Abstract
The dove has been the international
symbol of peace for as long as
anyone can remember and , if numbers
count , the more doves , the
greater the tranquility. And tranquil
are the aviaries of Lynn Hall, which
are filled with the brilliant colors and
resonant sounds of over two dozen
species of rare doves, pigeons, and
fruit pigeons.
When one conjures up an image of
a dove, it is often of the mourning or
turtle dove - natives of North
America - in their plain, earth tone
colors. The word " pigeon" more
often than not evokes the thought of
swarms of birds begging for handouts
at the local park or fast food chain.
These duller members of the Columbiformes
belie the incredible beauty
and diverse patterns of size and color
found in so many species, most of
which are found in more exotic and
further reaches of the globe. Some of
the fruit pigeons easily rival the
gaudiest parrot and the surrealistic
Lady Gouldian finch.
Lynn has been a bird fancier from
his earliest days, when, as the son of a
wildcatter, the only companions he
had were the birds he kept. Life in the
oil business meant never staying in
one place very long , as his father
moved from one drilling site to the
next.