All About Pigeons

Pigeons are surprisingly intelligent – they can recognize faces, dream of flying, behave selflessly, and even gamble (after all, a little fun is necessary)!

All About Pigeons All About Pigeons - Photos: (TL-BR) Tadas Svetikas/Wirestock/stock.adobe.com, Ondrej Chvatal/Shutterstock, Rudmer Zwerver/Shutterstock, Sergey Ryzhkov/stock.adobe.com

What Are Pigeons?

Pigeons are highly adaptable birds that thrive in both urban environments and the wild. They come in a wide variety of species – from small to large and from plain gray to vibrant colors! They are very social and intelligent, especially our city pigeons!

Main Characteristics of Pigeons

1. Crop Milk for the Chicks

Pigeons, flamingos, and emperor penguins are the only birds that produce something called crop milk. This substance forms in the crop, a pouch-like tissue in the esophagus. In fact, crop milk is not true maternal milk; it consists of cells from the crop lining. It is very nutrient-rich and helps the chicks grow quickly and healthily.

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2. Incredible Sense of Direction

Pigeons use the position of the sun, the Earth's magnetic field, landmarks, and even smells (!) to navigate their way home.

3. High Intelligence

Pigeons can distinguish human faces. They can also tell whether they are facing a friendly or unfriendly face. They can remember a variety of numbers, colors, and shapes (even from photos), they place bets (!), dream, are selfless, and can quickly switch between different tasks.

Pigeon Family Tree

Amazing Facts About Pigeons

There are more than 300 species of pigeons.
Unlike many other birds, pigeons produce a special milk in their crop to feed their chicks.
In Central Europe, there are only five species: the wood pigeon, the turtle dove, the collared dove, and the rock pigeon.
Pigeons are omnivores, mainly eating seeds, fruits, berries, and some small invertebrates.
They prefer living in forests but can also be found in mountains, semi-deserts, and cities.
The largest pigeon is the Nicobar pigeon, which can grow up to 29 inches (73 cm) long and weigh over 4.4 pounds (2 kg).
The smallest pigeon is the dwarf pigeon, measuring just 6 inches (15 cm) and weighing between 0.8-0.9 ounces (24-26 grams).
Pigeons are very intelligent. They can recognize people in photos, understand the concept of time, and can multitask effectively.