# Restless pigeon



## tiffy316 (May 21, 2016)

My pet pigeon has been very restless lately. He seems to be gathering grass, cords, twist ties, anything he can find and arranging them in a certain area. I think that he's in a nesting mood and wants to find materials. He's constantly searching for them. What should I do? How long will this last?


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

*Definitely sounds like he is in the nesting mood, and males are the ones who usually start gather up nesting material for their mate. So, does he have a mate...or is he bonded to you? *


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## tiffy316 (May 21, 2016)

He's probably bonded to me since he doesn't have a mate. He's definitely a male. So how long does this typically last? Should I get some grass for him to gather?


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

tiffy316 said:


> He's probably bonded to me since he doesn't have a mate. He's definitely a male. So how long does this typically last? Should I get some grass for him to gather?


*No not grass (it will rot), you can use strips of clean paper, anything that resembles twigs. 

This male bird is just trying to do what comes natural, and also trying to adjust to a human world. Typically if he has a real mate, the nest building usually ends once nest is done and hen has laid her first egg (a few days or so), but it may continue if you leave material out to build a nest. 

But this is such a different situation who knows, if he is bonded to you then he expects you to sit in the nest and lay an egg.  *


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Thought of you sitting by the nest and laying an egg made me LOL. Seriously, we give our girls alfalfa twigs or timothy hay twigs or dry orchard grass and they love those.


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## tiffy316 (May 21, 2016)

I doubt he has much adjusting to do since he's hand raised. I rescued him when he was just a few weeks old, so I think that he's pretty used to things. Anyway, he seems to get over it in a week or 2 regardless of whether eggs or nesting material is provided.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

tiffy316 said:


> I doubt he has much adjusting to do since he's hand raised. I rescued him when he was just a few weeks old, so I think that he's pretty used to things. Anyway, he seems to get over it in a week or 2 regardless of whether eggs or nesting material is provided.


*Of course he has adjusted, but he still has a natural born instinct and drive to reproduce, it is in their nature.*


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Skyeking said:


> *Of course he has adjusted, but he still has a natural born instinct and drive to reproduce, it is in their nature.*



I agree, and since he can't do that, he does have to adjust. After he builds the nest, he expects his mate to go to the nest and give him eggs. But because this will not happen, he won't know what to do next. He can be confused.


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## tiffy316 (May 21, 2016)

So should I put a fake egg in his nest?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Some might, but I wouldn't. That seems like just making it more confusing. Then he will want you to sit on the egg to hatch it. They are happier in pairs.


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## tiffy316 (May 21, 2016)

He's over it anyway. Yesterday, he was carrying off anything that resembled a cord or a piece of straw and now he wont even look at his twist ties.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Well he isn't over it. He is just finding things that are more like nesting material then twist ties, which are too small.


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## tiffy316 (May 21, 2016)

You misunderstood. A couple of days ago he was restless and carrying off things like straw, cords, and twist ties. He loves those things when he's in his nesting mood. However, yesterday he stopped looking for things like that and went back to his normal stubborn self.


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## tiffy316 (May 21, 2016)

Besides, if he found better things for his nest, then he would still be working on it; which he is not. He's stopped working on his nest, he isn't sitting in it anymore, and he's not searching for new materials for it.


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