# Attacked by a Pigeon?



## Glenroy (Aug 30, 2013)

Hello, i'm not a bird type of person, but i did a google search and came here. I had an interesting morning involving a pigeon.

I had just finished driving my girlfriend to work (it is about 7am) and was heading into my house, I parked my vehicle across the street and walked across and towards my house. When I crossed the street a giant grey pigeon came flying towards me (feet first as fast as it appeared to possibly go) and dived towards me, it missed i figured it was going after something else or was hurt or something, so i let it be. It came for a 2nd sweep with the same motion this time closer to my house, it then missed and landed feet first onto my neighbors vehicle. I thought maybe it was warning me, so i just continued to move away from our initial counter.

Then I was trapped in my front walkway, with my door locked, i went to unlock it when the pigeon came flying at me in a line, this time I had nowhere to go, so I took my water bottle that was in my other hand and made a thrusting motion knocking it back. The pigeon got knocked backwards still aflight and then flew out of sight, i unlocked my door and walked inside.

Is this typical pigeon behavior? Was there something wrong with this pigeon? Did I critically harm said pigeon with my water bottle? Did I threaten its home somehow and now it is going to be around pissed off? Or was it a pet that someone had that got lost and was looking at a human for help? I don't know and feel as though I acted improperly.

If you can answer any of my questions, please feel free. I know next to nothing about birds of all animals and don't know if I hurt the pigeon and should go looking for it, or if it was just a crazy pigeon.

I should add, the distance traveled from where said pigeon first lunged towards me and our final encounter was about 20-30m.


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Umm ... sounds like mistaken identity 

I'm intrigued with the description of a 'giant' grey pigeon, though. Feral pigeons are pretty much of a size, and you've doubtless seen 'em on the streets, so was it much larger than that?

The whole swooping/diving thing sounds very unlike any pigeon behavior, and much more what one might encounter with a gull or some kind of hawk - hawks/falcons are very likely to dive with feet forward in order to grab with their talons.

I suspect other members are going to be equally intrigued!


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## Glenroy (Aug 30, 2013)

i'm not very good at bird identification, i did a google search for common birds and it looked a lot like a pigeon, so could very well be mistaken identity, but it was grey/white with green bits on it, and it was about twice the size of a robin. Where I live (southern saskatchewan, canada) there aren't many pigeons, mostly just robins/crows which it most certainly was not either.

I'm also not sure if its worth mentioning, but I am a pretty big guy, I am 6'4 and 230ibs, so if it was a hawk or some other predator, would it really attack such a large target?

I used the national geographic bird identification tool, and it resembled this bird alot.

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birding/rock-pigeon/


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

More and more mysterious!

I don't know about all bird species, but it does seem that some have no concept of relative size, so the fact that we are much bigger than them may not connect with them. It is the kind of behaviour that some species will engage in if someone or something, as they see it, inadvertently ventures anywhere near a nest.

Only other possible candidate I can see at a quick look would be a magpie (OK, black and white rather than grey and white, but has green/blue/turquoise irridescence). Beyond that, it being a N.American bird, I would be stumped.

Only things I can think of it it was a pigeon:

If a pigeon intends landing, then its 'undercarriage' will come down, and a pigeon very used to humans (like an escaped pet or loft bird) may well decide to go to a human and try to land on them

Pigeons, usually in a mass, can appear as if they are threatening if they suddenly make a beeline for a human they recognize or believe they recognize, as one who regularly feeds them.

Pigeons in my experience are not very likely to launch attacks in defense of a nest, but tend to sit tight and wait till the last moment or until the perceived threat has gone.

It's on something which induces psychotic behavior


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## Glenroy (Aug 30, 2013)

I just can't help but to wonder if it was someones pet, and it just needed help and then I hurt it how terrible that would be. The fact that it flew away after being hit is a good sign that it is fine and will just shrug it off. I would go canvasing the neighborhood (as i have nothing better to do haha) to try and find the owner, but its a bird so it could have flown in from anywhere.


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

'IF' it was a pigeon, my guess is that it was trying to land on you. I have quite a few of them that do that when I go into the flight cage to feed.....especially if I'm late. Landing on my head, back and shoulders. I have 3 Fantails that dive into the food bucket as soon as I get in the door.
If it were me (but I'm nuts), I would go back out and see if he's around. If he dives again (IF its a pigeon), I would not move and see if he lands on you....probably someones pet. Pigeons don't attack like that. If it's not a pigeon......RUN, LOL


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## Lexygurl (Jun 28, 2007)

I have raised several pigeons as pets that loved to fly and land on people's heads. The only thing I can think of is this bird may be a pet and may have been trying on to land on you.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

That's what I'm thinking. That is another reason why, if we are planning to release an injured pigeon when well, we try not to interact with it too much. Because we don't want it to associate people as safe, because they may try to land on them, and the person, not being pigeon friendly, or mistaking their intentions might harm them.
Someone could have released him, or he may have gotten lost, and he is hungry and doesn't know how to find food. He may have been thinking that you would feed him. Poor thing. I would go outside and see if I could find him. Maybe leave some food and water out for him.


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## spiritflys (Aug 6, 2012)

I agree, Jay, must be a pet pij wanting to be fed,and is hungry. How nice of you, Glenroy, to be concerned about the bird. Very decent and Kind of you, my man. By the way, I was born and raised in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan and spent 28 years there. I now live in Vancouver, B.C. Canada. Let us know if you see the bird again and what transpired. You have us all wondering what the neck, now. Pigeons, as others have said are passive - pigeons are "rock doves" (columba livia) and known as the bird of peace for its passivity. Can't hurt you anyway. Only has a dull beak for picking up seeds. Might give you a comical "wing slap or two," but I doubt it. That would be totally out of character with its gentle nature. lol


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## RockPigeon<3er (Aug 2, 2012)

Grab a net and go hunting.
LOL.

If it dives at you take a net (preferably large with soft-ish netting, but anything will work except bug nets) and swipe at it. Be careful not to hurt it. The bring it inside (likely it'll get tangled in the net and easy to grab) take a pic then put it in a cage if your uncertain of it. If its a hawk of some sort, release it immediately (but... Take a pic if possible.... Lol). If its a pigeon, then keep it since it was probably trying to land on you and needs feed and such.
But yeah...if you find It again...


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Trying to catch it in a net can actually hurt the bird. You could easily break a wing. I wouldn't try to catch it. Just put out some feed for him, in the vicinity of where he was, and hopefully he will see it and come down for it. A small dish maybe.


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