# edgar's attitude



## jennyp (Mar 14, 2006)

lately my pigeon edgar has been exceptionally grumpy. i mean GRUMPY. he used to be so sociable and sweet... and now all he does is chase me around the house pecking at my feet.
i mean, its pretty funny at times as he does nothing but turn around in circles and give angry coos.. but at the same time i'm wondering why he's so upset. he's molting heavily right now, could that have anything to do with it? this sounds ridiculous, but how do you cheer up a pigeon? he does not want to be touched and while sometimes he's content to just sit by me and hang out, most of the time he is angry with the whole world. 
this is silly, but i'm really curious. i don't know much about pigeons and for a while he and i were pretty good friends. now he's mr grumpy pants.


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi Jenny, 

Edgar is around 5 months old, is he? This is around the age that the do start to get "grumpy". When they are younger than this, they are still babies in a way and maturing. Once the reach a certain age, they start to assert themselves much more to find a "pecking" order. If there are no other birds around, then they play this game with their human companions, provided they are tame and trusting. 

The moulting could be making him even more grumpy because it's uncomfortable with new pin feathers coming in. Make sure he has lots of baths as this time and also make sure he's getting a good vitamin supplement, some probiotics and perhaps some garlic to help with the stress of the moult.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

He might be trying to chase you to a nest and you're just not playing along. If you see him sitting in one particular place in the house, his stance kinda' low (horizontal) and you start hearing sounds like "mmmMMMMMmmmuh! mmmMMMMMmmmuh!" then you should do your best to get in that spot, hunker down and stay there for at least 15 to 20 hours a day. Give it a few weeks. That might cheer him up. That's going on the assumption that he thinks of you as his mate.

Another possibility (besides the molting stress deal) since you live in Oak Ridge, Tenn., is that he's a genetic mutant due to the residual radiation from all the uranium separating (U235 from U238) that they did there back during the Manhattan Project.

Hopefully, that's not it.

Pidgey


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

It is also possible that he is maturing and taking on territory in the house. If they have free flight around the house they start to get territorial of the rooms they are allowed in. My friend has such a male that pecks at her feet should she DARE walk thru the dining room, which he thinks he owns.

Rosco chased me around and then when he went inside his cage he would coooo and cooo, when he did that I rubbed his little head and scratched him around the ears and he absolutely LOVED it and would tick his wings and coo even louder. I think he was definitely bonded to me at that point.


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

Pidgey said:


> He might be trying to chase you to a nest and you're just not playing along. If you see him sitting in one particular place in the house, his stance kinda' low (horizontal) and you start hearing sounds like "mmmMMMMMmmmuh! mmmMMMMMmmmuh!" then you should do your best to get in that spot, hunker down and stay there for at least 15 to 20 hours a day. Give it a few weeks. That might cheer him up. That's going on the assumption that he thinks of you as his mate.
> 
> *ROFL! Well, I can sure RELATE! Lucky for me that I found another solution than staying on the floor that long. I just pick him up and put him in his basket with his egg and he's set for HOURS! In fact, I have to pry him off to eat and get exercise!*
> 
> ...


Yeah, Mr. Squeaks gets a little "testy" when he's molting...Bare feet are a special treat to attack!

If the pigeon is not *glowing *in the dark, then I wouldn't worry TOO much about a genetic mutation...(although, there could be other signs)


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## mountainstorm (May 3, 2006)

Trees Gray said:


> and would tick his wings and coo even louder. I think he was definitely bonded to me at that point.


Is that where he taps his wings against his back a few times in a row? I asked about that on another post ... I'm assuming it means he's content?

Rach


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## mountainstorm (May 3, 2006)

It must be because I just saw that video of someone's dove and it tapped its wings against its back, too. Cielo will also waggle his tail!

Rach


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

There are different wing flicking, if the bird is bonded to you he will coo and coo and wing tick in demanding attention. 

They will also tick their wing in standing position and do the up and down head nod when they are "ticked" off with their neighbor. It is a warning and threat to another bird NOT to get any closer.


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

Sounds like he's rounding you up to mate lol. My first pigeon Gonzo was the only bird in the house at first, and he did that to me when he hit about four months. The cooing and "darth-vadering" as we call it started in earnest and he was very determined to get me into his nest. If you get close to him and pat him on the back he will likely hunker down and think you're mating. They seem to get confused in the whole mating process....normally a female would be mounted that way but the males I've had seem to think it's normal to lay low and be patted several times on the back. With Gonzo, we did get him a female (at the time it was a ringneck dove and they had hybrids! Now he has a pigeon wife). He mated with her and had less to do with us, matingwise, but still remains a wonderful pet bird who has bonded with us and still sees us as buddies. Good luck with your little grumpy guy, aren't they just like testosterone-y teens!


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

maryjane said:


> *If you get close to him and pat him on the back he will likely hunker down and think you're mating*. They seem to get confused in the whole mating process....normally a female would be mounted that way but the males I've had seem to think it's normal to lay low and be patted several times on the back.


Hi MaryJane, 

I can relate to this, as I have a hand raised male pigeon too and he does what you've described. There are times, and I'm not sure what instigates it that my Ricky will squat down to be mated. It's always when I'm petting him on his back and it's funny, lol. Feel sorry for him though as he's very confused and not sure if he's a male or a female.

Welcome to the forum by the way


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

Lol, glad to know it's not just my birds that are sexually confused.  Thanks for the welcome too, this is the best group I've found so far on any animals.


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