We live with pigeons on a daily basis. They have become a part of our urban landscape and we wouldn’t know our cities and suburbs without them. We have watched them grow in number throughout time. We have also watched them hatch and take care of their young. The hatching of little pigeons and watching them grow is amazing. But you might be surprised that sometimes the pigeon parents will suddenly disappear. Do pigeons leave their babies?
These animals are not native to North America. They were introduced as early as the 1600s. They were used for food, entertainment and communication for over 5000 years. The population grew and some of them escaped and now live in locations that resemble the rocky cliffs that house them in the wild. This includes our modern buildings. Because of the overpopulation, they are considered the number one bird pest in not only the US but all over the world.
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Do pigeons leave their eggs/babies unattended?
The parent pigeons are usually very good parents to their eggs or baby pigeons. A parent pigeon abandoning the nest is a very usual thing for them to do.
Either one of the parents will stay and take care of the baby pigeons/eggs while the other will go out and find food. If both of them leave this could be fatal for the baby.
Although, the parents will abandon the nest if something frightens them.
Usually, they will be very aggressive if anything gets too close to the nest but if they see that there is nothing they can do they might abandon the nest and the eggs or babies. This can be for a variety of reasons.
Reasons:
- There might be some pigeon predators in the area and the parents have picked up that a predator is stalking the family
- There might be a high volume of humans who have access to the area or the nest
- The parents might be scared off by a human watching the family.
- They might have been scared off by larger more predatory birds such as jays and crows. These predatory birds eat the pigeon eggs or the young babies
Hopefully, the parents will not completely abandon the nest and may come back in a couple of days to tend to the young or tend to the eggs as they wait for them to hatch.
How long before baby pigeons leave the nest?
The act of leaving the best is called fledging. The pigeons that leave the nests are called fledgelings. These fledgelings leave the nest after 25-32 days of being born and if it’s midwinter this can take as long as 45 days.
Can you put a baby pigeon back in the nest?
The idea that “if you put a pigeon back into its nest after it has fallen out then the mother won’t accept it” is a myth. The pigeon mother is generally a very good mother and she would just like her baby back, regardless of how the baby gets back.
So if you find a baby pigeon that has fallen out of the nest be a good person and put it back. Note: You need to know if the pigeon is a nestling or fledgeling to know whether you should put it back or not
Fledglings:
These pigeons are baby pigeons that will probably hop out of the nest and not come back. They are pigeons that hop, have feathers and are pretty fluffy. So if you find any of these don’t bother putting them back, they are pretty independent
Nestling:
These pigeons have no feathers, can’t live on their own and won’t be able to hop, walk or grip. This is probably a pigeon that just fell out of the nest and will need you to help it get back in. The mother will welcome the baby pigeon with open arms.
If you find abandoned pigeon eggs then it is not recommended that you try to hatch them yourself. This is because they need the correct temperature, turning schedule and humidity.
In addition, you require a federal licence to work with any type of native bird species.
Safety:
Pigeons can come with a number of diseases so make sure you are careful when handling the pigeon babies if you decide to do so.
Just like bats, humans can get a respiratory disease called histoplasmosis from the droppings. This is a disease that can infect and be fatal to humans
Their droppings can be a huge maintenance problem. That is why you need to get rid of them if they start to over pollute the area you are in. 100 pigeons will create 4800 pounds of droppings.
Bird craft collisions are an issue and a safety hazard.
Aesthetically the pigeons look like a cute addition to parks but their droppings can be a hassle to clean up and it simply looks bad.
Here are some ways you can get rid of pigeons:
Bird spikes: Pigeons can rest on parts of your structure including the ledges, roots, rafters, balconies, on garages and in attics. You can install bird spikes in these areas to deter pigeons from resting on these areas and making it their home. Here are some favourite bird spikes.
Traps: There are traps for all kinds of pests including pigeons. You can place these traps where you know pigeons frequent and feed. Take note of the regulations on how to release or dispose of pigeons after trapping. This trap works well
Pigeon repellents: You can use repellents on your property to keep pigeons away. Visual repellents work well with pigeons. This repellent is non-harmful and easy to use.
Here is a more in depth guide on how to get rid of pigeons.
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