I have read stories about folks befriending their local murder of crows and I realize that I have a few pigeons that live in the eaves of nearby houses. Is there a potential to befriend them? Does anyone know?
I am fond of pigeons but haven't started learning about them in earnest quite yet. Are domestic pigeons fundamentally different than their wild compatriates?
Let me know what you think and thank you in advance.
I have not tried it myself, but I have read about people who have made friends of pigeons.
Any of the "regular" pigeons you see are feral, not actually wild since they are descended from domesticated ones. That does make it really easy to get them back to tame.
Personally, I wouldn't. They like to nest in guttering, especially where the down pipes are connected - then when it rains . . . low risk allegedly of spreading unpronounceable diseases, as well as ticks and mites and cockroaches (who needs more of those?)
My local feed store sells "pigeon food". It contains a mix of seeds designed to please pigeons. I would start by scattering it on the ground in an open area. They may find it and start making regular visits.
We aren't in a usual pigon zone but we had one hang out with us one summer. If we were outside, he stayed near us and would sing to us. He ate with the chickens and they kind of liked him too.
It was amazing to see him out fly two falcons at the same time. I forget pigeons are the second fastest bird. Well, this one must have been the fastest as he left those falcons in the dust. He came back the next morning like nothing had happened.
Come fall, we found out that he was supposed to be a homing pigeon and found his owner. Apparently we are just one ridge over and he got confused. I kind of hoped he would come back and visit, but he never did.
Joseph Lofthouse wrote:My local feed store sells "pigeon food". It contains a mix of seeds designed to please pigeons. I would start by scattering it on the ground in an open area. They may find it and start making regular visits.
Yes, food is the most secure method to tame any kind of animal ;)
Food , shelter , companionship.
Timothy Norton wrote:I have read stories about folks befriending their local murder of crows and I realize that I have a few pigeons that live in the eaves of nearby houses. Is there a potential to befriend them? Does anyone know?
I am fond of pigeons but haven't started learning about them in earnest quite yet. Are domestic pigeons fundamentally different than their wild compatriates?
Let me know what you think and thank you in advance. :)
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There are turtle doves that come by the feeder here. They are in the same family of Columbidae, with the same kind of cooing noise but doves are smaller. I'm not sure who would be more trusting, doves or pigeons but both seem to be more intelligent than birds in general. Here is a guy who befriended pigeons. Maybe you will get some tips from his story:
https://www.therockysafari.com/2021/02/25/can-you-befriend-a-wild-pigeon/ Pigeons can make a nuisance of themselves, especially in town because they like to build nests under the eves of houses, and of course, they poop. Their poop is abundant and extremely corrosive on statues and on metal. They say also that pigeon poop can make you sick. Well, so can any kind of poop, truth be told.
My neighbor raised pigeons in captivity, probably for squabs, although he never told us. We lost the last "passenger pigeon" in 1914 and as a little girl, I kept hoping that these homing pigeons, who have a terrific homing instinct could somehow replace them, but passenger pigeons were really a different kind altogether [Ectopistes migratorius] and they would fly in vast groups.
That was the cause of their demise, as in the Pyrenees, folks would extend large nets in narrow valleys and capture them by the thousands. They would get tangled in the nets and could be captured easily for food.
They make for good eating, I'm told, but there really isn't much meat on them besides the breasts.
Wild rock doves, domestic pigeons, and feral pigeons are all the same species, Columba livia, so they can interbreed indefinitely.
If you are interested in befriending them, you might want to raise them yourself. They don't require much. A loft, clean water and grain. My neighbor told me that he bought a couple of pairs and kept them captive until they made some babies together. After that, the adults considered their loft "home" and the door could be left open; they would always come back, and so would their offsprings.
Pigeons are really smart! They can recognize faces and even learn symbols. Feed them at around the same time every day in an open place, and you will soon have regular visitors. If you just sit quietly and watch, they will soon learn you're friendly. Give them a place to build nests that resembles their native cliffsides and/or a birdbath for bonus points. While today's pigeons are not the same species as the tragically extinct native passenger pigeon, North America is supposed to be literally covered in pigeons, so go ahead and love them!
The chicks are yellow like little ducks! A pigeon made a nest in a flower pot on my balcony in a fairly urban area. She sat on the nest for a while until two little duckling pigeons hatched!
