# When Does Baby Season End In North America?



## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

I was asked on the Starling-Talk list when baby pigeon season ended and found that I didn't have a well informed answer .. baby pigeon season never seems to end here in Southern California. I'm curious what others have noticed in other parts of the country. I was thinking that areas where the winters are harsh would see a stop or severe slow down in pigeon babies by the end of August but then realized that Phyll is finding babies, so is Maggie, and so are people in other less temperate areas.

Terry


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Terry, all...


When does it begin? - is another angle on the same question...

Here, in Las Vegas, the feral Pigeons raise Babys all year long, but it slows down somewhat for some during Winter. 

I will guess for them, the criteria is more about the availability of Food than the Weather as such, at least to some limit or other.

And any place with much endureing snow of course, will tend to make food scarce, where otherwise they may have been able to continue to brouse for Seeds the year long even if the Plants had ceased their Season for the time being.

The ferals I feed every day outside, and maybe because I feed them every day, seem to make Babys all year round, and the closest pairs do so at the same even rate, knowing - I suppose - that they need only fly fourteen feet down and a few feet over for daily feed...

And similarly for those whose nests are between here and a few blocks away, they know there is food 'here', so they can go ahead and raise Babys all year round too.

Phil
Las Vegas


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

I would also think that the environment and weather makes conditions favorable for breeding also. The feral pigeons here are having babies all year round, it never stops. Mosquitos, hurricanes (God forbid) are the only thing detrimental to babies surviving in our hot summer months.

Even my birds seem to continue to breed, of course they live in the land of plenty. Plenty of food, sunshine, nesting material, & mosquito netting.

My birds do slow down when the weather gets extreme, but that doesn't happen very often here.


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Terry, we get the bulk of ours from about the first of April until the end of August with occasional ones during the rest of the year.


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

pdpbison said:


> .........
> 
> I will guess for them, the criteria is more about the availability of Food than the Weather as such, at least to some limit or other.
> 
> ...


 I agree with Phil, my captive birds would breed 12 months a year here in Pa. if birth control was not employed. It is the availability of food, which causes the pigeon to breed year round.

Which means if you are feeding ferals, you are encouraging reproduction during times of the year, when nature may not otherwise have them breeding.


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

SmithFamilyLoft said:


> I agree with Phil, my captive birds would breed 12 months a year here in Pa. if birth control was not employed. It is the availability of food, which causes the pigeon to breed year round.
> 
> *Which means if you are feeding ferals, you are encouraging reproduction during times of the year, when nature may not otherwise have them breeding.*



Mmm, quite a dilemma...

feed = breed...
no feed = no breed but starve??

Fine line on HOW MUCH to feed and HOW OFTEN...


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

mr squeaks said:


> Mmm, quite a dilemma...
> 
> feed = breed...
> no feed = no breed but starve??
> ...


If you think about it.....it also explains a Human problem in various areas of the World. If you prevent 4,000,000 humans from starving to death by supplying say 400,000,000 pounds of food, what happens when these four million people produce another 2,000,000 mouths to feed..... say in about nine months ? How many more pounds of food will you need to produce over the next 30 years considering that a new generation starts at a breeding age of 15 years ?

This explains why certain areas of the World will always produce a catch 22 situation, not only for humans but for our pigeon friends. After all, it is the sucess of pigeons breeding, which make them a problem. If there were only a few hundred thousand alive, Goverments would spend money to protect them.

So, tell me George....if I help to prevent someone from starving in let's say Africa, and they in turn produce four more mouths to feed, have I helped the situation ?


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## KIPPY (Dec 18, 2003)

I live in Tempe, AZ and 2 young feathered pijs were found in a palm tree in January. Splash (now) one of my pijs must have been a youngster at the time was in one of the palm trees that was cut down. I think they may slow down in the cold season but not sure if nesting ever stops. I need to get my palm trees trimmed again and may go for the beginning of February.
The pigeons were the only ones. I found some old nest and no eggs and a looked through *everything*. No other birds were nesting but the pijes.


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

Color me a strong advocate of:

B-I-R-T-H C-O-N-T-R-O-L...humans and animals


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## mountainstorm (May 3, 2006)

*back to the question ...*

I'm in Utah, which has pretty moderate weather. I didn't notice the empty eggs that had dropped down until after I saved Cielo, which was in early May. I think the last eggs I saw on a regular basis were about two weeks ago. But then again, if they're able to detect weather changes better than we are ... it's mid September, but it already feels like it's mid-November. That may make a difference.

Rach


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## george simon (Feb 28, 2006)

SmithFamilyLoft said:


> So, tell me George....if I help to prevent someone from starving in let's say Africa, and they in turn produce four more mouths to feed, have I helped the situation ?


 HI WARREN, HOW DID I GET IN THIS THREAD. I think it is MR SQUEAKS that you are  about. I think you best put your glasses on and reread that post As this is my first post on this thread.............GEORGE


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

*Who needs glasses ? Not me.....*

Hey George.....

I have my glasses, but I only need them for reading...so I forget to waer them, but I dont' thinh I make any mistahes without then ........, cause I see just fine without ehn there glasses on....


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

LOL


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## KIPPY (Dec 18, 2003)

So, In the winter time we shouldn't feed the pigeons and the people in Africa?

I'm all for wooden eggs!


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## mountainstorm (May 3, 2006)

*two new eggs*

I've seen two "new" hatched eggs on the ground this week. I guess there are a few who don't care about the season change.


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## mountainstorm (May 3, 2006)

*and when does it start?*

I was thinking about this post last evening, when I saw a hatched eggshell on the ground under the overpass. This morning, there was another one. Except for one single egg hatched about three or four weeks ago, these two are the first ones of the spring. Happy Hatchday!

Rach


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## Guest (Apr 14, 2007)

my birds dont know when to stop laying eggs but I dont let them actually hatch out babies til march because its so cold here .I just know they can an would at anytime of the year thou if I let them.. but this time of year being that its already april is like the prime time for egglaying even for wild birds .. with chances of snow they are in overdrive to let the flood gates loose lol make way for babies woooooo


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