Meet the birdman of Brooklyn

Like most New Yorkers, I didn’t think much of pigeons. But a trip to see Duke Riley and his flock—more than 2,000 birds of varying breeds that the artist has trained at the Brooklyn Navy Yard for his Creative Time project Fly By Night—changed all that.
The Brooklyn-based artist’s vast knowledge of the history of pigeon-breeding is matched only by his affection for the birds. I couldn’t help but share his enthusiasm during a recent visit to the Baylander, a decommis