Athenas Gardens wrote:The chicks are yellow like little ducks! A pigeon made a nest in a flower pot on my balcony in a fairly urban area. She sat on the nest for a while until two little duckling pigeons hatched!
Lucky you! She must have been there for about 18 days, which is the incubation for pigeons. The down is yellow at first, and the big buggy eyes are probably still closed. The squabs [that's the term normally used for baby pigeons] are quite helpless at this stage.
I hope they don't get disturbed at all. Squabs first have to reach almost adult size before they dare to take their first flight, around 6 weeks.
You may get a chance at developing a friendship [if you have a lot of patience].
Athenas Gardens wrote:The chicks are yellow like little ducks! A pigeon made a nest in a flower pot on my balcony in a fairly urban area. She sat on the nest for a while until two little duckling pigeons hatched!
Lucky you! She must have been there for about 18 days, which is the incubation for pigeons. The down is yellow at first, and the big buggy eyes are probably still closed. The squabs [that's the term normally used for baby pigeons] are quite helpless at this stage.
I hope they don't get disturbed at all. Squabs first have to reach almost adult size before they dare to take their first flight, around 6 weeks.
You may get a chance at developing a friendship [if you have a lot of patience].
Athenas Gardens wrote:The chicks are yellow like little ducks! A pigeon made a nest in a flower pot on my balcony in a fairly urban area. She sat on the nest for a while until two little duckling pigeons hatched!
Lucky you! She must have been there for about 18 days, which is the incubation for pigeons. The down is yellow at first, and the big buggy eyes are probably still closed. The squabs [that's the term normally used for baby pigeons] are quite helpless at this stage.
I hope they don't get disturbed at all. Squabs first have to reach almost adult size before they dare to take their first flight, around 6 weeks.
You may get a chance at developing a friendship [if you have a lot of patience].
I have made a small amount of progress, but nothing significant.
I have repurposed the chicken feed that falls out of the bag into the bottom of the galvanized can it is stored in as bird (pigeon) feed. I will scoop it up in a cup and walk along hedge line spreading it around. This has attracted additional frequent visitors such as a cardinal pair, a mourning dove pair, and a small varied flock of chickadees. Sure, the occasional squirrel picks up a few whole sunflower seeds but I don't see them emboldened to cause issues.
There is a new issue, well it was a pre-existing issue but my chickens are protected from it so it was a non-issue. The accumulation of critters has attracted the attention of predatory birds that fly along the river and they have flown low a few times but have had no success quite yet.
Nature sure is interesting. Still need to work on befriending the pigeons however. Currently they at least enjoy the occasional treat.
The pigeons seem to prefer when feed is scattered out in the open area of the lawn, not alongside the hedge. The doves like both areas equally.
They do not seem too picky about what they are given for feed. I believe the cracked corn catches their eye in the grass better than some other options.
I am now up to six semi-frequent pigeon visitors, one of them being a light warm brown and white coloration.
We have reached up to nine visitors. They are spooked off the ground if I come out of the house but wait up on the roof ridge for me to disappear so they can return to grazing.
I've finally managed to get some control over my lawn. It was looking like a hay field after all the rain we have received. A fresh cut followed by some spread seed caught their attention.
Timothy Norton wrote:We have reached up to nine visitors. They are spooked off the ground if I come out of the house but wait up on the roof ridge for me to disappear so they can return to grazing.
I've finally managed to get some control over my lawn. It was looking like a hay field after all the rain we have received. A fresh cut followed by some spread seed caught their attention.
9 visitors? That's pretty good. I only have 5.
Is the place where you place the seed close to the house? We have a feeder and these turtle doves come every morning. It is about 20 ft away from the house. The service door to the garage opening suddenly will scare them every time.
They fly up to the oak tree nearby and do not come back until I leave.
I think that they associate us with a loud door instead of associating us with the food. Perhaps they need to associate us with food. I know bread isn't really good for them, but it is a strong attractant. Can you make eye contact with them?
Once they associate you with the food, I think you will have an easier time.
[ Maybe not as easy as the bird lady in Home alone II, but they will learn that you are their friend]. Could you come out of another door or move the place where you dish the treats a little farther away?
We have now reached a record total of fifteen visiting pigeons at one time .
