Toys for Pigeons: Best Toys and Free Ideas to Keep Them Busy

The best toys for pigeons are ones that let them forage, bathe and look around: a large mirror, a shallow bathing dish, open weave balls filled with seed, and nesting material to sort through. Pigeons kept indoors or in a small cage need these most, as they have less to do than birds in a loft or outside.

Toys for pigeons can help to keep them mentally stimulated and active.

Some of the best toys for pigeons include:

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Many of these toys are advertised as toys for parrots, cockatoos, budgies and other more exotic type birds, but a pigeon will enjoy them just as much.

1. Mirrors

A hanging mirror with a bell

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Some studies suggest pigeons can learn to recognize themselves in a mirror or reflective surface, although scientists still debate what this shows.

Some pigeons will spend a long time in front of a mirror, cooing, bowing or preening. If a bird gets agitated or keeps attacking its reflection, take the mirror away for a while.

You can get all sorts of mirrors from simple hanging mirrors with bells (opens in new tab), mirrors that are also perches (opens in new tab), and really fancy ones with additional toys attached (opens in new tab).

2. A Bird Swing

A birch-and-wire swing for small birds

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A bird swing (opens in new tab) will go down well with pigeons.

They enjoy lining up along telephone wires and other kinds of cables and branches, so they will no doubt get some stimulation from a swing.

3. A Climbing Frame

A rope climbing net to hang up

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Pigeons aren’t natural climbers like parrots, and most prefer flat shelves to rope or round perches. A hanging net can still give them somewhere to perch and hop to, as long as you add flat landing spots.

They will get some exercise by flying or hopping from one to another if you place shelves or a climbing toy (opens in new tab) at either end of the coop.

4. Open Weave Balls

A pack of wicker balls to peck at

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Another good toy for pigeons is open weave balls (opens in new tab).

Because they are hollow, you can fill them with some feed, which will spill out bit by bit when it is moved.

That way you can entertain your pigeons and give them some exercise by using their gluttonous natures.

5. Bird Toy Packs

A seven-piece bird toy and training set

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If you really want to entertain, train and educate your pigeon, there are packs of bird toys (opens in new tab) available.

They are generally designed for parrots but are equally useful for pigeons.

Typically, they have hoop-la type games, balls, a miniature skateboard, and puzzles.

As intelligent birds, they will figure things out and will also watch and learn from your tutorials.

Free and homemade enrichment

Two pigeons bathing and drinking at a stone fountain

The things pigeons enjoy most cost little or nothing. Bird vets at the Association of Avian Veterinarians (opens in new tab) suggest scattering some of the daily feed on a clean tray or the cage floor so the birds can forage, as they would outside. Other favourites include:

a wide, shallow dish of water for bathing, such as a casserole dish or large plant saucer
nesting material to sort through, such as clean pine needles, twigs or paper strips
cardboard boxes and toilet roll tubes
flat shelves at different heights to fly or hop between, as pigeons prefer standing on flat surfaces to gripping round perches
a large mirror, especially for a pigeon kept on its own

Avoid toys with small beads, bells with loose clappers, fraying rope or painted parts that could be swallowed, and never keep a pigeon on a wire floor.

Do pigeons need toys?

Pigeons kept indoors or in a small cage do need something to do. Wild pigeons spend much of the day looking for food, and a bird with nothing to occupy it can get bored. Palomacy, a US pigeon rescue, lists a big mirror, a bathing dish and daily time out of the cage among the basics for an indoor pigeon, and says pigeons really love mirrors (opens in new tab). Pigeons kept in a loft with other birds get much of their stimulation from each other and from flying.

Keeping pigeons mentally active

Pigeons are quick learners. In experiments they have learned to tell paintings and photos apart and to complete simple tasks for a food reward. You can use the same approach at home: teach a pigeon to come when called or to peck a target, rewarding it with a small piece of unsalted peanut or a few seeds. See our pages on how smart pigeons are and pigeon treats.

Toys that hide food, such as the open weave balls above, combine the two things pigeons like best: food and a puzzle. If you keep a single pet pigeon, our guide to pigeons as pets covers cages, company and daily care.

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Last updated 24 October 2026 · Keeping