Yes pigeons do expel urine, but no, they don’t “Pee it out” in the traditional sense like humans and other animals do.
Pigeons do not have a urethra or a urine bladder.
Instead, they instead create solid uric acid.
The solid uric acid is a white paste that pigeons poop; it is also known as excreted waste and is difficult to remove.
Pigeons are born with a cloaca.
The cloaca has an opening that has an area for the reproductive organs and an area for the rectum.
They are able to pee and poo and the same time, albeit out of the same hole and in a solid paste rather than a liquid.
What is a Cloaca?
A cloaca is an opening that is located at the rear of the pigeon’s body and is under the base of the tail.
The cloaca connects to the urinary, digestive and reproductive systems.
This means that a pigeon’s pee/poop will come out of the same place (hole).
The uric acid (urine in solid form) is the white paste, and the other dark stuff in pigeon poop is the digested food waste.
Since the white paste doesn’t dissolve well in water, this makes it easy to stick to walls, windows and cars.
There are various ways to clean pigeon poop.
One of the best things you can use to clean the pee/poop off, is to use vinegar or baking soda.
By using vinegar, you kill the adhesive quality of poop/pee so that it comes unstuck more easily.
Using baking soda with warm water will do the job too.
What Colour is Bird Pee?
Most people believe that pigeon urine is yellow, but in birds, urine is white.
It is white because birds don’t produce urine’s color compound (Urochrome), but instead excrete nitrogenous waste product that comes out as a white paste.
The white paste substance will start to decompose, which is when it starts to look more like human urine.
Decomposition will make it begin to turn yellow once it has been in direct sunlight for a long time.
Also, if the paste has too much bilirubin from the red blood cells that will also turn it yellow.
How Often Do Pigeons Pee?
Because a pigeon’s pee is mixed into the poop, they can pee/poop between 15 and 50 times a day, which is roughly every 15 minutes assuming the bird is up all day and night.
We can’t tell how often a pigeon pees, because if the pigeon has been stressed out, scared, harmed, or changed its diet, then it changes how frequently it poop/pees.
A guinea pig, for example, will urinate a little around every fifteen minutes, but like pigeons, it doesn’t pee or poop when it sleeps.
Can Pigeon’s Pee and Poop While Flying?
Pigeons do pee and poop while they are flying.
They are able to do this at the same time because it comes out of the same hole.
There are no flight muscles involved in the pooping process, so they can fly and poop at the same time.
Pigeons will happily poop/pee on your shoulder, your clean car, or the windows, and they will do this while they are airborne.
But, most of the time they will pee/poop while on the ground or standing on a perch.
Does Getting Pooped on by a Pigeon Bring Good Luck?
If a pigeon poops/pees on your head, it is considered good luck.
The sad fact is that this has been considered true for hundreds of years, and as a result, famous landmarks had vibrant pigeon populations.
But, many false stories about birds being unhygienic were released after Bird Flu became a thing, and now places like London and Venice no longer have pigeons in great numbers.
Sailors say to never remove birds’ droppings from a ship because it is bad luck to do so, and you need to keep it on the ship to let the rain wash it away if you wish to enjoy good luck.
