# stomping on the dead



## badbird (Aug 15, 2005)

Today when walking past the very large pigeon flock by my work, I came upon a dead pigeon in the grass under the wires on which they like to roost. Probably an old pigeon, suffered heat stroke, or was ill, etc.

But what striked my interest while I was standing from a far was I saw a curious healthy pigeon walk up to the deceased, and stepped on it and started pecking at the dead bird's head as if it were checking its pulse or saying hey are you ok? Then it started jumping on the dead bird and then flapped its feathers as if it were mating with it. the dead bird was on its side so i dont know if thats what it was. just struck me as kind of odd.


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## Ashbel (Jul 1, 2006)

That is weird.. I saw a video clip of that before, actually and yeah.. It does look like they're mating with it. At first though, it was as you described-- Like they were grieving or checking the bird. Very odd. Hopefully someone else will be able to pinpoint the scientific reasons for this.


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## christina11 (Jan 20, 2006)

I have seen somthing like that except I did not see any mating just a sad male pigeon.

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=15939


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