Caitlin A. Stern, Janis L. Dickinson, in Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior (Second Edition), 2019. For the first four or five days after hatching, the parents feed their nestlings "pigeon milk”. Large numbers exist in every city across the country. Feral pigeons (Columba livia) are typically ignored by ornithologists but can be found roosting in the thousands within cities across the world. Feral pigeon parents identify their nestlings by location until their offspring fledge, at which point parents become capable of recognizing their young individually. Females typically lay two whitish eggs. Feral pigeons have developed from the rock dove, dovecote and domestic pigeons. Flock Behaviour and Social Organization. Wild pigeons nest on cliff ledges or in caves, so feral pigeons seek their urban equivalents: building ledges, rafters, and niches beneath bridges and overpasses. Questions about Pigeon behavior - My exposure to pigeons are the many lovely feral ones that inhabit my city. Journal of Applied Ecology, 9, 875–889. Both the male and female care for the young. Comparatively few of us get to watch long sequences of behaviour in wild birds, but pigeons - here I'm talking about the feral/domestic form of the Rock dove or Rock pigeon Columba livia - … Along with disease, feral pigeons have an economic impact due to the cost of cleanup and maintenance of human infrastructure. Mating and Brooding Behavior of Pigeons Pigeons are monogamous; they generally mate in pairs and remain together for life. Identifying Pigeons. III. Individual Recognition. Pigeons have been known to spread zoonoses, through ectoparasites and excrement they produce. the feral pigeon Columba livia var. Being able to identify feral pigeons and understanding their behavior can help you to choose the right pigeon deterrent. They are in increasing numbers in town centres and where they have adapted well to the artificial cliffs of buildings. Pigeon Identification and Behavior. Behaviour. Feats such as loops closely resemble the movement patterns in the flight of pigeons. II. Some pigeon fanciers believe that pioneer aviators learned to do many of their flight maneuvers based on observing pigeon. Just a quicky to say that the Feral Pigeon Project has MOVED! The feral pigeon is the number one urban pest bird. We now have our own dedicated website and blog and we’d love you to join us there. Reproduction and Plumage … Murton, R., Thearle, R. & Coombs, C. (1974) Ecological studies of the feral pigeon Columba livia var.