Behavior
Much of what pigeons do, from head-bobbing to preening and cooing, has a practical reason linked to feeding, safety or breeding. This section explains the everyday behaviour of town, wild and loft birds, including courtship and nesting, life in a flock, eyesight and how homing pigeons find their way back.
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Behavior
Preening Explained
Preening is the way birds groom and maintain their feathers. Using the beak, a bird repositions feathers, re-links separated barbules, cleans the plumage and removes parasites. A pigeon…
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Behavior
Do Homing Pigeons Get Lost?
Homing pigeons have been bred for speed and navigation. A trained homing pigeon will usually return to its home loft even when released a long way from it,…
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Behavior
Why Is My Pigeon Biting Me? Causes and Calm Fixes
Why is my pigeon biting me? Most often the bird is scared, guarding a nest, cage or mate, redirecting stress, or unwell – not trying to dominate you.…
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Behavior
Can Pigeons See in the Dark? Pigeon Night Vision Explained
Pigeons can see a little in dim light, but their night vision is poor. Their eyes are built for daylight, and a tawny owl’s eyes are about 100…
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Behavior
Do Pigeons Like Music?
There is little research on pigeons and music, but many owners find their pigeons seem calmer with instrumental and classical music and react to vocal music too. Some…
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Behavior
Do Doves Sing?
Doves do not sing in the strict sense: they are not passerines (opens in new tab), the songbird group. Instead they make the soft cooing typical of the…
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Behavior
Do Doves Really Cry?
No, doves do not cry. Doves (pigeons) and dogs do use moisture to wet their eyes, and it is possible that they may over-wet their eyes so that…
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Behavior
Pigeon Kisses: All You Need To Know
Pigeon Kissing is also known as “billing”. Kissing is part of pigeons’ courtship rituals. The hen will often approach her mate and when he opens his beak he…
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Baby Pigeons
Do Pigeons Kill their Babies?
Pigeons rarely kill their own babies, but it does happen. The usual cause is “scalping”, where a parent pecks at the head of an older squab, most often…
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Behavior
Do Pigeons Grieve?
Pigeons very probably grieve, although it is hard to prove. They are highly intelligent birds who usually mate for life, they develop strong bonds with their partner and…
