They say that, in the wild, its survival of the fittest, it’s a dog eat dog world. So, do pigeons attack other birds?

Generally, pigeons don’t attack other birds. Birds coexist very well both in the wild and in urban areas. The only instances where pigeons would attack or get into a scuffle with another bird is if the two are fighting over territory or food. Because pigeons aren’t birds of prey they generally won’t attack another bird

Pigeons are very non-aggressive and docile animals, you don’t usually hear stories of pigeons attacking humans. These birds don’t have an aggressive side to them. When you think of pigeons you think of birds that quietly act like pieces of furniture in parks.

With more and more pigeons living in urban areas, you might ask yourself whether they fight over territory and nesting spaces. If you’re wondering just this then this article is for you. So whether you’re a pigeon owner, a vet or are simply curious this article answers the question “do pigeons attack other birds”

Do pigeons attack other birds?

Pigeons don’t generally, attack other birds. A pigeon is not a bird of prey. Birds of prey are birds that hunt other birds or animals as food and thus will attack, kill and eat other birds for its own survival. This is not the case with pigeons. A pigeon won’t attack another bird because it does not see it as food.

If a pigeon attacks or gets into a confrontation with another bird the reason behind that would be to protect their territory ie: their nest. When space becomes scarce and other birds start to encroach on a pigeons territory then the pigeon will fight back using its beak or give the bird some wing slaps.

Another situation where a pigeon will attack or get into a scuffle with another bird is if the two are competing for food. In this case, even two pigeons of the same species will fight over food at times. In the wild, and in urban areas, its survival of the fittest.

Do pigeons attack baby birds?

Pigeons do sometimes attack baby birds. When a baby pigeon falls to the floor, ends up in the wrong nest with different parents or if other parents invade an unprotected nest then adult pigeons can attack the young bird by pecking at it, this is called scalping.

One theory as to why this happens is that a baby squeaking on the ground brings predators. Also, sometimes parent pigeons see their children as intruders and thus they will try to protect their territory.

Can a pigeon kill another pigeon?

A single pigeon won’t kill another single pigeon but a group of pigeons are definitely able to kill an ill or injured pigeon. In fact, this happens often in nature.

When a group sees an ill or injured pigeon they will attack it by pecking at it like crazy or trampling on it. This doesn’t always kill the pigeon (if it gets medical treatment by a good Samaritan) but it can and many times it does.

The lone pigeon may try to run away but because it is so weak, ill or injured this doesn’t really have a chance. The pigeons will do this as a form of survival because an injured or sick bird will weaken the flock and draw attention from predators.

Summary

In summary, pigeons won’t attack other birds, birds of all types co-exist very well with one another. They will only attack or get into a scuffle if they are competing for food or shelter. If they do get into a scuffle it will be nothing more than some pecking and some wing slaps. Pigeons are not birds of prey and thus won’t attack, kill and eat other birds

That being said, a pigeon will attack and peck a baby pigeon if it falls to the ground, this also happens if the adult pigeons invade another nest or if the pigeon parents see the baby as an intruder. A group of pigeons will kill a sick or injured pigeon as a survival tactic.  

If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other pigeon related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Why do pigeons eat leaves? How do pigeons find food? Why do pigeons puff up their chest? How do pigeons protect themselves? Why do pigeons poop so much? What do pigeons like to play with? Why do pigeons have red feet?