# Pet pigeon seems to think we're mates



## PepperPigeon (Mar 16, 2017)

Hello! I've been a long time follower of this site for lots of helpful care tips for my birdy buddy, but my case is kind of a weird one and I had trouble finding a post that could give me a specific enough answer. 
I've got a year old pigeon living in my house, she landed here last summer after a heavy storm and some severe injuries. She was a racing pigeon and we adopted her because after tracking down her owners, we received the answer that they didn't want her back, because she lost her race by not returning. 
It's been almost a full year, and my little friend does everything with me. She doesn't go outside, because she's not a great flyer and after heavy consideration and consultation we don't think she could survive on her own. She's a wonderful pet, I love her to bits, but that brings me to her newest quirk. 
She seems to think we're mates, in a lot of the way that she acts. She's started wing-flicking with head nods and cooing at night when I put her in her cage, and sometimes will latch on to my sleeve and lash around in a weird fighting motion. 
Am I misreading her language? Does she mean something else or is she trying to mate, and if it is the latter is there anything I can do to "friendzone" her? 
Thanks so much for any advice!! 

(((NOTE: I have no way of knowing Pepper's gender, I call her a female because her personality led me to believe that she was one. It doesn't mean much to me whether she is male or female, and I cannot get a second pigeon to find out for sure, so she's a female in my books.)))


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Our first pigeon, an injured feral named Phoebe, saw us as her mate once she healed. Our avian vet said to be careful not to pet her back. We diverted her attention with toys but she aleays flicked her wing tips. Thank you for rescuing the bird. Dont be shocked if you get eggs.


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## PepperPigeon (Mar 16, 2017)

Thank you so much for replying!
I'll make sure to distract her or walk away next time she tries anything.
Are there any particular toys pigeons like? Right now I really only have millet laying in her favorite spots that she plays with, but there's not exactly a pigeon isle in any store, so I'm not sure what's best for my baby to play with. I'd like to try distracting her better.


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## FredaH (Apr 5, 2016)

She sounds adorable and I bet she's female because the males are far more aggressive in their courtship behaviour. My three males have hens that they are paired with but because I hand reared them they also see me as another hen, lol. They dance and coo to me but peck the living daylight outa me too, lol. It's just their way of saying 'I love you' and they do that to their hens at mating time also - although mother hen here gives them time out if they're too demanding until they cool off. My girls are so much sweeter towards me but I love all of them equally, the boys are just being boys that's all. 
My first raised girl is paired but I swear she likes us more than her domineering old man, she's just happy to sit on her humans and get petted but if her hubby goes in the time out pet carrier she looks everywhere for him, so she likes him too but in an entirely different way.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Phoebe loved parakeet toys with bells. You will be your birds main toy and flock though if you have just one bird.


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