# I found an egg with only one parent bird



## Oars (Jun 6, 2006)

Two days ago I found a pigeon egg on my balcony. Before that two birds used to frequent the balcony. They have a gray body, a darker gray neck, and stripes on the wings. I figure they are just ordinary pigeons.

After the egg was laid, there has been only one pigeon that has been coming each day to sit on the egg for several hours during the day. The egg is left unattended for the rest of the time, including at night, where the temperature here in the San Francisco Bay Area gets to lows in the 50's.

I read that the female bird comes at night to incubate the egg, but there is only one bird that comes in the day, likely the father, so I'm afraid the egg might not be viable for long. Can the egg survive these fluctuating temperatures? 

I'm also afraid to touch the egg and hold it under a lamp to detect an embryo inside because I have heard that disturbing the nest in any way is likely to cause the parent pigeons to abandon the nest. Is this true?

I don't know where the mother pigeon is or why she isn't present. Could the father alone incubate the egg and raise the chick? What should I do?

I would greatly appreciate any insights or advice.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

First of all, it will not cause the parents to abandon the egg if you touch it. It sounds like something has happened to one of the parents and since the egg is not attended to at night, it probably is the mother. I really doubt the egg is viable since it's going for such long periods with no incubation. Another reason that it's probably the mother missing is that there should be two eggs. I would just leave the egg alone and see what happens. I doubt seriously that it will hatch. If it does, one parent to raise the baby will be hard on that parent but it can be done. IF the egg should hatch, it would be kind of you to provide the one parent bird with some feed and water if that is possible. One of the parents stays with new babies until they are about 10 to 12 days old and with only one parent, it wouldn't WANT to leave the baby but if it has no food source it would almost be forced to in order to survive. You can candle the egg if you would like to, and maybe let us know what you find. If the egg has been there for only two days, you won't really be able to see much until about the 6th day or so. I really in this case would just let nature take it's course. If it's meant to be, then it will happen BUT, if you are willing, you maybe would have to step in and help out the single parent. If it came to that, lots of folks here would help you and guide the best they can.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Another thought that I just had.............if these are young birds, first time parents........it's possible that the hen laid one egg on your balcony and the other somewhere else and that's where she's spending her time. I'm not really sure if they would do this or not, but it was just a thougt.........


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## Oars (Jun 6, 2006)

Actually, I went out there and touched the egg, and it seemed warm. The parent bird (likely the father bird) hasn't been back. He was incubating the egg for much longer yesterday. I am sad to think something might have happened to the mother bird. I put some water near the egg, and the father bird drank from it. I guess I'll put some bread out there also (I don't have any seed.) Hopefully with some food out there, both birds will show up. 

Thank you for your reply.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Well, just watch it for a few days and see what happens. Actually, bread is not really very nutritous and I understand that you don't have seeds. At this stage, I wouldn't worry to much about food, only if a baby hatches, because it's very likely that you could draw a crowd of pigeons and unless that's what you want to do, putting out any food right now might just cause you more trouble. Thanks for caring anyway............


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

*Hi Oars,*

A very unusual pigeon named Peter Pied Piper lived on the campus of Arizona State University. He built the most wonderful nest with his mate. However, one day, after the eggs were laid, I never saw his mate again. Only one egg hatched and he raised the baby by himself. When the baby was older and close to being able to leave the nest, Peter came by with a new mate. 

Peter and his mate wanted to use the nest to lay more eggs, but no matter how hard they pushed and shoved, the baby refused to leave! So, they moved to a new window and built another nest!

The baby finally flew out but would spend a lot of time sitting next to her(his?)) dad while he was on nest duty. BTW, the baby and the "step" mother did NOT get along!

Peter's story is posted in the "STORY" section if you wish to read the whole adventure...  

So, yes, ONE pigeon can raise one baby...quite well, actually...


