When pigeons are hurt or are feeling unwell they tend to hide themselves away in a safe secure place which is out of view.
This is why you don’t see lots of pigeon corpses all over the place, because they die in hidden places and then the corpses are usually found and consumed by scavengers.
Pigeon Corpses
Although, it does seem odd that you don’t often come across a dead pigeon or any other bird for that matter.
You may have seen one or two in your whole lifetime (incidentally here are a few tips on how to dispose of a dead pigeon if you do come across one).
They may be the result of accidents, a collision with a moving vehicle or the remains of a predator attack or something of that fashion.
Pigeons don’t suddenly die on the wing of natural causes and plummet to earth.
If that were the case, we’d all be dodging falling pigeons.
How Do They Die?
Just think of how many pigeons there are – millions and millions of them – but we rarely see a dead one.
Given the feral pigeon’s short lifespan and rapid reproduction, you would expect to see more.
Sometimes we do see the result of attacks when a pigeon is caught unawares.
Apart from man, pigeons have other predators, such as falcons and other hawks, cats, rats, and occasionally dogs, but they don’t die in great numbers from these attacks, certainly not enough to make any great dent in their population or to litter the ground with their dead bodies.
Pigeons die all the time, so, why don’t we see them?
The Sick And The Old
The fact is that any pigeon who is sick or just old and weary will seek safety and shelter.
They hide themselves away.
It is well known that pigeons nest in most bizarre places, but they are also adept at finding safe havens.
Pigeons have access to many hidden corners of our buildings such as attics, lofts, ventilation shafts, and chimneys, to mention just a few.
These hide-a-ways are always high off the ground where we can’t see or even don’t look.
Pigeons Hide When Ill
A sick or injured pigeon will go someplace they can feel safe and hopefully recover from what ails it.
If not, it will die in some lonely place, which we will never see.
It is not known if pigeons can sense their natural death coming upon them, but it is probably safe to say that when they are feeling weary, when flying becomes a great effort, they look for a place to stash themselves, so they aren’t prey to swifter predators.
Tucked away in some nook, their bodies don’t fall to the ground, so we don’t see them.
Also Read: Do Pigeons Grieve?
The Cleaners
If by chance, a pigeon dies by accident or attack and does fall to the ground, there are cleaning crews ready to dismember their corpse.
If the local council street cleaners don’t get to them first, there are plenty of other scavengers that look on a dead pigeon as a windfall.
Cats and rats have shared the pigeon’s close relationship with mankind and are animals that see pigeons as prey.
They will also scavenge mammal remains, such as pigeons.
They won’t devour their meal in the open, but take it away somewhere to eat in peace and safety.
Also, there are the wild rural animals like foxes, who are increasingly moving into our cities looking for easy pickings.
Once the animals higher up on the food chain have taken their toll, the insects move in.
Insects arrive in hordes and they can remove any sign of a dead animal more rapidly than you would think possible.
Pigeons Die In Isolation
Pigeons die lonely deaths in hidden places.
Opportunistic predators and scavengers take care of their remains.
That is the rational reason why there isn’t a carpet of pigeon corpses littering the pavements of our city squares and streets or dotting our countryside.
You may spot the odd feather blowing in the wind, but that is all.
Also Read: Dead Pigeon Meaning