# Question about oinking or snoring sound



## youngrichone (Aug 23, 2007)

this is kind of a strange noise from chirpy he's a male about 4 months old he makes it when he is sitting on my shoulder and in his spot for sleeping and when he seems really relaxed is sounds like a low onik or a semi snore my girlfriend thinks its a purr sound..he is fully awake when he does it.. is it a good sound like is it a content or happy sound? I just hope its not a respiratory issue?? 

Thanks for your help
Ryan


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

Hi Ryan, it sounds like Chirpy is "flirting" with you!  He (or she) is definitely the right age to begin making courting sounds. It is hard to tell for sure if it is a boy or girl at this age, but the males start to "dance" around, dragging their tails on the floor (kinda like Darth Vader lol), bobbing and bowing their heads, and making deep cooing sounds. The females have a much milder flirt usually, they make softer cooing sounds and flutter their wingtips, they can also make sounds almost as if they're interested in what you're saying "Hmm! Mmm? Hmm, Hmm, Hmm!" Many pigeons (male or female) become attached to their human and often choose it as a mate (again, male or female humans too!). Pigeons don't seem to view us humans as boy or girl, but just as a potential mate. You might provide him with a stuffed animal his size and he may decide to "court" that. A nesting box (an cardboard box, old clean milk crate, or similar box works well) and he may start setting up a "nest". One of our members has a pigeon named Mr. Squeaks, and he lays on a fake egg by himself in his nest.  He thinks that Shi (his person) is his mate and he is an only pigeon. 

Many respiratory problems show up as heavy breathing, breathing with the beak open, ruffled and/or puffed up feathers, light weight, and not eating. Always keep an eye out for any of these signs and if something seems wrong, take him to a vet right away. But at the moment it sounds as if he's just fine and doing what is natural.


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

One of our aviary pigeons ('Piglet') who Cynthia rescued from the street when he was a squeaker has been purring.

Cynthia first noticed it. His mate went off with another, and Cynthia has been stroking him and putting him on her shoulder, to show that _we_ love him anyway. He made sounds just like a cat purring. 

This past weekend, he jumped on my shoulder and purred loudly right in my ear ... never heard a pigeon do that, though I know someone else posted about a purring pigeon a while back.

He just seemed very relaxed and enjoying the affection he is getting 

John


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Several of our tamer pigeons purr just like a cat when they are on our shoulders. First time I heard it, I couldn't believe it.


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## youngrichone (Aug 23, 2007)

*Thanks*

I kind of thought this lol we took him to the vet for his second set of shots and blood work the vet told us he is a male very clean and healthy he is a all black pigeon with the green and purple showing up on his front....I found him two days after my father passed away june 11 some say he was sent to me...the strange thing was that he was roughly 2 or 3 days old aswell... its strange I never thought I would have a pigeon as a pet or buddy but he loves car rides and watching tv with me and my girlfriend... he does the tail drag charge....one other question is he always nips at my hands but will eat from them... I kind of want him to stop this will he outgrow it or is there anyother way I can train him to stop?

Ryan


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

John_D said:


> This past weekend, he jumped on my shoulder and purred loudly right in my ear ... never heard a pigeon do that, though I know someone else posted about a purring pigeon a while back.
> John





Lady Tarheel said:


> Several of our tamer pigeons purr just like a cat when they are on our shoulders. First time I heard it, I couldn't believe it.



I have also noticed that Skye purrs on my shoulder too, so now I'm wondering if they purr elsewhere, but we only hear it when they are on our shoulder right next to our ear??


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

My Oliver and my Tiny purr. Oliver is really loud when he does this. He was the first one I heard this and I found it so strange.

Reti


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Trees Gray said:


> I have also noticed that Skye purrs on my shoulder too, so now I'm wondering if they purr elsewhere, but we only hear it when they are on our shoulder right next to our ear??


I think various pigeons and doves probably do make quiet sounds which we only hear when they are right up close. An example would be the short 'hmmm' that our tame woodpigeons make sometimes, which most people would never get close enough to hear in a truly wild woodie.

John


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

I don't think I could hear it if they were not right up against my ear. It is just the sweetest sound and they usually make it when they're "laying down" on my shoulder and snuggled in real close. Makes mush out of me.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

I felt so privileged when I first hear Piglet purr! However, it is definitely a purr rather than an oink.

But purring on my shoulder doesn't stop him biting my fingers when I stroke him and he is not in the mood.

Cynthia


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## Hillybean (Oct 30, 2005)

Yep,
mine purr too..

Beautfiul and Junebug are the loudest about it. You still have to be close to here though. 

Pecks: Well, it really just depends, but I would say no. ALL (but the three new ones and Alice) of my pigeons peck/nip my fingers and hand. 

I say it depends because when I first got Griffen he was VERY aggressive about it. With working with him, he doesn't do it as often, and I believe it is normal breeding stuff now. Some days they do it more often than others.

It can hurt at times. I have one that leaves bruises and red marks on me. I bruise easy anyway. 
Then there's Beautiful, and he is more gentle about it. When he does it, it doesn't really hurt and it is cute.

-Hilly


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## ryannon (Jul 4, 2007)

As he moves into his sixth month or so, Poopzilla is really getting into some ear-splitting low grunting/growling - rather what I imagine a lion sounds like when it purrs - at all hours of the day and night.

I found a wonderful little oval-shaped wicker basket with a carved wooden duck's head - a bit like a small ship with a carved prow - and put a soft cloth in it. After spending several days attacking the wooden duck's head, he's adopted it as his main sleeping/nesting place, from whence he broadcasts his high-decibel grunts.

The upside is that he no longer wants to sleep with me. The downside is that I rather miss him, snuggled down on my shoulder, occasionally waking me up by sneezing in my ear, spraying the side of my face in a fine mist of pigeon-drool and generally making his ill-humor felt by sharp pecks of irritation every time I turn over.

Indeed, Poopzilla seems to be turning into quite the young male, with the typical strutting and courting gestures and a colossal lack of discrimination: he's recently jumped by bare foot several times in a distinct gesture of pigeon-lust.

I sometimes get the feeling that he makes this stuff up just to keep me wondering what he's going to do next....


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## george simon (Feb 28, 2006)

*Trumpeters*

*The TRUMPETER breed of pigeon of which there are at least 13 all are noted for their voice the Laugher some times called the Thai Laugher makes a sound that is said to be laugh like in many parts of the world they are breed for the sound that they make. It is hard to discribe in words. It starts with a two-note"who-a,who-a,"followed by a series of sometimes 8-10wock-wock,wock-wock" in rapid succession. Its all genetic in nature so I would say that many of the wild pigeons may carry the genes. * GEORGE


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

cyro51 said:


> I felt so privileged when I first hear Piglet purr! However, it is definitely a purr rather than an oink.
> 
> Cynthia


I agree Cynthia, I feel so blessed to hear this when Skye is so close, it's like music to my ears!   It is a special connection we have with our birds, and it reminds me of my childhood when I spent all my summers with my birds and got so close to them.


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