# Pigeon killing another?



## petuniafish

We visited Venice last month and spent lots of time in St. Mark's Square. It is a joy to watch the pigeons, and kids and adults delight in feeding them. While we were there we saw a pigeon attack and kill another- very upsetting. Want to erase the memory...it was horrible.

To those of you who know these birds behavior is this not unusual? There seemed to be a few birds who were generally personae non gratae- constantly chased and almost "hunted" by another pigeon. Think this was the case of the one who was killed. We even saw the killer bird hop up and down on the poor dead bird for some time. 

???

[This message has been edited by petuniafish (edited June 11, 2003).]


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## Guest

I've never seen this behavior before except when there would be an ill pigeon, sometimes they'd get picked on. I had one die of old age in my coop. When I found him however, he didn't just die. He had been trampled on too towhere he was almost flat. I'm sure he died first, but it could have been the same scenario too. It was very disturbing. But perhaps this is the way they deal with very sick pigeons around them.


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## petuniafish

Thanks- wish I could just erase it from memory!

It's funny but there was one bird (in amoungst the thousands of birds there), who had an injured, drooping wing. We watched it for sometime and it was being picked on by another continually. There was nothing we could do unfortunately for the poor thing, seeing as we were on the other side of the world far from home. We went back to our hotel and returned maybe an hour later to this horrible site of the pigeon killing the other in the middle of the square. It was in the same general area of the square as we had seen the bird with the injured wing.

I know it's nature but hard to witness.


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## maryco

I'm so sorry you had to witness this









I've seen pigeons picking on sick birds twice.
The first time, the lady pigeon had an egg and came to drink from my water bowl on the balcony when all of a sudden (I think she had pain) her eyes became wide and she just fell over and started rolling towards the end of the balcony.. Pigeons started running after her and pecking at her like crazy, I ran out to try to help but it was too late (Well sort of) they pushed her off the balcony and she fell to the ground like a stone!
I ran down as fast as I could and there she was in the grass with both legs stretched out laying on her back







I picked her up and brought her upstairs.. She had alot of pain because the egg inside broke from the fall and it was just horrible (Anyway to make the story short, she did survive (Thank God) she was taken to a wildlife centre and the egg was removed and just about 2 months ago she was released back into the wild







)

The second a large male from my flock got stuck in the net below my balcony for quite afew days with no way out, no food no water, nothing.. Anyway one day he did make it out and came straight to my balcony hungry.. I tried catching him but it was imposible.

He just sat puffed up in the corner dehydrated, starved but unable to eat (Dehydrated birds vomit their food or it just sits in their crops and rotts because they can't digest it)
Anyway from being one of the strongest and largest male pigeons he was now nothing, baby pigeons were attacking him and trying to kill him (I was so surprised at this!) It was horrible watching him being pecked at and running away from birds less than half his size!
Anyway the next day he was caught (He needed alot of care since he couldn't eat so he just got fluids into his crop for 2 days then I introduced small seeds.. ) He did recover and is now married to another bird in my flock and they are building a nest!

.. Again I'm sorry about what happened









Mary


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## petuniafish

Mary,
Thanks so much- warms my heart to hear your stories with sweet/happy endings. Appreciate hearing about these little ones doing so well after a rough go. Thanks to the kindness of someone like you.


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## hilary

Most animals/birds will try to kill an injured or sick member. This is a survival thing. If there is an injured or sick member of a flock or herd etc. this will draw the attention of predators, thereby putting all at risk. Sorry you had to see such an awful sight.
Hilary


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## TitanicWreck

Think thats bad, here in Boston we have Falcolns that swoop down and eat the pigeons....
But recently I saw seagulls kill and eat a live pigeon..It was horrible and disgusting...


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