# Pigeon mating rituals



## croc&chewy (Sep 21, 2009)

I have a group of Pigeons who fly from my neighbours roof to the bungalows behind my house constantly all day. There has been a group of them doing this for ages.

I was looking through the binoculars at them and there was a few of them looking quite chubby chasing some thinner ones around. Then they stopped and lowered their heads and started going round in circles.. then chasing them again and this carried on for a while.

Is this what they do for mating rituals? I can't be the only one who loves pigeons either :lol2:


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

croc&chewy said:


> I have a group of Pigeons who fly from my neighbours roof to the bungalows behind my house constantly all day. There has been a group of them doing this for ages.
> 
> I was looking through the binoculars at them and there was a few of them looking quite chubby chasing some thinner ones around. Then they stopped and lowered their heads and started going round in circles.. then chasing them again and this carried on for a while.
> 
> *Is this what they do for mating rituals?* I can't be the only one who loves pigeons either :lol2:


 
Sounds like it to me:2thumb:
I have a soft spot for pigeons too:flrt:


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## croc&chewy (Sep 21, 2009)

Shell195 said:


> Sounds like it to me:2thumb:
> I have a soft spot for pigeons too:flrt:


Ahh they are lovely aren't they? I want to take all of the ones who have missing feet home. They still manage to get about :lol2:


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

croc&chewy said:


> Ahh they are lovely aren't they? I want to take all of the ones who have missing feet home. They still manage to get about :lol2:


 
You could open a home for disabled pigeons:lol2:I hate seeing them with cotton round their legs or missing feet, poor pigeons


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## croc&chewy (Sep 21, 2009)

Shell195 said:


> You could open a home for disabled pigeons:lol2:I hate seeing them with cotton round their legs or missing feet, poor pigeons


Please don't tempt me! Awww I know I feel so sorry for them. We have loads near my house now.. hopefully some eggs will be along then some babies! We have a decent pair of binoculars aswell so as sad as it might sound I have been watching pigeons ... :whistling2:


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## ViperLover (Jun 7, 2009)

I've got a soft spot for pidgeons...........




On my dinner plate....:whistling2:


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## Gaboon (Jun 20, 2005)

croc&chewy said:


> I have a group of Pigeons who fly from my neighbours roof to the bungalows behind my house constantly all day. There has been a group of them doing this for ages.
> 
> I was looking through the binoculars at them and there was a few of them looking quite chubby chasing some thinner ones around. Then they stopped and lowered their heads and started going round in circles.. then chasing them again and this carried on for a while.
> 
> Is this what they do for mating rituals? I can't be the only one who loves pigeons either :lol2:


I think its some sort of ritualised pre mating behaviour. We're surrounded by them here! The "chubby" ones are the males (I think) with erected feathers making them look larger. Its well funny to watch but their cooing wakes me up sometime which can be annoying! They certainly are interesting to watch though!


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## croc&chewy (Sep 21, 2009)

ViperLover said:


> I've got a soft spot for pidgeons...........
> 
> 
> 
> ...


:whip:



Gaboon said:


> I think its some sort of ritualised pre mating behaviour. We're surrounded by them here! The "chubby" ones are the males (I think) with erected feathers making them look larger. Its well funny to watch but their cooing wakes me up sometime which can be annoying! They certainly are interesting to watch though!


Yeah, that's what we have here. They seem to have huge necks aswell! 

We have a wood pigeon who seems to come back now and again, always sits in the same spot. He/she is lovely!


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## Gaboon (Jun 20, 2005)

croc&chewy said:


> :whip:
> 
> 
> Yeah, that's what we have here. They seem to have huge necks aswell!
> ...


Another interesting thing we get is kestrels flying over head and the pigeons going mental! They all fly up and dart about erratically but in loose uniform, if you see this look up .


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## croc&chewy (Sep 21, 2009)

Gaboon said:


> Another interesting thing we get is kestrels flying over head and the pigeons going mental! They all fly up and dart about erratically but in loose uniform, if you see this look up .


Nice! We have or did have a 'big bird' near me. Infact it seemed to nest on the mill roof round the corner from me. There was a couple of young ones that ended up with it aswell. Not seen it in a while.

That used to hover and dive alot. It was huge! Never knew what it was though.. all the little birds used to dive bomb it. It's cry was awesome aswell, I do hope it hasn't gone away or has been shot.

Oh and I don't know what bird it was either, never got close enough.. I know it was brown though.. that's about it :lol2:


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## corvid2e1 (Jan 21, 2007)

yes, basicly it is a mating ritual. the males will inflate their crop which causes the neck feathers to fluff up into a large round ruff. this shows off the iridecent colours on these feathers better. they will perform similar displays both to females and to other males to show dominence, so your "thiner ones" could be either.

we also have our own flock of pigeons, some captive birds, others rescued ferels, we are in the process of hand rearing a blue grizzle that was hatched in our loft at the moment. as for the birds with cotten on their feet, we often spend a few hours sitting in the city with a bag of penuts, a pair of scissors and a cat box catching the tangled birds and removing the cotten. if there is no damage they are released straght away, it the cotten has cut in then they are taken home for treatment then released when they are ready. the ones that are missing toes, or even whole feet, do actuly do ok as long as there is no infection in the wounds or bumble foot. we can recognise individuals who survive for years with horendus amputations.


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## croc&chewy (Sep 21, 2009)

corvid2e1 said:


> yes, basicly it is a mating ritual. the males will inflate their crop which causes the neck feathers to fluff up into a large round ruff. this shows off the iridecent colours on these feathers better. they will perform similar displays both to females and to other males to show dominence, so your "thiner ones" could be either.
> 
> we also have our own flock of pigeons, some captive birds, others rescued ferels, we are in the process of hand rearing a blue grizzle that was hatched in our loft at the moment. as for the birds with cotten on their feet, we often spend a few hours sitting in the city with a bag of penuts, a pair of scissors and a cat box catching the tangled birds and removing the cotten. if there is no damage they are released straght away, it the cotten has cut in then they are taken home for treatment then released when they are ready. the ones that are missing toes, or even whole feet, do actuly do ok as long as there is no infection in the wounds or bumble foot. we can recognise individuals who survive for years with horendus amputations.


Aww what a lovely thing you do. I would love to take them in and help them out.. unfortunatly some people don't see how lovely they are!


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

corvid2e1 said:


> yes, basicly it is a mating ritual. the males will inflate their crop which causes the neck feathers to fluff up into a large round ruff. this shows off the iridecent colours on these feathers better. they will perform similar displays both to females and to other males to show dominence, so your "thiner ones" could be either.
> 
> we also have our own flock of pigeons, some captive birds, others rescued ferels, we are in the process of hand rearing a blue grizzle that was hatched in our loft at the moment. as for the birds with cotten on their feet, we often spend a few hours sitting in the city with a bag of penuts, a pair of scissors and a cat box catching the tangled birds and removing the cotten. if there is no damage they are released straght away, it the cotten has cut in then they are taken home for treatment then released when they are ready. the ones that are missing toes, or even whole feet, do actuly do ok as long as there is no infection in the wounds or bumble foot. we can recognise individuals who survive for years with horendus amputations.


 

Are you sure I cant adopt you:lol2: In my younger days I used to catch and de cotton pigeons in Southport and I would also stop young thugs catching them. There is now another mad pigeon lady in the town and she was recently telling me that gangs of kids had been caught catching the pigeons and chopping their feet off then releasing them:bash::censor::devil:


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## sinderman (Aug 19, 2007)

my snakes like them

roger


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