Pigeons have been living with humans for hundreds of years. We’ve used pigeons to send messages during wartime, as pets, as entertainment and as a food source to name a few. To this day these animals are a part of our urban environment and it seems like all they do is coo constantly. But why does this happen? Who do pigeons coo constantly? This article looks into it 

Pigeons communicate through cooing. They need to communicate a lot of information during the day and thus they coo constantly. They coo to communicate that they are unattached to a mate, to defend their territory, when they are hungry and coo when they are satisfied 

Why do pigeons coo constantly?

If you live in a city, or suburb that also houses pigeons, then you’ve probably heard these little animals cooing at all times of the day and night.

For some it may be lovely background music for your day, for others, it can be a tad bit irritating, but they coo constantly for good reason 

Pigeons coo when they are communicating with each other. Different creatures have their ways of communicating. Humans do so with words, while pigeons communicate with coos.

Pigeons coo constantly and for a variety of reasons: they coo when they are trying to express their availability to mate, when alerting each other of the presence of a predator, when defending their territory, when they are hungry and when they are happy/satisfied.

A flock of pigeons will coo together to defend their territory from danger.

How do you stop pigeons cooing?

The cooing of pigeons can be very disturbing to some people especially when they are trying to relax. If you want to stop them from cooing this is what to do:

Do not feed them: Pigeons are habitual eaters and one of the things that they consider before making a nest is its proximity to food sources. When they realize they are not getting any food in the area, they will eventually leave to set up a nest elsewhere.

Disturb them: You can make pigeons stop cooing by making your property unappealing. Reflective surfaces e.g a mirror, are one of the best ways to make your property unappealing. When the rays of the sun fall on these reflective surfaces, it creates a prism that affects the bird’s eye.

Making the birds uncomfortable: You can easily make the pigeons uncomfortable by placing a plastic owl in the yard or near where they like to perch. You can also spray the birds with water immediately when they arrive to scare them off.

Do pigeons coo when happy?

Pigeons often make a prolonged coo that is most similar to singing when they are happy or satisfied.

You will likely see this with pet pigeons when they are with their mate or being petted.

Can pigeons scream?

Some birds, like parrots, scream when they are scared, in danger, bored or jealous.

Pigeons do not scream when they are in danger, they grunt loudly to alert others of danger. The grunt pigeons make when they are in danger can also be taken for screams if it is loud enough.

What other sounds do pigeons make?

Grunting: Pigeons don’t just coo, they grunt when they are in grave danger or in distress. This grunting is repeated over and over again until help arrives.

If your pet pigeon makes this sound repeatedly, it is important to go over to check on the pigeon. If there are no signs of distress or danger simply keep an eye on the bird.

If the sound persists, you can visit your vet as the problem might be health-related.

Flapping of wings: When a pigeon spots a predator in an area, it produces a high tempo warning sound by flapping its wings before taking flight.

This sound is to warn other pigeons in the area of the presence of the predator and alert them to take flight too. The feathers that produce this high tempo sound are different from the ones the bird uses to fly.

Conclusion 

In conclusion, a pigeon will coo to communicate. This is the only way they can communicate, these animals have a lot of information to convey so you’ll hear them cooing constantly.

If you want them to stop cooing take away any incentives they have to stay on your property. They also make other sounds such as grunting and flapping their wings. 

If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other bird related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Why do pigeons break their eggs?, Why do pigeons shiver?, Why do pigeons peck each other?, Why do roller pigeons roll?