# Pigeon in my planter box?!



## brooklyn (Apr 17, 2006)

Hi everyone.

I live on the fourth floor of apartment building in brooklyn and I have two window planter boxes that i went to clean out today... and in one of my boxes there is one pigeon egg!

Now, I'm not crazy about the the pigeon poop on the stoop down below already (they really like the tree in front of our building) but I would like to know what I can do if anything to help the egg and her mom. I don't want to put of food because there are at least a dozen and a half pigeons that reside in that tree and I think they would trample the egg if I did.

Its a very small planter box about a foot long by 6 inches wide and there is last years old soil in there still and I see mom has brought over a few twigs, but there is really no nest and I am worried when the baby hatches will it just fall out of the box four stories??!! 

Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance.

Jessica


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

brooklyn said:


> Hi everyone.
> 
> I live on the fourth floor of apartment building in brooklyn and I have two window planter boxes that i went to clean out today... and in one of my boxes there is one pigeon egg!
> 
> ...



Jessica, thanks for thinking about and being concerned for the birds. First of all, if there is only one egg, there should be another one within 48 hours after the first one was laid. Do you know when this egg was laid? Have you seen the mother hanging out in the box? I would be very concerned about having two baby pigeons in that small box, that high up. They would be ok for the first three weeks or so but when they get old enough to really start moving around, it could be dangerous. I'm sure others will be along shortly with ideas but I would seriously consider removing the eggs after the second one is laid and maybe removing the flower box for a week or so......that would force the pair of birds to move somewhere else to raise their babies. OR.......you could bring the eggs inside, boil them and after they cool put them back. That way, they would not hatch. The parents would sit on them for about 19 days or so and then realize that they aren't going to hatch and just leave them, BUT, they could also lay the next set of eggs in the same place and here you go again.............I personally would not allow the eggs to hatch, because it just sounds like it's a very dangerous situation and god forbid that one of those babies should fall from 4 stories up. I don't think it's worth the risk. Just my opinion..........good luck


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

I would follow Lovebirds' suggestion of removing the eggs.

I have had nests on my 2nd floor balcony in the past. One time a youngster just old enough to wander a little was pushed by another pigeon or just fell, through gap that was at bottom of balcony wall, to the patio below. Luckily, he was old enough to flutter and flap enough not to drop like a stone, and he was fine when I retrieved him and brought him back, but a younger one from a higher floor... maybe not so lucky.

John


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## brooklyn (Apr 17, 2006)

is there really no other option? the roof is one more floor up but has sides and everything.

could i move the whole planter box up to the roof? will the mom find the egg again? there is no second egg still, the mom is in the planter with the egg though.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

brooklyn said:


> is there really no other option? the roof is one more floor up but has sides and everything.
> 
> could i move the whole planter box up to the roof? will the mom find the egg again? there is no second egg still, the mom is in the planter with the egg though.


Unfortunately you can't move the egg or box, they just won't recognize it and will abandon it anyway. If there is no second egg yet, I suspect that she will lay it today since you say she's sitting in the box. The only other thing that you could do is leave the nest, let the babies hatch and when they are about 18 days old, take them and finish raising them. You sound like you really care about the birds and we all appreciate that but you have no idea how you would feel if one of those babies fell to it's death, or worse, fell but didn't die and was maimed in some way for life. In my opinion, the best thing to do is stop the process before it goes to far. If you are worried about the parents feelings if you take the eggs, believe me, within a couple of hours, they'll be looking for another nesting place and those eggs won't even be a memory for them.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Hi Brooklyn,

It is not very likely that the parent birds would find the nest if it is moved an entire floor from where it is now.

Terry


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## Mistifire (May 27, 2004)

If you dont want to remove the eggs, could you maybe put up a barrior like some see through window screen to prevent them from falling? If you do it careful they may not notice that the area was changed and they would stay, and the babys would be safe.


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## phyll (Mar 15, 2004)

As already suggested, try to close the area in. If that is not possible, switch your planter box with a larger one. I think a better idea would be to place the smaller box inside of a larger one. 

Posting a picture of the area might be helpful.

Thank you for caring about these pigeons & their babies.

Phyll


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## brooklyn (Apr 17, 2006)

the second egg was laid yesterday.

thanks for all of your advice and tips everyone.

how would i go about enclosing the nest? then the mom coulgnt get to it. what if i just made a fence to go around the perimitor so that the top would be open but the sides would be higher?


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## phyll (Mar 15, 2004)

Yes, Brooklyn, the perimeter needs to be blocked for the safety of the babies.

Are the mother & father sitting on the eggs now?

If possible, please post a picture of the planter box. 

Phyll


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## Mistifire (May 27, 2004)

If you use a small mesh window screen the mother shouldnt get stuck in it, I think if you change the way the area looks too much the mother may not see it as the same nest. Im not sure what your balcony is made of, I was thinking you could just staple some screen around the edge of the balcony so they cant fall off. 
A picture would help alot.


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