# Pigeons Nesting on My Balcony



## Cocobean (Mar 8, 2016)

Hi
A couple of pigeons have been rousting in my balcony for the past few months. I just left them alone because they weren't bothering me. I wasn't really thinking of a long term set-up, but yesterday I discovered an egg and twig nest on the ground. I have a small balcony on the 5th floor with a BBQ and two chairs. The walls are brick and the floor has wood panels. I haven't had much contact with them since I don't use my balcony in the winter, however it is getting warmer out and will probably want to start BBQing again. Since the pigeons seem to want to make my balcony a more permeant home, I was thinking about setting up a nesting box or something. However, I don't want to scare the couple off and abandon their egg by making changes to their current home. If it is possible, I want to create a home that allows me to easily clean up after them and also that they will be happy with. Any suggestions? Should I wait until the egg (or maybe eggs we will see) have hatched or is it best to change their environment before the egg(s) have hatched? Or should I just leave them alone all together? . 
Also it has been a little while since I cleaned up after them (I am a procrastinator), if it is okay to have more interaction with them, suggestions for clean up would be nice too (poo is on the BBQ, wood floor, and brick wall).Thanks for your help!


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## kiddy (Feb 5, 2015)

Well, clean up near the nest would most likely frighten them and may force them to leave and abandon the eggs. If you want you can clean rest of the area (without disturbing the nest) ONLY when they are not around.

If you want them to incubate this egg and raise the baby, you will have to minimise your access to the balcony. If the egg is laid yesterday, they may lay one more in a day or two and then they will incubate.(tho sometimes they may lay just one)
Adding a nesting box on your balcony is a good idea but not for the nest they have already made, relocating the nest and egg would also lead them to abandon the nest.

Since the balcony is small and you have to use it in future, better is to block off the balcony after they raise this clutch. it takes 18 days for chicks to hatch and 4-5 weeks for hatchlings to fledge, so when babies leave the nest, dismantle the nest and block off the balcony so to discourage them to lay in there again.
I hope the balcony is safe from predators as well.


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## Cocobean (Mar 8, 2016)

Thanks Kiddy for your help, I will give them space then. Regarding predators I am not aware of any, we are on the 5th floor of a city apartment. Just my cat but I don't let her out on the balcony. This morning I found a second egg! Here is a picture of there nest and two eggs. They are not really the best nest makers, so if I can make any improvements to it without bothering them please let me know.


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## Cocobean (Mar 8, 2016)

I was watching the mom and she looked like she was having a tough timing keeping one or both eggs underneath her while incubating. They kept rolling around the nest space


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## kiddy (Feb 5, 2015)

Oh really they are very bad constructors  they could be new to nest making and all. 
but it is so nice of you to try to help. Thanks for your care, concern and kind heart for them. 
All you can do is, leave some twigs or hay sticks on your balcony somewhere near the nest and they will add them to nest by themselves. It would be very helpful for the babies even because if babies lack nesting material, they may get their legs splayed because they don't get anything to hold firm and stand and that situation is horrible.
Do this when they aren't around. Even you can add some twigs on outside of what they are thinking as nest, when they aren't there, they might not be bothered but I would be very careful and it shouldn't disturb them at all. 
Also pls never let your cat out because they may abandon eggs or even babies if they are scared off something, so pls be very careful.


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## Cocobean (Mar 8, 2016)

Hey Kiddy 

Thanks for your advice. I added some twigs and grass like you suggested which gave the nest a better shape. They did notice the change but got over it instantly and just moved a few things around to their own liking. Here is picture of the two babies. Everything seems to be going well with them and we have even BBQed a few times on the opposite side of the balcony which doesn't bother them. And yes I definitely don't let my cat out, she just watches them through the window


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