# Some questions about my first pet pigeon!



## FluffyFeathers (Jul 23, 2018)

Hi everyone! I’m going to be getting my first pigeon soon, and have a couple questions. If I get an adult bird will it be able to be tamed and will it even be able to bond with me? Should I get a male or female, which make better pets? Are some breeds harder or easier to keep? 
And I know they should be kept in pairs, but I’m going to have tons of time to spend with it. Is it still ok if it’s kept alone, even if it was with me a lot of the time?

Thanks!


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Pigeons are happier in pairs. Our first pigeon though was a nonreleasable young feral who had internal problems and woukd die if she laid eggs. So she was a lone pigeon. We had to give her tons of attention because we were her flock.


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## jonrf (Nov 30, 2017)

Definitely, a lone pigeon may bond with a person over time, but they are very needy of attention, love, and time, etc., more than most other bird species.

My feral rescue even gets extremly jealous and upset if I briefly handle my other rescue, a sweet white African collared dove. He loves to sleep near me and even on me, and follows me like a shadow. If I leave the room, and shut him in, it is like he has separation anxiety, and flies back and forth loudly for minutes, then settles down and goes back to normal until I open the door. At that moment, he will zoom right past me looking at me, land nearby, then coo all excited like, and then land on my shoulder or head. (Pigeons like to sit on top of people's heads.)

I have owned/raised/rescued several types of birds from sparrows, parakeets, to chickens, and only maybe a large parrot, crow or jackdaw may demand more attention, stimulation, toys, or interaction.

The thing is, once a pigeon bonds with a person, they consider that person a mate, and every internal instinct kicks in. From that moment on, you are everything to the bird, and especially with gregarious birds like pigeons, you are not only the object of its love but also have to be its flock, satisfying its needs. They will want to follow you 24/7 if they are not in nesting mode.

Fortunately, he has my caged dove as company when I have to work. And stays close to her cage when I leave for too long. I rearranged the day and night cycle with timed lights so they are sleeping while I'm away for the most part. The dove loves me as well and I have to give her my love too, but she is happy and even shows it to the pigeon when he flies close to her cage by wing flapping and cooing, even though she's bonded with me. (Such a bizarre love triangle, lol) But I cannot trust the pigeon alone together with my dove uncaged or unsupervised as he has his ornery moments.

Sometimes he will try to peck at her or tug hard on her tail feathers when he is overly excited or when she ignores his advances. When I do have them out at the same time, I have to constantly be inches from them to keep him from pestering her too much.

There's been sad stories about pet pigeons killing smaller pet doves by cornering them and pecking them to death repeatedly. Doves like mine barely can hurt a fly, and aside from the males wing slapping, smaller doves do not peck like pigeons and are too small and frail to withstand it.

Also, ground feeders, like most doves and pigeons are natural competition in the wild, and are different enough to not share the same exact behavior or body language, which can cause misunderstanding and fights. Therefore, care must be taken with two different species when kept together.

But a pigeon is happiest with another pigeon when they have bonded like cwebster said. And for a human to fulfill every need and want of a smart and active pigeon is a full-time ordeal and chore. They are very intelligent and have many needs. You have to know what they like, want, and hate, even beforehand, or they will be either grow detached, become overly mean and aggressive, fearful, or become sad, dispondent, and or depressed - and that's NO life for any creature.

But with the right bird and lots of love, time and understanding, they can be truly happy with the right owner who loves their bird.

It makes me truly happy when my male pigeon waits for me to wake up and then comes under the covers to cuddle, when he greats me after I have been out, when he tries to stop me from a going to work or wants to come with me, and especially when he grunts and makes a content "Wooo, woooo" sound and nuzzles his beak against my fingertips and puffs up smiling and is as happy as a lark, or in this case, a pigeon.


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## jonrf (Nov 30, 2017)

For new bird owners seeking a easy-to-care-for, peaceful loving bird, an African collared dove (Barbary or "Laughing dove" as they are sometimes called) is perfect. They eat a fraction of what a pigeon eats and poop a lot less. They can give you love and attention, are good-natured, and are more content and peacable than almost any bird species I know.

If your heart is set on keeping a pigeon as a pet, or are going to be given one - be forewarned - they are like having a toddler who needs constant attention.

They also have the most powerful wing muscles of nearly any species and most need an aviary (with companions) or a very spacious house with no dangers to exercise inside. Free-flying outside is a huge risk in case of a random hawk, kestrel (or any predator). If they get spooked, chased off and fly too far away they WILL become lost and not being taught what to avoid or where to find/identify food and water locally by their father, they will surely be in danger. A flock has some safety, they tend to stay together, even when spooked, and even some individual flock members will stand guard and watch out for predators (which they were taught for the most part as fledglings). And not all pigeons can "home" or find their way home, and that sometimes, more than not, needs practice and the safety of a flock. If anything scares a pigeon, it is pure instinct to fly away, and if the threat is greater, the faster and higher and further the pigeon will fly.

They sell "pigeon pants" though. Some are pure Velcro strapped diapers and some have a loop or ring to act as a harness - they can let you use a small light leash to hang on to and is what many pet pigeon owners use when taking them on trips or outside.


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