# Pigeon keeps losing eggs



## Sparrow Luau (Apr 24, 2010)

Hi there! I stumbled upon this site while searching for some information online pigeons and other birds.

First, a little background. My wife and I live on the top floor apartment in our building. We have a feeder on our roof-top deck which attracts all kinds of birds, including pigeons. The pigeons seem to live and roost somewhere up here on the roof, and lately a couple have been nesting amongst our planters. 

One of the pigeons laid an egg. The problem is, the "nest" that the parents built is half-baked at best, and the egg rolled away from the "nest" this morning. This didn't seem to register with the parent, at it continued to sit in the nest as the egg lay six inches away. I wasn't sure what to do, so I took the egg and attempted to return it to the nest. The adult pigeon left as I got real close, and hasn't come back. It appears to have abandoned the egg! Even though the whole bunch of them (about 7-8 birds) basically just hang out on our deck all day, every day!

This is the second time this has happened in recent weeks, and while it would be great to have a little family of pigeons on our deck, we do have to water the plants, refill the feeder, and refill the water bowl. And I'm not sure if our presence on the deck will interrupt the whole process of the parents incubating the egg.

Does anyone have any advice for us? My wife felt badly for the mother the last time the pigeon lost an egg, and now it has happened again.

Thanks.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Why don't you put something out that they can make a nest in...like a plastic box, bottom to a plant pot, small animal kennel, etc.. In the bottom put an old towel and that will keep the eggs from rolling away.


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## sreeshs (Aug 16, 2009)

You can continue with your routine and also provide a nesting area as Charis suggested. If the pigeons are intolerant on your routine interference they will find another place to nest soon. Pigeons are pretty adaptable birds.


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## Sparrow Luau (Apr 24, 2010)

Thanks for the suggestions. Yeah, we were debating whether we should make the pigeons feel welcome to build a nest on the deck. It would be bad if the pigeon parents were spooked and and abandoned their little ones.


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Hi Sparrow...nice to meet another fellow SF'er. The suggestions above are good. Now if it was only ONE egg which rolled out....and the pigeon still kept returning to the nest...keep in mind that they usually lay 2 eggs within a few days of each other...so she may well have returned knowing that the first egg was not retrievable but still preparing to lay the second. Or if the other egg appeared a week ago, maybe 8 days tops...then it may well be the second egg which you tried to return. Hard to say....

In your position, I would do what was suggested. Firm up the nest a bit if you can. If you can do this while the adult isn't sitting in there, all the better.

Worst-case scenario here is that the pigeon will not return to that nest and end up laying #2 elsewhere, probably where she will not be able to sit it. Oh, well....these things happen. But if you can firm up the nest then leave it be, a fairly decent chance that they will return.

No harm in leaving the already-laid egg there. They can discern between a dud and a potential egg....so if they glean the first one doesn';t have a chance, they will likely kick that egg out and just suit the second one.

Keep in mind, after being layed...18 days until hatching and then 5 weeks until the baby will fledge....and the first 2-3 of those 5 weeks the baby is really, really defenseless and dependent on mom and dad. 
So if it seems a secure place, away from potential predators, obvious view, and possibly even somewhat sheltered from wind and rain, it's a good location.

If it isn't many of those things, then it's not a great location to begin with. But once they start sitting, if you just sorta don't pay much attention to 'em (all in the while you are really checking on 'em) they probably won't startle. Once the baby hatches, particularly....it takes a fair amount of upheaval to scare the parents off...they do not give up on sitting a hatched baby too easily.


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## Tayzi (Apr 10, 2010)

Hi,
We have 2 collared doves in our garden and i am currently rearing one of there offspring who fell from the nest (he was 3 days old now 22 days old). The doves then had two more eggs and sadly they too rolled from the nest and smashed. My husband went up the tree to look and the nest was on an angle and not built very well. So he hand made a nest from twigs then placed the doves nest ontop and secured to the tree with gardening wire. We were dubious about the doves returning but sure enough the next day she was in the nest checking it out and has been back frequently with more twigs (my husband laughed and said obviously not up to her standard) so no now we are waiting for them to have more little ones.
Rachel


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## Sparrow Luau (Apr 24, 2010)

Jaye - Hi, it's good to hear that pigeons are somewhat pragmatic about this. We were just concerned about not wanting to disrupt what they do.

Rachel - Thanks for sharing your story. I hope the doves enjoy the nest your husband built!


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