# Question Re Feral Pigeon



## PigeonQueen (Aug 13, 2006)

Does anyone know what the average life span is of a feral pigeon?

Best wishes from, Canary Jayne


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## Jiggs (Apr 1, 2005)

That would depend on many things- 1. the type of pigeon, 2. where it lives and 3. The amount of predators in the area. Also things like weather, topography, urban, rural, food sources, nesting availablility and safety etc.

I would venture a guess and say between 2 and 6 years


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi CanaryJayne,

Jiggs is probably right in his estimates of between 2 & 6 years. I think I've read a static estimate of around 5 years is average for ferals in the wild. 

It really does depend on several things as Jiggs has mentioned, luck plays a part too, health, urban vs city pigeon etc.

If they lived in a glass bubble in the wild, they would live much longer though.


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## PigeonQueen (Aug 13, 2006)

*lifespan of feral pigeons*

Thanks for your replies. Coo-coo for now, oh and tweet-tweet!!!!!!!!


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## Niel (May 25, 2005)

When we started the famous (infamous?) food reduction programme on Trafalgar Square, a scientific team was employed to check on and monitor the birds' health. As part of that they trapped and ringed many birds. The rings were various colours, indicating their health at the time.

That was five years ago and the ringed birds were adults.

I was in the Square the other day and was surprised to see how many ringed birds there still were - several whose colours suggest they weren't in the best of shape at the time - all fighting fit and certainly not giving any appearance of being on their last legs! So it seems they can go beyond six years. Mind you, it might be a testament to the good food we give them


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Thanks for that information Neil! It is good to know that pigeons survive that long in the wild.

The first feral pigeon that becaame aware of as an individual when I started feeding them disappeared after 6 years. 

Cynthia


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

First hurdle is to get through the first year - mortality is high starting right at day one, but probability decreases if they are healthy after the first year or so.

Thereafter, it does indeed depend on their circumstances, location, food supply, predators. whether their 'chosen' flock has been prone to disease outbreaks, etc.

Couple of years is not bad going for an inner city pigeon, specially if winters are hard, but many do fine well beyond that as Niel and Jiggs say.

The oldest free-living one I personally know is at least nine this year, despite having lost both feet some years back. Still turns up for his peanuts, even when I don't see him for weeks on end.

John


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

I'm glad to hear they can become a ripe old age like their domestic cousins. The environment and clean food and water sources definitely plays a big role in their health, and healthy adults usually have healthy offspring.


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Well, 'average' life span is a rather potentially confusing thing as idea, since it seems to indicate ultimate life span when evoked, or the age to which already adults will live 'to'.


There is a high mortality and attrittion among the young, which tapers off as they mature and reach adulthod...even as their used to be among people.

This did not mean people lived any LESS long than they do now, but it was an 'average' which factored in a high infant mortality, and a diminishing mid-life mortality.

The chan ces of a 90 year old person reaching 100, in 1700, 1800, 1900, were about the same or better even, than those of a 90 year old person reachin 100 today.


Feral Pigeons can certainly live well into their Teens, and two who are members of 'my' feral flock, look the same now but for very slightly larger Ceres and Nares at most...as they looked in 1993/1994 when I rehabbed or helped them.


Possibly they are fourteen or fifteen presently, I have no way to know...but they are at least 14 anyway, and were mature, filled out unambiguous adults when I first met them.


Phil
Las Vegas


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