# Can Pigeons Swim?



## rackerman (Jul 29, 2009)

I Have A Friend That Wanted Me To Ask If Pigeons Can Swim?
I Think I Saw A Video On Utube Before, Showing Pigeons Swimming In A Pool.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

I do not think they can swim..but they can float..but if they can not get out of the water they could be in danger of drowning.. most seem to find the human floatie thing and ride on that..


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

No, they cant actually swim, but as Spirit says, they can float, however they would have difficulty taking off as their feet are not webbed & would have very little purchase on the water for take off.
Most "water" birds have webbed feet to tread the water, or really long legs which they can straighten, to raise their bodies high enough out the water so that their wings get clear air to lift them.


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## PigeonQueen (Aug 13, 2006)

No Pigeons cant swim but they can float.

I have seen young pigeons drowning in the River Thames. Usually they have just left the nest from under one of the bridges and come down not realising there is water below. However the adults often manage to fly out of the water but with great difficulty. Often they float to the side of the river bank.


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## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

No, they can't swim. I have witnessed many pigeons on the water struggling to afloat using their wings to just float. Some survived, but they get soaked too much that they can't fly unlike sea birds.


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

RodSD said:


> No, they can't swim. I have witnessed many pigeons on the water struggling to afloat using their wings to just float. Some survived, but they get soaked too much that they can't fly unlike sea birds.


Exactly. Because waterfowl and the like usually have oils to deal with the water, correct? At least, it seems like it beads on them that way. I'm tired and can't remember if I'm entirely correct at the moment, though.


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## whytwings (Feb 12, 2011)

I have viewed that video on youtube too .....it was interesting to see .

I tend to agree with the pigeons floating rather than swimming .....I live close to a river and when walking my dog on ocassions I come across pigeons dead in the water


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## rackerman (Jul 29, 2009)

*Here is the link on Utube, where pigeons swim in the pool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCvl364Pl1E*


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

like I said.. they like to use floats.. they are not swimming.. they are floating..they use things in the pool to float.. so to make that clear.. don't want folks dropping their pigeons in the pool..


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## rackerman (Jul 29, 2009)

*If you looked close, you CAN SEE A PIGEON SWIMMING or am I seeing things.....*


spirit wings said:


> like I said.. they like to use floats.. they are not swimming.. they are floating..they use things in the pool to float.. so to make that clear.. don't want folks dropping their pigeons in the pool..


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

rackerman said:


> *If you looked close, you CAN SEE A PIGEON SWIMMING or am I seeing things.....*


no they are not swimming.. they are birds ..lol.. some fell off the float and are floating and trying to keep from getting water logged..they do not float alone for long.. as you can see they are either on the float or the side of the pool and close to the hose floating.. some just decided to float for a minute..they like to float.. have I said float enough..lol... no they do not swim.. the movement of the wings is to get up to fly out..


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## pattersonk2002 (Jun 1, 2008)

*swimming*

Thanks Russ, as I expected the thread got interesting. The reason this came about is, yesterday I was on the roof flagging up my birds for the first time in weeks and I seen the shadow of a larger bird come across the front yard but seen nothing. As I turned to watch the birds circle I seen one of the birds in the center of my pond with some of his flight feathers floating near by. PANIC, I yelled for the wife to get the net as I flew down the latter. I could not believe what I was seing and started to take off my boots thinking this is going to be frikin cold but I had no choice.

Luckily, I did not have to swim. The bird was one of my Serbian high flyers so it was a small bird at that but it was floating. When he seen the wife and I standing there he started frantically flapping his wings to pull himself to us. Since, as somebody had mentioned, pigeons do not have oil on there featers to totally repel water so my little friend sat under my truck until he dried off and into the coup he flew. >kevin


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## lmorales4 (Jul 8, 2010)

I have actually seen my pigeons jump into my pool and take a bath in 5 foot deep water as well as floating on the top like a duck several times ill try to take a picture of them the next time they do it. They dont swim like ducks but more like they use their wings to move themselves around in the water.


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