeons that live at what’s called “the Loft.” It’s a habitat next door to APM&L, where there’s plenty of room for the birds to y and live freely. But weather permitting, APM&L visitors may view 16 breeds of live pigeons at the museum. “I don’t bring them to the museum if it’s too hot,” explains Gandara. “And they don’t live in these cages. We just display them here for visitors. Some of our birds are personable, make great pets and can be trained. Several know me when I walk into the Loft, and they land on my shoulder.” e family-friendly, self-guidedtour museum has spacious, wide-open rooms and can hold up to about 100 people. APM&L targets the history and heritage of humankind’s oldest feathered friends, and guests visit from around the world. e venue o ers exhibit rooms that display how pigeon carriers impacted communications during wartime, and pigeon racing as a popular sporting event. A third room o ers knowledge of di erent types of high-brow pigeon breeds. is space includes information about passenger pigeons which were North America’s most populous birds 200 years ago, prior to extinction. One ock was estimated at 3.5 billion birds. A fourth room houses a research library.

With hundreds of breeds, and as the oldest domesticated bird, some pigeons can wing it for 1,000 miles, and may reach speeds of 90 miles per hour over shorter distances (with the wind’s assistance). ey are found in both domesticated and feral states. ey’ve been used for food and entertainment. And one of the oldest methods of long-distance communication is via homing pigeon – a Roman army used them 2,000 years ago for that purpose. In fact, history is replete with pigeon contributions to the world, such as the German pharmacist who used pigeons to deliver medicine in 1907. ere are fancier breeds, like show breed pigeons. And there are homing breeds, a.k.a. racing pigeons; some of them have pedigrees like horses. People breed homing pigeons for speed, whether to race professionally or just for fun. And it’s a popular sport, with associations and clubs circling the globe.

Enthusiasts sometimes invest heavily in pigeons. e priciest racing pigeon, as of Nov. 2020, sold for a feather-whopping $1.9 million. And race-winning-prize monies can be just as impressive. CAROL MOWDY BOND

THE PIGEON RACING UNION

A national organization for pigeon racing hobbyists founded in 1910, the American Racing Pigeon Union (AU), standardizes rules for the sport, awards cash prizes and promotes the sport. Since the AU was already located in Oklahoma City, the APM&L originally formed there in 1973. And the board members chose to roost its new state-of-the-art museum next door to the AU, creating a central hub for pigeon fans. Located at 2300 N.E. 63rd St., the APM&L is open Fridays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 405-478-5155 to make an appointment.

From left to right: Dr. Brian Gosnell, Mary, JerriLynn, Maggie, Dr. Matthew Walker

Dentistry UTICA DENTAL

DR. MATTHEW WALKER • DR. BRIAN GOSNELL & HYGIENE STAFF

Dr. Matthew Walker and Dr. Brian Gosnell and the team at Utica Dental offer patients a truly relaxed, professional, state-of-theart experience, with beautiful results from the moment they walk through the door. Conveniently located between 15th and 21st Street on South Utica Ave. in Tulsa, Utica Dental provides patients with peaceful, serene views out of the floor-to-ceiling windows while the dental team provides gentle care. Television monitors allow patients to get comfortable and watch a favorite show or movie. Want to hear music instead? Just ask Alexa to play it while in the dental chair.

Dr. Walker and Dr. Gosnell provide cosmetic and family dentistry to patients of all ages. General restorative care, dental implants, Invisalign, teeth whitening, root canal treatment, extractions, crown and bridge, preventative hygiene care, sedation dentistry, nitrous oxide (laughing gas) and full mouth transformation procedures are all available at Utica Dental.

Our hygiene staff is one of the best in the area. We offer many different techniques to make your visit with us as comfortable and painless as possible. We are a family-based practice so all members of your family can be seen in the same office, no more traveling to different offices for dental care. We take pride in the care that we give to our Utica Dental family.

Infection control and sterilization are top priorities at Utica Dental. Using the most up-to-date, strictly followed CDC guided sterilization procedures and products, Dr. Walker and Dr. Gosnell are committed to creating a sterile environment for the safety of every patient and team member.

Utica Dental is an Oklahoma Magazine “The Best of the Best” recipient, and Dr. Walker and Dr. Gosnell continue to elevate his dental techniques to provide the best dental care to patients. Dr. Walker and Dr. Gosnell encourages you to come and experience Utica Dental, where every patient is a priority and truly a member of the family.