You can’t always be there to entertain your pigeons. You need to find something to entrain them while you’re away. So, what do pigeons play with?

Pigeons can play with specific bird toys, they also enjoy playing with small nick-nacks around your home. The toys you can give them include pigeon bells, hanging ladders, swinging and hanging toys and hammocks for their cage. They also like to play with q tips, boxes, pop sickle sticks, cotton swabs and paper plates

Pigeons are fun pets to have, generally, they are shy and docile birds but once you’ve domesticated them and welcomed them into your home they are lovely to have. That being said, you can’t be with them at all times. If you want to know what pigeons like to play with then this article has the answer for you

What do pigeons like to play with?

Toys for pigeons are important for their health, in fact, pigeons having toys is just as important as them having good nutrition. Toys are critical to your pigeon’s mental health and physical health as they stimulate the pigeon’s mind and body. If you can’t entertain and play with a bird at all times then pigeon toys may be the way to go.

Some toys that your birds will enjoy include pigeon sized plush toys which can also be used as a cuddle partner for your pigeon. You can also give your pigeon bells, hanging ladders, swinging and hanging toys and hammocks for their cage that they can play with and use during the time you are away.

Pigeon “toys” can also take the form of non-toy-like objects like cardboard boxes and paper plates. Pigeons can use these to make holes in them, turn them into rubble and customise them to suit how they see fit.

Other things that pigeons can use as toys include toothpicks, pop sickle sticks, q tips, cotton swabs and anything small and easy to collect. Your pigeon may collect these objects and stack them into a little pile.

The toys listed above help pigeons fulfil their natural urges to toss things around, dig, chew and search for things. All of this ensures that their minds are stimulated. The toys also maintain the bird’s bones, tendons and muscle and overall keeps the birds in good shape.

You can also keep the pigeons stimulated by leaving their food around in your garden so they can forage for it. They can’t dig for food but they can and do forage for food. Let the bird fly from spot to spot looking for food but make sure that you don’t conceal the food and remember to change food spots regularly.

What toys are hazardous to pigeons?

Not only can some toys be dangerous to pigeons but the materials used in some toys can be dangerous too. One of the first things you should be aware of are fibres as these can be chewed and can choke the bird. In addition, toys that contain toxic substances and petrochemicals can harm the bird’s health or even kill the bird.

If the toys are made from chewable plastics then these plastics can be chewed off by birds, enter the throat and cause penetrating wounds, blockages, poisoning and even death. You should also look out for toys that use chrome bells, rusty metal lead clappers and metal chains as these can result in metal toxicity in pigeons.  

Summary

In summary, there are a couple of toys and everyday household objects that pigeons like to play with, these include pigeon bells, hanging ladders, swinging and hanging toys, hammocks for their cage, paper plates, cardboard boxes, toothpicks, pop sickle sticks, q tips, cotton swabs and anything small and easy to collect. You can also place their food at different locations so they can forage for food.

Things that you should look out for when buying pigeon toys that can negatively affect your pigeon’s health and wellbeing include fibres, petrochemicals, chewable plastics, chrome bells, rusty metal lead clappers and metal chains

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? Do pigeons attack other birds? How do pigeons find food? Why do pigeons puff up their chest? How do pigeons protect themselves? Why do pigeons poop so much? Why do pigeons have red feet?