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

I went and read part of Peters story. I had seen it a long time ago but forgot about it. The difference in Peter and this situation is the timing. Peter first of all had his "better half" pulling her duty on the eggs which this bird seems not to have. Peter also had his better half for a few weeks helping to raise the baby which this bird does not seem to have. In order for the egg to hatch it must be kept at a certain temp for 18 days and that's not happening, therefore that's why I doubt it will hatch, but even if it does, even in the warmest of weather, parents sit on those babies for AT LEAST the first 6 days and that's hard for one parent to do and still go out and forage for food for himself.......he would have the crop milk for the baby those first few days. I'm still not saying that it can't be done, I'm sure it can but we all know that some pigeons just aren't as "committed" to parenting as others. If this is a cock bird, all it will take is for another hen to "catch his eye" while he's not with the baby, and that could be the end of that. A cock will raise his baby by himself, we've had them do it, but I've never had one raise it from hatching to grown, it's usually from about 2 weeks old until weaned........Anyway, I think we're mulling over this for no reason but you never know. Strange things happen every day!!!

You know another thing.........Oar said that the egg was found 2 days ago...maybe the mother hasn't come back to lay the second egg yet??? I don't know where Oar is so I don't know what time it is there, where ever there is..........ummmmmmmm, if it's on the east coast, the second egg should be laid by now, but if it's on the west coast, it's still a little early.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Oars said:


> After the egg was laid, there has been only one pigeon that has been coming each day to sit on the egg for several hours during the day. The egg is left unattended for the rest of the time, including at night, where the temperature here in the San Francisco Bay Area gets to lows in the 50's.
> 
> I read that the female bird comes at night to incubate the egg, but there is only one bird that comes in the day, likely the father, so I'm afraid the egg might not be viable for long. Can the egg survive these fluctuating temperatures?
> 
> ...


Now............I bet this is what has happened. I should start READING and COMPEHENDING at the same time!!!!!!!LOL
The first egg is not incubated until the second one is laid. They hen, usually, will hover over it some but not sit on it. Our loft birds do this all the time.Hover, then go lay out in the aviary or sit on a perch, hover some more......very seldom SITTING on the egg. I bet another egg shows up and both birds show back up and all will be well and we'll have another set of babies to watch out for!!! YEAH!!!!!!!!


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

DUH!!!!!.........see what I mean about reading and comprehending.......Oaks said "San Franciso Bay area".......that used to be in CA..right???? 
What a goof ball I am sometimes.................


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## Oars (Jun 6, 2006)

Well, so far today the male parent just showed up 5 minutes ago, perched on the wall of the balcony, and sang his usual coo song when he's about to sit on the egg. But this time the coo song had a different beginning to it that sounded kind of mournful to my ears. He never sat on the egg but only perched on the wall. I came out to give him some rice, but he flew off. From about 2 floors above my apartment another bird flew off in the same direction as him. The second bird never came near my balcony, but the 2 of them seemed to have flown off together somewhere. They've vanished for now.

It looks like Lovebird's theory of the second egg having been laid elsewhere is a possibility. Or else the cock found another mate and is giving up on this egg. Alternatively, although I find it less likely, the hen is going to somehow show up now and lay a second egg. That would be great, but I am doubtful. I read that it took 48 hours for the 2nd egg to be laid, but it's been closer to 72 hours now. How long can an egg be viable? Is there anything else I can do to save the egg or get the parents back?


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## Oars (Jun 6, 2006)

The Peter Pied Piper pigeon story is very interesting. Where can I read more on this story? I feel sorry for this bird that used to come to incubate his egg on my balcony when his mate went AWOL. I think he sensed something wrong with the picture today and didn't want to incubate the egg any more. Whatever the case, the egg seems to be abandoned, for now....

Thanks for all the replies. I am still crossing my fingers.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Oars said:


> How long can an egg be viable? Is there anything else I can do to save the egg or get the parents back?


Thank you for your care and concern over the egg, the pair, and its seemingly missing mate. You can feed them some wild bird seed, if you would still like to see them, rice isn't a complete meal for them and should be given sparingly.

I understand this may be a sad situation, but lets hope, if he did lose his mate, he has gone on to find a new love.

You should throw the egg out if they have discarded it.


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## Oars (Jun 6, 2006)

Mr Squeaks, I found your story about Peter. What an excellent story.


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## Oars (Jun 6, 2006)

Thanks for your advice, Tree Gray and Lovebirds. I think I am going to have to discard the egg, barring some miracle that might happen in the very near future.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Sad yes......but it's better than a tiny baby being abandoned I think. Once a pigeon looses it's mate, they are pretty quick to take up with a new one and continue their life. I'm sure this is much more true out in the wild as opposed to a loft/home situation. This kind of thing happens all the time......we just don't see it.


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