Why Do We Never See Baby Pigeons?

Feral rock pigeon nest with two babies. CREDIT: Aran Johnson | Creative Commons View full size image

Back in the day in Asia, where pigeons originated, they were cliff-dwellers. They built their nests high up, stuck to the sides of vertical drops.

Though the scenery has changed, pigeons' nesting habits have not. In cities, even though we see pigeons hopping around the sidewalk, they tend to lay their eggs in nests built against the trusses of huge bridges and the sides of tall buildings. That's where the baby pigeons are.

The birds tend to spoil their young. They feed them almost to maturity. By the time fledging pigeons, at about six weeks old, take flight and join the flock in city parks and plazas, they're almost adult-sized and largely indistinguishable from the rest of their kind.

To spot a young pigeon, look for strands of down poking through feathers. Look for narrower heads. Lastly, look for shy birds. It takes time for pigeons to develop their boldness around humans. Younger birds will be more reticent.

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