Cannibalistic pigeon?

So, I was in New York.. walking around, seeing sights, taking pictures. To be true to New York, I got some road-side food. It was sort of a pita, wrapped around chicken, tomatoes, onion, lettuce, among other things, and some sauces.

I was walking around, eating the thing, and getting to where I was going to. Then I reached a square, and thought I'd rest my weary feet, and enjoy the rest of my lunch. So I did.

As I was eating, a couple of pigeons swooped down around me. They probably registered that I was having food, and as opportunistic as they are, came to cash in for some free food.

As I was chomping away at my pita, an unattended piece of chicken started making its way down the paper napkin. I was feeling rather full, and hence generous, so I thought I'd give a bit to the birds eyeing my pita so longingly. And before I could think what I was doing, my finger flicked, and the piece of chicken landed right in front of one of the eager pigeon's beak.

And then I realized - it was a piece of chicken - a piece of bird, with a bird staring down at it, ready to gulp it down.

I stopped swallowing mid-way, and looked at the pigeon in shock and suspense. He looked back at me, in that twitchy way that birds do, with his red eyes thanking me (?) for the morsel that could serve as his lunch.

There was a battle raging in my mind - would the pigeon eat the chicken? Would he realize that the morsel was not what he regularly eats, but is, or rather was, a part of the same species (or phyllum, or whatever) that he belongs to?

He hopped, hopped in the direction of the morsel. My jaw dropped, eyes widened. It didnt seem to make a difference to him. The tension in the air was tremendously electric. In a moment he was right over the morsel. Now, I thought, he'd realize the obvious (hmm.. mabbe not so obvious to him).. and back off.

The world tuned out for me. Time slowed down. Everything was in slow motion. Complete silence. There we were, me, with a half eaten pita, sitting on a bench, with a piece of discarded chicken lying on the ground before me, and the pigeon, eyeing that same piece with a concrete intention in his head of what he was going to do to it.

And then finally, the moment was over, as quick as it had begun. The pigeon pecked at the piece of chicken, and in one quick motion.... it was gone.