# My pigeon hides his head. Is that normal?



## Ledanator (Aug 14, 2010)

So my pigeon Ragweed got a new cage a few months ago and since then he's developed a new habit(which I think he always would have done but this cage makes it easier for him. 

He hides under his paper.








Sometimes it's his whole body and he will some how get under all of it.









Other times it's just his head. I pretty much find him like this every morning. Or if he's just bored I think. I let him out in the house to do whatever for a good 3-4 hours a day. Sometimes more, it depends on what I'm doing. 

But he does this without fail. While sometimes he is just taking a nap or sleeping. A lot of times he just shoves his head under there and starts to coo. He can do this for a straight 10 minutes. 

He does have a dark area. His cage has a level divider so there is a portion of his cage that is dark and secluded. Sometimes he will drag a piece of paper under the dark area and also cover himself. But mostly he just does something like in the pictures.

Has anyone seen this before?? Is it a normal thing or does it mean he needs something?? I think it's pretty cute but I hope it doesnt mean he's unhappy about something.


----------



## LisaNewTumbler (Jun 24, 2013)

how very odd (and cute!)

I've seen parakeets and budgies do it at shows. I think they were trying to get out of sight and were stressed out. But parakeets are very different to pigeons, even their nests etc are much tighter and darker (safety zone I guess)

No idea why a pigeon would do this. I'm interested to hear what people think


----------



## notoriousqueenpigeon (Apr 15, 2011)

I think he needs a mate. they hide under the crop of the mate while shaking their wings durring breeding behavior!!! does he shake wing under the paper? maybe he needs darkness to produce melotonin for sleep? I think he wants a mate or some nesting materials!!! get him some straw, or that timothy grass for hampsters cages to play with. grass cuttings work well too. He either wants to build a nest, or this is mating behavior.


----------



## Ledanator (Aug 14, 2010)

Wow! My poor boy. I would love to get him a mate but I dont think I could handle throwing away their eggs. And I dont really have enough space to start raising a flock of pigeons. 
He does shake his wings while under there. He has a dark cubby on the other side of his cage that gets him darkness, and I keep it dark in there after like 9pm or so. 

I gave him sticks one time because he likes to play with them outside. I gave him like 15 little ones just to see what would happen if he got a pile of sticks one morning. I think he desperately tried to build a nest but did a bad job. I will get him nesting materials! Thanks for the suggestion. But if he builds a nest and no lady pigeons suddenly arrive will he get depressed? I think he would get very territorial with another male pigeon so I wouldnt do that...He does get to spend a good part of the evening out and about with the family though, like 4 hours or so nearly every day. Is it worth mentioning that when we are in the room he is always on top of the papers and cooing at us, but if we go away he will hide under the papers very quickly?


----------



## DanCel (May 22, 2021)

Ledanator said:


> So my pigeon Ragweed got a new cage a few months ago and since then he's developed a new habit(which I think he always would have done but this cage makes it easier for him.
> 
> He hides under his paper.
> 
> ...


Hi. Our pigeon (rescued from freezing ) also does this, He/she is a spoiled brat but because we care for him/her we do what we can to give him a good life, He is out of the cage at the moment but even diapers don't help with the constant crap. We have had peanuts for almost 6 months now and he has adapted well to our enviroment and he is always exploring things either on the floor or else where. I truely feel he needs to be back with his/her flock. I actually believe he is a MALE. Flattened head and the whey he dances around. Loves his bath and even the ones I give which giveds me the chance to trim his nails. Seems to like having play fights, but I just rub his belly or touch his head. After ward he seems to boast about warding the enemy off. He had played with sticks also flying around the room with it. Lot of work keeping up with cleaning and caring for him. As he is a fussy eater I wonder about releasing him. We will continue to feed the flock, sometimes up to fifty pigeons. They have claimed our two acreasfor themselves! Oh, I made a makeshift tent under his pearch and you can find him there often, hiding, cooing and shaking his wing.


----------

