# pigeon attacked another pigeon



## evelyn 101 (Jan 31, 2012)

why did one of my male pigeons attack another male in there cage ? i had to put the injured pigeon to sleep as its head was burst wide open , i didnt think pigeons could be so nasty to each other, is this normal behaviour?


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

*It is very normal behavior for two males, they are very territorial and need room and space to fly. It is not nasty behavior, you need to read and learn more about pigeons, so you don't fail them again.*


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## evelyn 101 (Jan 31, 2012)

they had plenty of space as they were in a large outdoor cage with a few other pigoens , the one that died was new to the cage so i dont know if this has anything to do with why he was attacked , also we have kept pigeons for 4 yrs now and this was first i had seen this happen


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

evelyn 101 said:


> why did one of my male pigeons attack another male in there cage ? i had to put the injured pigeon to sleep as its head was burst wide open , i didnt think pigeons could be so nasty to each other, is this normal behaviour?


It is normal for males to fight, especially with a newcomer, as they are very territorial of their own space.
It is also very surprising how well and quickly birds recover from what can look a very serious injury.
When introducing new birds, you should keep them within a smaller cage in the loft (or in a separate cage next to the cage you wish to introduce them to),
so they can get to know each other.
In real life, an unwelcome bird can fly away, in cage or loft situation, it it is trapped & will be pursued by other birds.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

evelyn 101 said:


> they had plenty of space as they were in a large outdoor cage with a few other pigoens , the one that died was new to the cage so i dont know if this has anything to do with why he was attacked , also we have kept pigeons for 4 yrs now and this was first i had seen this happen


*That would have been helpful to mention in your first post, any new pigeon you bring into the loft is seen as a newcomer and not an established member of the coop and is thus treated as such. They are seen as a threat to your male pigeons turf as they are very territorialand will protect their turf.*


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Yes, as Skyeking has said, they are very territorial and will protect their turf from what they view as an intruder, which is what a new bird, particularly a new male, would be. 
I have a rescue loft, and am therefore introducing new birds often. I have a new little male in the loft now, in a cage. I go out and let him fly and exercise while I am there to help keep the piece. Some of the other males will hassle him, but because I am there, I can let him get to know his boundaries, while being there to stop a too aggressive male. He is allowed to socialize and mix in for a while, then I put him back in his cage when I am not able to watch. They will get used to seeing him in there, and will grow to accept him this way. After a while, when everyone calms down and pretty much ignores him, I will be able to let him out for longer periods, and eventually for good.

A new bird, doesn't know the boundaries in the new loft or enclosure. Particularly a young bird who doesn't even understand that there are boundaries. They will fly into boxes that other birds have claimed, or land on perches that others see as their perch. When this happens, the established birds will defend their property from what they see as an intruder.

Your bird was badly injured and that is really sad, but although I haven't seen the injury, I bet he could have been nursed and recovered. These guys are pretty amazing, and can heal and come back from horrible injuries. I'm sorry you lost him, but in the future, you just need to go slow and introduce them carefully. Also, you need to make sure you have enough boxes for every male to have one, and more than one perch for each bird. That way everyone can have a place without having to fight for a space.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

*FYI: This subject is in regards to behavior, so I have MOVED your thread to the correct new sub forum. Thank you.*


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