# Do feral pigeons have predators?



## jaegerhund

Aside from man and the by products thereof; do feral pigeons have any natural predators?

I was having a discussion with a friend of mine the other day and this topic came up. I personally couldn't think of any.


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## Lovebirds

The main predator of pigeons is hawks. Of course a sick or injured bird that is grounded is in danger from cats and dogs. Owls also will kill a pigeon during the night. As will a possum and a weasel. Baby pigeons and pigeon eggs are in danger from some types of snakes. So, yes, I guess they have a few natural predators.


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## Maggie-NC

Raccoons are also pigeon predators. They're the main reason you need at least 1/4" hardware cloth around their outside cages. A raccoon can tear off a pigeon's wing or leg by simply reaching through wire.

Rats, too.


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## Lovebirds

Lady Tarheel said:


> Raccoons are also pigeon predators. They're the main reason you need at least 1/4" hardware cloth around their outside cages. A raccoon can tear off a pigeon's wing or leg by simply reaching through wire.
> 
> Rats, too.


Yep, forgot about those two...............


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## pdpbison

...Marmots, Mink, Ferrets, Ermine, or their additional broader kin...Felines, Canines, Snakes of various kinds...Wolverines...Alligators, Crockadiles, Jackels, Heineas, Cars, Trucks, Busses...people...anything or anyone which is liable to prey on them intentionally or not, or on their young or compromised or grounded or nesting ones...


Oye...


Phil
Las Vegas


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## Lofty Pigeon

Crows too. We have wild pigeons living in our soffits and I see the crows fly right in after young birds and eggs. I don't think they go for the adults but definitely eggs and babies. That's how I ended up with my baby Torque. I think he was a failed crow attack and he fell into my patio when he was little.


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## John_D

Rats will kill pigeons, though they are usually after the feed in a 'pigeon house'. I guess it would be the young, but I can imagine that rats would kill a disabled pigeon particularly if the bird was startled and attempted to peck or wingslap.

John


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## Charis

John_D said:


> Rats will kill pigeons, though they are usually after the feed in a 'pigeon house'. I guess it would be the young, but I can imagine that rats would kill a disabled pigeon particularly if the bird was startled and attempted to peck or wingslap.
> 
> John


Rats will take the head right off a pigeon. duck or chicken in the middle of the night when it is dark. They work as a pack.
Rats will also go after caged birds left in cages outside during the day. Last summer our Audobon Wild life care Center had all of the mentioned happen. One night alone more than a dozen ready to release ducks and crows were beheaded and partically eaten. It was heartbreaking.


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## Flying_Pidgy

surprisingly, now pelicans also....=\


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## stella

I live in a large city and was surprised to find we have a huge hawk, owl, and Peregrine falcon population that hunts our ferals.


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## LSG3240

I live in a very rural area and at one time or another have had pigeons eaten by just about everything. Untill I covered my flightpen with 1/4 inch mesh my biggest problem was snakes. I removed 13 eastern rat snakes over 5 foot long, numerous smaller ones, 2 rattlesnakes, and one or two that I never did identify. This was in one year. I have also caught in live traps, racoons, skunks, opposums, a Siberian Husky, rats, Owls, 1 young bobcat, and several mink. I have sighted but never caught a full grown cougar (Need a bigger trap!). I say all this to tell you that EVRYTHING eats pigeon. Before anybody gets excited or upset over all this stuff let me expain that I released evrything alive except one rattlesnake that I slammed the door on. My birds are housed within a few feet of a national forest, so I have to build with an eye to the varmits. It is sort of fun to see what will show up next.


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## warriec

Almost everything can attack a pigeon at one stage. I have had rat problems, snake problems, ants problem & dont forget many disease problems too


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## flitsnowzoom

LSG3240 said:


> I removed 13 eastern rat snakes over 5 foot long, numerous smaller ones, 2 rattlesnakes, and one or two that I never did identify. This was in one year. I have also caught in live traps, racoons, skunks, opposums, a Siberian Husky, rats, Owls, 1 young bobcat, and several mink. I have sighted but never caught a full grown cougar (Need a bigger trap!). I say all this to tell you that EVRYTHING eats pigeon. Before anybody gets excited or upset over all this stuff let me expain that I released evrything alive except one rattlesnake that I slammed the door on. My birds are housed within a few feet of a national forest, so I have to build with an eye to the varmits. It is sort of fun to see what will show up next.


Maybe your snakes were cottonmouths or copperheads -- nice and sneaky! 

Definitely need some bigger "Hav-a-hearts". That's one big kitty!

Pigeons are sort of like prairie dogs. They're on everyone's menu if they can catch 'em


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## TerriB

Seagull will also take pigeon when they can. About the only defense pigeons have is their explosive, powerful flight!


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## Skyeking

....and last but not least the domestic or wild cat, they seem to becoming quite a nuisance.... wherever irresponsible humans populate.

I think this thread has exposed every single reason why 1/4 hardware cloth is such a necessity, wherever openings exist. So much grief and heartache can be avoided by this wonderful invention.


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## Niel

Seagulls, definitely. We often have to "shoo" them away when feeding the Trafalgar Square birds, but they still get the odd kill. 

Just two days ago a youngster in Edinburgh flew straight into a store window while trying to escape a gull, and is now nursing a broken pelvis  

Oh, and don't forget Sparrowhawks ....


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## LSG3240

The snakes were definatly rat snakes. We do have copperheads and cottenmouths. I am not quite so forgiving of a cottenmouth. They tend to be a bit more agressive and ill tempered than most of the other snakes and are dealt with accordingly. I would rather ere on the side of safety and caution than risk having one of the grandkids have an encounter with a cottenmouth. 
The cougar that was spotted near my birds was very interesting. All things considered he was acting like a very large house cat. Excited and his tail kept twitching. I have since became partners with a border collie and a hound dog and they seem tto keep most of the preditors to more managable numbers. 1/4 inch mesh will not stop a detemined bobcat or even a large racoon. Good stuff, but not quite strong enough


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## 201.00281.11.0078

why do pigeon has few predators


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