The French Army dovecote at the Mont Valérien fortress in Suresnes (Hauts-de-Seine), on September 17, 2025. AGNÈS DHERBEYS FOR M LE MAGAZINE DU MONDE
"Filming with the Belgians wore her out. Three days non-stop – no wonder she's in a foul mood this afternoon." The "she" in question is P John. Six months old, pink feet, russet feathers, and a sly eye. According to her handler, Sylvain (those referred to by first name only have withheld their surnames in accordance with military regulations), a former staff sergeant with the French Army's 8th Signal Regiment, explained that the little star perched on his shoulder was having one of her off days. Too much demand. Journalists often climb Mont Valérien to meet her and her feathered comrades. Nearly 200 pigeons nest in Europe's last military dovecote.
In the heart of the highly secured fort, several casemates stood from which the gentle cooing of pigeons escaped. "Hello, chickens!" Sylvain called out. An excited flutter of wings greeted him in response. Amid the swirl of feathers march the "messenger soldiers." Sometimes, one of them gives a friendly peck at the hand that feeds it, like a pet. Their eyes shimmer in shades of opal, pink, or violet, and their flight feathers shimmer with hues far removed from the drab gray of Parisian pigeons.
