Why do you never see baby pigeons ?

Answer 1

They only leave the nest when they're big enough to fly. Until they fledge they spend all their time making annoying noises in the nest ! ! !

Answer 2

I've raised pigeons for over forty years and we get this question periodically, especially here at this site. Here's the answer:

Pigeons are altricial birds, i.e., they stay in the nest until they can fly. Pigeon young are hatched at 18 days. They stay in the nest till they are about 30-35 days old. When they fly for the first time, you can often see them in flocks among the adults if you know what to look for. Young pigeons have little if any iridescence on the neck. They still often squeal when they chase their parents or other adult trying to con them into feeding them. Their feathers are a bit duller than the adults and their tail feathers often have a slight point to them - where the down was attached.

Pigeon young almost double their weight each day in the nest and pigeon parents feed them well. In fact, for about the first ten days, they actually feed them a "crop milk". It's not really milk as we think of in mammals -- it looks more like a cottage cheese they produce - but it is a high energy food and the youngsters (squeakers) grow fast and well on it. About 7-10 days into the nest period after hatch, the adults begin to add grain, seeds, whatever, to the food that they are giving the youngsters.

There are a lot of young pigeons out there at certain times of year and part of the fun of looking at a flock is to recognize which are young and which are adults.

If you want to find out more, you might want to also check a few sites like:

http://www.angelfire.com/ga3/pigeongenetics

http://www.pigeon.org

BTW - Here's a picture diary of the complete life cycle of a baby pigeon

http://www.speedpigeon.com/baby_racing_pigeon.htm

Answer 3

Rock Doves are native to Europe and are called Rock Doves for a reason - they like nesting on rocky cliffs. When they were brought over to North America, the best thing they could find were the tall buildings of cities. They nest on ledges and in little spaces you don't normally look for, so the nest is pretty well hidden or out of sight. Wild pigeons and doves grow quickly, after about a month the squeaker's underwings are feathered and it can fly out on its own. By the time they fly down into sight, they look like adults to the untrained eye. Young birds will appear to have bigger beaks with a little 'lip' on the sides of the mouth, darker eyes, loose fitting or 'fluffy' feathers, and maybe even a few little strands of yellow down poking out from the head, neck, and chest.
So you never know, you may actually be seeing baby pigeons in the streets!

- Becky

Answer 4

Pigeons nest in high places...

I have only seen one baby, and that is because she fell from the nest at a very young age -- i took her in, raised her and she lived for more than 9 years... outdoors...

She stayed around the house, and even came inside... she didn't fly with other pigeons all her life, except for one time... we thought she found "true love" but i guess she decided she was a human after all!

Answer 5

I actually did see newly hatched pigeons once. The stupid mother pigeon made a nest on the ground in a corner of an alley between my house and my neighbors. I was very surprised that looked like baby chicks with yellow fluff. They didn't stay that way long and remained in the nest until they were as big as their mother.

Answer 6

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Why do you never see baby pigeons ?

Answer 7

Because 'baby' pigeons do not leave the nest until they are fully grown - like most children they sponge all they can from their parents until kicking out time :)

Answer 8

I've never seen a baby crow either?
Like people say once they leave the nest they're bigger and look adult. The only baby wild bird I've ever seen is one that has fallen out of its nest, or been caught by a cat.

Answer 9

This urban mystery does have an answer. Pigeon nests are well hidden, and the young usually stay in their nests until they are nearly full-grown. By the time the young birds called "squabs" are ready to fly and leave their nests, it's hard to tell them apart from their parents. Sometimes they may weigh more than adult pigeons!

Answer 10

baby pigeons leave the nest when in full feather if you can get close to one look round the neck and you will see little yellow fluff that is a baby .

Answer 11

It seems that the babies don't leave the nest until they look very similar to adult pigeons. We probably do see babies, but we can't recognise them.