Pigeons are a common sight in urban and rural environments globally, recognized for their presence in parks, city squares, and farmlands. These adaptable birds, often seen coexisting with humans, engage in a variety of behaviors that allow them to thrive in diverse settings. While their daily activities might seem simple at first glance, a closer look reveals a complex set of routines and interactions essential for their survival and reproduction. Understanding what pigeons do provides insight into the lives of these ubiquitous avian residents.
Daily Routines and Survival
Pigeons organize their days around fundamental activities necessary for their well-being. Foraging for food is a primary focus, as they are opportunistic feeders. They search for seeds, grains, and discarded food scraps on the ground, adapting to human-populated areas where such resources are readily available. Pigeons are ground feeders.
Beyond feeding, pigeons preen to keep their feathers clean and waterproof. This activity is important for efficient flight. Throughout the day, pigeons return to roosting sites for rest and digestion. They sleep from dusk until dawn, finding sheltered spots like ledges or attics.
Social Interactions and Communication
Pigeons are highly social birds, often found in flocks that provide safety and facilitate various interactions. Flocking allows them to move as a coordinated unit, reducing their vulnerability to predators. Within these groups, pigeons communicate using a range of vocalizations and body language.
Their most recognizable sound is gentle cooing, used for general contact, attracting mates, or communicating with partners. They also use bill-clapping sounds and body postures like head bobbing, wing displays, and puffed feathers to convey intentions during courtship, territorial disputes, or to signal dominance. Pigeons exhibit social learning, tracking the gaze of their flockmates.
Remarkable Navigation Skills
Pigeons are known for their ability to navigate and return to their home loft, a phenomenon called “homing.” Humans have utilized this skill for over 2,000 years, historically for carrying messages. To find their way over long distances, pigeons integrate several sensory cues.
These cues include the Earth’s magnetic field for direction and the sun’s position as a compass. Pigeons also use olfactory cues, learning the scent composition of their home area, and rely on visual landmarks. The combination of these abilities allows them to form a cognitive map, helping them orient themselves accurately.
Raising Their Young
Pigeons are non-seasonal breeders, though spring is often a preferred breeding season. They form pair bonds, often for their entire lives, with both the male and female participating in the breeding process. Nests are simple structures built in sheltered locations like ledges, rooftops, or attics.
The female pigeon lays two eggs within a 48-hour period. Both parents share incubation duties, with the male often incubating during the day and the female taking over for the remaining time. Pigeon parents produce “crop milk,” a nutrient-rich substance secreted from the lining of their crop. Both parents feed this milk to their squabs, or chicks, for the first week or so of life, after which adult food is gradually introduced. This specialized feeding mechanism supports the rapid early growth of their young.