Description of Appearance:

• Length: 29-33cm.
• Weight: 260-580g.
• Grey, slightly iridescent feathers on the neck that shine pink and green in the sunlight.
• Other colours include white, brownish-red, and mixtures.

Lifecycle:

• They can produce up to 9 broods per year but 2 – 3 on average.
• 2 eggs in each clutch new ones can be laid when their young are just 20 days old.
• Eggs have a 17 – 19 day incubation period.
• Young birds spend 35 – 37 days in the nest.
• Their lifespan is around 3-5 years in the wild but up to 35 years in captivity.

Habits & Behaviour:

• Nests are built by the female using material collected by the male.
• They roost together in buildings, ledges, lofts, walls or even statues in towns and cities.
• Pigeons feed on seeds, bread, vegetables, meat and other food discarded by humans.
• Pigeons are able to dip their bills into the water and drink continuously without having to tilt their heads back.
• Young pigeons are known as squabs.
• They are fed from a special substance produced in the pigeon’s crop known as pigeon milk.
• When disturbed, a pigeon in a group will take off with a noisy clapping sound.
• This informs other pigeons that there is danger present.
• They are capable of rapid dives and changes in direction and most of the time will easily out manoeuvre a bird of prey, as they can reach speeds of up to 50mph.
• They are resident and do not migrate.

Important:

• Do not feed pigeons around your building. This could lead to them nesting nearby.
• Their acidic droppings can erode most surfaces, causing structural degradation to your building.
• The best known disease passed from birds to man is Psittacosis. Fouling can be a public health hazard and must be cleaned regularly.