When pigeons take off you can often hear a whistling noise, which sounds like this:
The sound is best studied in the Australian crested pigeon, where it comes mainly from a narrow 8th primary feather on each wing that flutters as the wing beats. Research has shown that in crested pigeons the noise works as an alarm: the faster a bird flaps, the more urgent the sound, and other birds take off in response. Whether the same applies to city pigeons has been less studied. Manakins and hummingbirds also make sounds with their feathers.
The Research
This is only a relatively recent discovery.
Research conducted by the Australian National University (opens in new tab) discovered this in 2017.
The researchers filmed crested pigeons taking off, before and after making changes to their feathers.
Different feathers were trimmed and the noise they made when taking off was recorded.
When the 8th primary wing feather was trimmed the noise changed completely.
Also Read: What Sound Does A Pigeon Make?
Last updated 31 October 2026 · Facts