It’s reasonable to assume that pigeons are peaceful animals. They are usually seen cooing at each other or flapping their wings. They aren’t birds of prey and thus you wouldn’t expect them to hunt other birds, but they sometimes harm each other. Pigeons can and do peck at each other on occasion, so why do they do this? This article looks into it.
Pigeons peck at each other to protect their territory. If a pigeon encroaches on another’s territory the resident pigeon will attack by pecking at it to try to ward the intruder away. A pigeon will also peck at another pigeon if it approaches its young or its mate
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Why do pigeons peck each other?
Pigeons are widely known as gentle creatures. They aren’t known to get into conflict with other birds, they are rather known for being docile and slightly annoying on occasion.
That being said, when push comes to shove, if a pigeon needs to peck at another it will
These birds are very territorial and will do anything to maintain their territory including pecking at intruders. Single pigeons will peck at other pigeons that try to encroach on their roosting space.
Mated pigeons will peck other pigeons that try to claim their mating partner. Pigeons are protective of their young ones, so they will peck at intruders that try to get close to their eggs or babies. Pigeons peck each other once or twice as a warning before it escalates into a fight.
Can you stop pigeons from pecking each other?
Yes, you can stop pigeons from pecking each other. Pecking among pigeons is more likely a means to compete for resources. Resources like water, food and shelter, among other things, are what causes fighting among pigeons.
Therefore, in order to put a stop to this, there must be abundant shelters, water, and food. You should also always try to separate new pigeons from the old ones till they get familiar with each other.
This should be done in order to avoid a dominance fight before it starts.
Why do pigeons attack each other?
When they are claiming a mate: Pigeons mate for life so when they feel like another male is trying to claim their mate, they stand and fight.
Food: This normally doesn’t happen with pet pigeons if they are getting fed enough, but feral pigeons will fight over food when there is not enough to go around or when a pigeon notices another approaching its food.
Protecting their babies: It is completely normal for parent pigeons to attack when a pigeon stranger comes close to the eggs or hatchlings.
Other reasons for fighting are; when claiming territories, and dominance
How do you stop pigeons from fighting?
When there is an overpopulation of pigeons in an area, fights around mates, food, dominance and territories are bound to break loose. So to prevent this it is advisable to reduce the population of pigeons in a coop/area.
Also, it is better to separate new pigeon parents from the group (till the baby is mature) in order to prevent fights between pigeon parents and other pigeons in the group.
Do pigeons kill each other?
Pigeons can kill each other but they only do so in groups. In addition, pigeons only kill sick or injured pigeons.
A single pigeon can not kill another pigeon but a group of pigeons can kill an injured or sick pigeon. They do so by pecking at it or trampling on it.
This behaviour is an act of survival by the other pigeons as an injured or sick pigeon will weaken the flock and draw attention from predators.
Conclusion
In conclusion, even though pigeons are generally docile birds they will still attack if another pigeon or animal encroaches into its territory or comes too close to its young.
You can try to separate pigeons that peck at each other but the best way to help is to ensure that they have adequate resources. These animals will escalate the pecking to a fight if a mate, their young or food is on the line.
If they get into a confrontation they will injure each other but won’t kill each other. The killing of a pigeon will only happen if one sick or injured pigeon is fighting against a group.
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 coo constantly?, Why do pigeons shiver?, Why do roller pigeons roll?
