(Source: Creativetime.com) Part of the flock that will be featured in Fly By Night

There was a time in the history of New York when pigeons were considered more than eyesores or simple nuisances to some city residents.

Duke Riley, a Red Hook based artist, wants New Yorkers to remember the bird’s majestic past by training thousands of pigeons to fly in formation over the East River while having tiny LED lights harnessed on their legs. Called “Fly By Night,” the performance piece’s goal is to instill a greater appreciation for birds once commonly used for services and kept for companionship.

The show will be performed at the Brooklyn Navy Yard for the month of May on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at dusk. It will be free to the public but anyone wanting to see them up close should reserve a spot online at www.creativetime.org/projects/flybynight. Duke hopes to pay homage to a lost and forgotten culture that once inhabited rooftops across the five boroughs of the city.

The idea struck Duke while reading a military pigeon training manual. Armies used pigeons to deliver messages through World War I and World War II. The Brooklyn Navy Yard was once known for having the largest bird boot camps in the country. In 2013, Duke trained 50 birds to smuggle cigars from Cuba to Florida as a political message regarding the trade embargo. In 2015, he worked with pigeons again for the Havana Biennial.

(Source: Creativetime) Duke Riley overseeing rooftop pigeon coop.

In order to make the show successful, Duke recruited birds from friends and pigeon enthusiasts (better known as fanciers) and paired them together by family. He has been working closely with a group of veterinarians to ensure the health and safety of the flock. Duke’s history with pigeons started when he was a young boy after rescuing one and since has been raising them for most of his adult life.

If you’re in neighborhood, be sure to witness a piece of New York history and culture soaring in the sky.