Sometimes it seems like animals mimic humans, one example of this is pigeons puffing up their chest. So why do pigeons puff up their chest?

Pigeons puff up their feathers for a variety of reasons. You can find a pigeon puffed up if it is trying to secure a mate, if the pigeon is sick, if the bird is trying to keep themselves warm, to appear bigger and if it simply wants to relax and go to sleep.

Humans do it and so do pigeons. Puffing up your chest as a person is a sign of pride, it makes you look bigger and more assertive. But do pigeons want to look big and assertive when they puff out their chest or is that strictly a human reason? Animals may imitate humans in some ways but not for the same reasons. Thus, this article looks at why pigeons puff their chest

If you’ve ever seen a pigeon puffing up its chest you may think it looks a bit weird or you may think it looks kind of cool. Many of us have seen this phenomenon but not many of us know why this phenomenon happens. This article looks into why it does.

Why do pigeons puff up their chest?

One of the reasons why pigeons puff up their chest is to impress the female in hopes to mate with her. The female pigeon will respond well to this, a large male bird looks like he can give her offspring that are big and strong, offspring that will survive and thrive. As he struts his stuff and puffs his chest he will also make low cooing sounds.

If you see a pigeon with a puffed up chest when the weather is cold outside then it’s probably puffed up to keep warm. Just as coats create an insulated environment for us, feathers create an insulated environment for pigeons. The air between the wings and the skin of the pigeon remains warm in colder temperatures and keeps the bird warm

At night you can find pigeons puffing up their chest in preparation to sleep. A pigeon will puff up its chest to relax and keep warm during the night. They will maintain thus puffed chest as they sleep.

If you find a puffed-up pigeon that isn’t moving then it is probably sick. If you also notice that the pigeon’s eyes are closed, it isn’t moving much and isn’t very alert then there is something wrong with it. If this is the case put it in a box and warm it up by placing a heating pad set to low under a towel under the box. You can also rehydrate the bird and contact your local rescue centre and or vet in your area.

Do other birds puff up their chest?

Yes, other birds also puff up their chests, some puff their chest for the same reasons that pigeons do and others puff up for other reasons entirely. Here are some birds that puff up their chest and why.

Greater Sage-Grouse: These birds puff up their chest and create a fan-like shape with their tails. This display is done to attract females and is an indication of dominance.

Budgies: These birds, just like pigeons, also puff up their feathers as a way to keep warm. Their feathers become slightly open and trap warm air, the air warms the bird. This is a normal and healthy thing that budgies do.

Parrots: Parrots can puff up their feathers as a sign of aggression or fear. If the bird is trying to protect itself or protect its eggs then it may puff up or spread its wings to look scary. It can even scream to seem scarier.

Peregrine falcon: This is another bird that puffs up its feathers to show dominance. This bird will both puff up its feathers and open its wings to look larger and more threatening.

Summary

In summary, pigeons puff up their feathers for a variety of reasons. You can find a pigeon puffed up if it is trying to secure a mate, if the pigeon is sick, if the bird is trying to keep themselves warm and if it simply wants to relax and go to sleep.

Other birds also puff up their feathers as well, some for similar reasons and some for different reasons than pigeons do. Budgies puff up to keep warm.  greater sage geese puff up to show dominance. A parrot will puff up as a sign of aggression and the peregrine falcon will puff up to show its dominance

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? How do pigeons protect themselves? Why do pigeons poop so much? What do pigeons like to play with? Why do pigeons have red feet?