# How long do pigeons mourn? Not very long ....



## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Aaron's mate died on the 16th, so tomorrow will be the first week anniversary of his bereavement.

I don't actually know when this started, but just now I saw him courting a former racing hen called Doodles.

And he wasn't just making an idiot of himself, running around sweeping the ground with his tail. This was serious on both sides and very courtly, Aaron seemed to be trying to get Doodles to accept his suite as a nesting site, sometimes gently driving her in that direction and other times hopping into his domain with his tail very slightly fanned as an invitation to follow him. Doodles was also hopping into nesting boxes with her tail slightly fanned, as if suggesting alternatives. There was also some of that mating related wing preening.

Aaron is a former homer who can't fly, His suite is a ground floor one. It is a bird breeding box, with two large compartments. It is the biggest single nesting site in the aviary.


Cynthia


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

When I went back to the aviary to look for Aaron and Doodles I found she had flown to a perch and Aaron was becoming quite agitated as he can't fly. So I explained that he needed her and she flew down. Aaron looked delighted and ran after her into the shed, then followed her into a nesting box where after a bit of circling and some billing she settled down to preen him (photo below).

Cynthia


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Cynthia, you're right, it doesn't take long for them to adjust. I'm really glad Aaron has found someone else and she is a pretty lady.

When our Frosty died last winter, her mate, Me 3, took only a few days to find another mate, Katie. Ironically, Katie had been the mate of Feisty who died about 2 years ago and Feisty had been Frosty's mate for a number of years before Me 3 used force to take over Frosty. It did take a couple of years before Feisty "took up" with Katie but they were devoted to each other until he died.

On the other hand, our Simon who died last fall had a mate, Onslow, and he has never shown any interest in acquiring another mate.

I hope Doodles will adjust to staying mostly on the ground with Aaron.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hi Maggie,

Pigeon coops are a regular Peyton Place! 

Doodles has been desperate for a mate, she had been flirting with Gryffindor who already has a mate but also happens to look very like Aaron and is also unable to fly.

These girls know what they want!

Cynthia


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Cynthia mentioned 'Griffy' there, but another point about him is that he also has an ex-racing hen who can fly, as a mate (named, very innovatively by me, Homer  ).

Another is Chubby Checker, who has two flying hens as his harem. We think Chubby is capable of at least some flight, but the strange thing is he seems to choose to stay on the ground except for a rare excursion into an upper nest box.

John


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Lady Tarheel said:


> Cynthia, you're right, it doesn't take long for them to adjust. I'm really glad Aaron has found someone else and she is a pretty lady.
> 
> When our Frosty died last winter, her mate, Me 3, took only a few days to find another mate, Katie. Ironically, Katie had been the mate of Feisty who died about 2 years ago and Feisty had been Frosty's mate for a number of years before Me 3 used force to take over Frosty. It did take a couple of years before Feisty "took up" with Katie but they were devoted to each other until he died.
> 
> ...


Maggie,
The "Days of Our LIves" has nothing going on, in the intrigue category, compared to the goings on in your loft. I got dizzy reading your post. LOL


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Charis said:


> Maggie,
> The "Days of Our LIves" has nothing going on, in the intrigue category, compared to the goings on in your loft. I got dizzy reading your post. LOL


I was thinking the same thing!!  I read her post and then said WHAT???
You almost have to write it down. Gosh.......who needs a TV when you've got pigeons to watch???


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Well, from what Maggie said, and what we see amongst our lot, I think there are some fondly-held views about pigeons which are just a teeny bit overstated.

You can often read how they pair for life .... welll, maybe not quite always. We have the odd one or two here and there who have also learned about divorce.

And, of course, even with them as has a nice, long term relationship there's wandering eyes in some cases with both the boys and the girls doing the dirty on their partner. That Gryffindor even decided he fancied a fling with one of the woodpigeons, but she wasn't having any of that! As for one of our tiny white fantails, heck, she seemed to be flitting between different nests all the time until she settled down as one of Chubby's hens.

But let's not tell anyone out there 

John


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

I had to take my time typing that too! It does get really complicated, sometimes.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Well...that is one darling picture. I'm so glad Aaron & Doodles are an item. Glad he is gotten on with life. It has been very sad, and I'm glad he has found comfort in Doodles.

I have a couple who split due to the male Hamilton having an injured wing and he is now grounded. He has flirted and flirted and cood with her and tried to coax her into his new cubby close to the floor, but she will not have it. She would fly close but never inside it, She tried to coax him higher up too. After much time Cooper is now mated to another flighted bird. It is sad watching Hamilton try to co-exist in the flighted world. He flirts with every hen that flies to the floor but ends up watching them fly away. But he is going to have a home with another handicapped (wing injured) pigeon, so his life will have as much quality as possible.


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## Margarret (May 3, 2007)

I'm glad Aaron has found Doodles. She is a lovely girl and obviously thinks he is terrific.
I have extra hens, unplanned, in my loft and two of the boys, one a roller and one a racer have a mistress on the side. In the case of one cockbird, Dudley, he has two extra hens he extends his favor and protection to. He has them installed in nest boxes he considers his territory. He spends the day guarding his primary mate, Delilah, but will keep any wandering birds away from the other two hens as they sit eggs. He does not, however, help them sit the eggs as he does for Delilah. I don't let any of them hatch out chicks.

Margarret


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

> He spends the day guarding his primary mate, Delilah, but will keep any wandering birds away from the other two hens as they sit eggs. He does not, however, help them sit the eggs as he does for Delilah. I don't let any of them hatch out chicks.


Hmmm....we have Chubby Checker and his two hens, one of them is also called Delilah and she is his Number 1 Wife now . He would have had 3 hens if his first wife, Speckie, hadn't died last year. I expect to see him looking around for "Number 3 Wife" very soon

Cynthia.


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## pigifan (Nov 2, 2005)

Cynthia, who was Aaron's mate who died ? Shy ?


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## Pisciottano (Aug 20, 2005)

Hi,
I'm trying to write again because the previois times I was told that I was not authorized. ?????????


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hi Pigifan,

Yes, it was dear little Shy. I am sorry. The original post is in the Hall of Love forum:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=21708&referrerid=560

I didn't want you to read about it in the Aaron post first, so I didn't mention her name deliberately.

Cynthia


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## Pisciottano (Aug 20, 2005)

Hi again everybody,
Since now I'm accepted again here I go. Reading through
this thread I'm wondering whether the pigeons' behaviour varies depending on whether they live with humans or lead a completely free feral life. It is true that my experience is limited to only one couple who nested in my balcony two consecutive summers. They were always together and even reluctant to associate with the other pigeons who visited my balcony even when the little ones had grown up. Now, for the last three months I've been seeing the male (Nube Gris) always alone on the roofs around my building. Even when the flock is nearby he keeps his distance from them. I've come to the conclusion that he has lost his mate (Pluma Negra) some MONTHS ago and he is still mourning. Could this be possible? What do you think? Gladys


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## Pisciottano (Aug 20, 2005)

Hi;
What's up, nobody wants to comment?


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

I don't know. Gladys. I think that the pigeon's raison d'être is to reproduce. 

Having said that, an injured racer in our aviary has never had a mate, although he has "mated" with both hens and cocks and was seen today regurgitating food for another cock (as the other cock was also regurgitating food for him the ritual was abandoned before completion).


Cynthia


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