My bird journey - The Pigeons...
Name : Rock Pigeon, Spotted Pigeon, White Pigeon .(From top to bottom)
Location observed : On the air conditioner in the building in front of my house, on window sills, terrace tops, etc.
Size : around 12 to 15 inches
Season Observed in : All through out the year.
Nesting : Birds nest for the purpose of laying eggs and breeding.It is said that the pigeon nests any time in the year. I had seen atleast three families of pigeons building their nest in the month of august and september. Yet another pigeon family had their young ones out around the month of march.
The female pigeon usually lays two white eggs. Rarely a female will lay one egg or even three eggs. The eggs are incubated by both parents for about 18 days. The female incubates the eggs at night and part of the day. The male incubates the eggs during the day giving the female time to get off the nest to eat and drink.
Physical Characteristics : Different species of pigeons exist.
An interesting fact about the rock pigeon is that they come in different colours. I can see the Blue Bar ( this is a grey pigeon that has blue bars on its wings ), Checkered ( it is a grey pigeon and has black spots on its wings ), Spread ( this pigeon has a single colour and the colour varies from a shade of grey to shades of black ), and white variety of pigeons near my house.
One thing common to most pigeon variety is that they have a very distinctive neck. The rock pigeon has a shiny green neck, and the spotted pigeon has a chess like checkered neck.
Pictures of the various variations of the pigeons can be seen on this site –
Other characteristics observed : Generally the pigeons flock together. The white pigeon, which is generally a domesticated rock pigeon hangs out with the rock pigeons. The pigeon courtship is a very common sight and is a delight to watch.
They seem to be scared of the eagle and when a pigeon spots an eagle, it warns the other pigeons, resulting in all the pigeons flying off in the opposite direction.
Pigeons and dove facts
Pigeon facts # 0
In ornithological practice, there is a tendency for "dove" to be used for smaller species and "pigeon" for larger ones, but this is in no way consistently applied, and historically the common names for these birds involve a great deal of variation between the term "dove" and "pigeon." The species commonly referred to just as the "pigeon" is the feral rock pigeon or rock dove (Columba livia), common in many cities.
Pigeon facts # 1
The species Rock Pigeon was domesticated many centuries ago and has today been bred into numerous varieties. Carrier pigeons have been used to carry messages, especially in times of war, and doves have also been bread for their meat, for physical characteristics (“fancy doves”) or for use in ceremonies. The most famous varieties are probably the homing pigeon and the racing homer; two doves famous for quickly and accurately finding their way home when released in other locations.
Pigeon facts # 2
Doves and pigeons tend to have powerful breast muscles which have made them popular as food. In Jewish tradition, doves are considered kosher and they are the only birds that can be brought as a korban (animal scarifies).
Pigeon facts # 3
The Passenger Pigeon is the only non-island pigeon species to have become extinct in modern times (i.e. after the year 1600). The Passenger Pigeon was once the most numerous species of bird on the planet and one of the breeding colonies was estimated to contain over a hundred million birds as late as 1871. The species died out in 1914 after years of habitat loss and massive overhunting. It was used as food by poor people in the United States and was an inexpensive way for landowners to feed their slaves.
Pigeon facts # 4
The largest pigeon species in the world is the Crowned Pigeon of New Guinea. This pigeon is almost as big as a turkey and can weigh 2-4 kg. The smallest species are the doves of the genus Columbina, which weigh as little as 22 grams.
Pigeon fact # 5
Many pigeons have received bravery awards and medals for their actions in war time. The French pigeon Cher Ami did for instance receive the Croix de Guerre, a military decoration given to units or individuals who have distinguished themselves by acts of heroism involving combat with enemy forces. Cher Ami delivered a message that helped save the life of 194 American soldiers during World War I, despite being shot through the breast by the Germans, blinded in one eye, covered in blood, and with a leg hanging only by a tendon.
Pigeons and dove lifespan
Domesticated rock pigeons have an expected life span of 15 years in captivity with occasionally individuals reaching an age of up to 35 years. In the wild, feral rock pigeons tend to live much shorter lives, often just 3-5 years.
Some additional information on pigeons can be found at : ( Some parts of this post has been picked up from the sites mentioned below. Due credit goes to these sites )
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