I do believe that there is a 'core' element of visitors that are around ten in number that have created a routine of pecking over my backyard. These birds will not at least tolerate my presence, at a distance, with a few even letting me come within fifteen feet or so. I do believe we are building trust. When my wife and I are outside doing work it isn't uncommon to see a bunch of pigeons on the roofline of the house watching us.
I find it interesting that after everything calms down and some time has passed (ten minutes or so) that the first pigeon will descend down and check out the area. A few more minutes will pass and then a second pigeon will join the first to peck around. One after another they will fly down until they all are on the ground but never at the same time. When something is spooky however, they all take off in a big spectacle. They are very cautious birds.
Timothy Norton wrote:We have now reached a record total of fifteen visiting pigeons at one time .
I do believe that there is a 'core' element of visitors that are around ten in number that have created a routine of pecking over my backyard. These birds will not at least tolerate my presence, at a distance, with a few even letting me come within fifteen feet or so. I do believe we are building trust. When my wife and I are outside doing work it isn't uncommon to see a bunch of pigeons on the roofline of the house watching us.
I find it interesting that after everything calms down and some time has passed (ten minutes or so) that the first pigeon will descend down and check out the area. A few more minutes will pass and then a second pigeon will join the first to peck around. One after another they will fly down until they all are on the ground but never at the same time. When something is spooky however, they all take off in a big spectacle. They are very cautious birds.
I've observed crows doing the same type of things: Checking things out cautiously, with some always "standing guard" and be ready to scare all others. Crows are some of the smartest birds. They can identify guns, for example and will all scatter when the alarm is given. I think they can identify people, too. they know my husband who has shot at them is a threat. They also know I am not. [There is a difference in the "respectful distance" between my hubby and me.]
Pigeons love safflower seeds more than anything! I can relocate pigeons from one place to another simply by making a trail of the stuff!
Yes, they prefer to feed in open spaces where they can see land predators coming. This post is right up my alley! I've been breeding a large flock for almost a decade, and yes they do recognize human faces, but respond really well to vocal phrases, since birds sing.
My domestic pigeons soon learned "Here's the water" with an up tone on the last syllable, and would come perch on my wrists in winter to get first dibs on the water. And they quickly learned "Time for bed" with a down tone, and of course a shorter song, means the coop is getting closed up. So I would definitely try calling out a phrase to them. Both in mid summer and mid winter, birds are attracted more to water than food, and in winter, I put out warm water so it takes longer to freeze
The blue jays are usually first to the 4" high 16" wide rubber feed platters I fill with water, and I give them first dibs before I open up my pigeon coops. Blue jays are the falcon warning system, but also good for alerting about nearby ground predators. In summer, a 9" platter filled 4-5" is a favorite for bathing and is fun to watch.
I often get feral pigeons drop by in the fall, especially if I have managed to find a farmer donating or selling cheap weed seed (oats full of weed seed from the bottom of a silo). The partridge and turtle doves hang around as well. I had a grackle one year who took a fancy to perching on my head.
Great thread! I live in the Midwest where a few years ago I acquired 2.5 acres with 4 grain bins the lids had blown off. About 50 pigeons live in them, safe from any outside predators. It’s fun to watch them gather on the lip of the opening and drop straight down to feed their young. I recently learned that they mate for life- but move on if a partner is killed of course. They cement their bond with a pigeon kiss which looks more like them feeding young. They have been thriving here for decades with no interference from me, and so of course I have an urge to interfere. I’m wondering if I could line the inside of the bins with some better boxes to help them nest and keep them out of the droppings. Since I’ve had the place they’ve picked up (or raised) 2 white ones and the flock has turned from Pigeon Grey to all types of dapples and cinnamons.
What size are the spaces where you want to put boxes?
You could put cardboard boxes, nested one inside another to be more robust, and they will last a while, ideally just for one batch, which makes ideal compost, or if the size is appropriate, pick up some used plastic milk crates with or without a cardboard box inside. I use them sometimes and to clean leave them in the rain then pressure wash them once I've harvested most of their composting resources. Crates are nice because they stack.
I am pretty sure the sharing of regurgitated food the couples perform does double duty of sharing their immune systems, helping to ensure the pigeons are getting the same mix of beneficial microbes and pathogens from each parent.
I've found by the time I have had purebred giant runt stock for two generations they have become healthier, hardier, and smarter and the males always get paired with a healthy robust female before I decide if they are purebred breeding material. I limit the breeding of all of mine, collecting the eggs for my dogs.
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