In this article, I will take you through 50 Important Questions on Pigeons which you should definitely know about. The mention of Pigeon in Ancient civilizations like in Mesopotamia shows the significance of this bird in even older times. For thousand of years, the domesticated species has served a critical role of delivering messages from one place to another in a very short span of time.

Although today the digital medium has taken its place but still in few of the remote places it continue to act as a carrier. Pigeons are one of only small number of species to pass the test of self recognition, also called Mirror test. We will see some important questions about this bird in below section.

 

50 Important Questions on Pigeons You Should Know About

Also Read: 50 Important Questions on Raccoons You Should Know About

1. What is a Pigeon ?

Ans. A pigeon is a bird, usually grey in color belongs to Columbidae family. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy Ceres.

 

2. How long do Pigeons live ?

Ans. On an average, pigeons live 3-5 years in the wild and up to 10-15 years in captivity.

 

3. Can Pigeons see color ?

Ans. Yes, Pigeons can see color just like humans but the most distinctive part is they can also see ultraviolet light, a part of spectrum which humans cannot see.

 

4. What is Baby Pigeon called ?

Ans. Baby pigeons are called squabs, or sometimes called squeakers.

 

5. Why do a lot of Pigeons have deformed feet ?

Ans. Few studies and research indicated that Pigeons have deformed feet due to standing in their own excrement, diseases common to pigeons, standing on railway tracks, bits of thread and wire that they get tangled in. In some cases, it might cause due to Chemical pollutants as well.

 

6. How do Pigeons sleep ?

Ans. Although Pigeons can sleep anywhere but they mostly like to sleep on elevated perches at night, mainly to avoid nocturnal ground predators.

 

7. How long do Pigeons mate for ?

Ans. Pigeons are monogamous and typically mate for life. Female pigeons can reach sexual maturity as early as 7 months of age.

 

8. How do you know if a Pigeon is pregnant ?

Ans. An egg-bound pigeon usually displays a hard region of distention around her vent area. Gentle probing of the area will reveal the hard swelling commonly associated with a trapped egg.

 

9. What time do Pigeons go to sleep ?

Ans. Pigeons are diurnal birds, that is, they are active only during daylight hours and tend to sleep from dusk to dawn.

 

10. Where do Pigeons go in the rain ?

Ans. When bad weather hits, birds generally seek shelter from wind and rain in dense shrubs or thickets, next to heavy tree trunks, and on the downwind side of woods and forests. Cavity-nesting birds hunker down in nest boxes and natural cavities to ride out storms.

 

11. Can Pigeons see at night ?

Ans. Yes, Pigeons can see at night but not very well. Their eyes are sensitive to light and can see various colors but they actually don't have any night vision.

 

12. What do Pigeons eat ?

Ans. Although Pigeons are natural seed and grain eaters but they also sometimes feed on fruits, vegetables, grubs and insects.

 

13. Do Pigeons have ears ?

Ans. Birds don't have any external ear structure like mammals. Their head actually does the work of ear. According to few studies, they can perceive whether a particular sound's source is above them, below them, or at their level.

 

14. Where do Pigeons live ?

Ans. Pigeons are found worldwide in temperate and tropical regions.

 

15. How many days Pigeon eggs hatch ?

Ans. The natural incubation period of pigeon eggs is generally 18 days, and artificial incubation can be shorten to 0.5-1.0 days.

 

16. How many days does a Pigeon takes to fly ?

Ans. It takes around 30 to 40 days for a baby pigeon to fly.

 

17. What is the color of Pigeon ?

Ans. The color of Pigeons can vary but most birds are bluish gray with two black bands on the wing and a black tip to the tail. Most birds have iridescent throat feathers.

 

18. How high Pigeons can fly ?

Ans. Pigeons can fly at an altitude of 6000 feet or more.

 

19. How much distance Pigeons can fly a day ?

Ans. Pigeons can fly between 600 and 700 miles in a single day, with the longest recorded flight in the 19th century taking 55 days between Africa and England covering 7000 miles.

 

20. How much water Pigeons drink in a day ?

Ans. Pigeons drinks around 50 ml of water per day. They need atleast this much water for digestion and processing of food.

 

21. How much do Pigeons eat in a day ?

Ans. The average pigeon will eat a tenth of its body weight every day.

 

22. How fast a Pigeon can fly ?

Ans. Pigeons can fly at average speeds of up to 77.6 mph but have been recorded flying at 92.5 mph.

 

23. Are Pigeons Smart ?

Ans. Pigeons are considered to be one of the most intelligent birds on the planet and able to undertake tasks previously thought to be the sole preserve of humans and primates.

 

24. How do Pigeons navigate ?

Ans. Scientists and Researchers believes that pigeons use visual cues and can navigate based on landmarks along known travel routes.

 

25. How many eggs does a pigeon lay at a time ?

Ans. A pigeon typically lays 2 eggs a month and 24 eggs a year and breeds 8 times a year.

 

26. What sound does Pigeons make ?

Ans. Cooing and grunting are the most common sounds pigeons make.

 

27. Why do Pigeons make noise ?

Ans. Pigeons make a prolonged cooing sound at the nest when trying to attract a mate. When alarmed, pigeons utter a short grunting sound.

 

28. How do Pigeons reproduce ?

Ans. Just like most birds, copulation is done with the female crouching down, the male mounts her and fertilizes the female.

 

29. What is the sound of Pigeon called ?

Ans. Pigeon makes a coo sound. A coo is the low, sweet sound that pigeon makes.

 

30. How long can a Pigeon go without Food ?

Ans. Usually, in normal condition Pigeons can survive for couple of weeks without food just on water.

 

31. How long can a Pigeon go without Water ?

Ans. In a hot and humid climate, Pigeon can live without water for a maximum of 3 days.

 

32. What animals eat Pigeons ?

Ans. Pigeons has many predators in the Wild. Primarily, they are preyed upon by birds of prey such as falcons and hawks.

 

33. How long have Pigeons been around ?

Ans. The earliest recorded mention of pigeons comes from Mesopotamia some 5,000 years ago.

 

34. How many species of Pigeons are there ?

Ans. The Columbinae, the typical, or true, pigeons, consists of about 175 species in about 30 genera.

 

35. How to identify Pigeon gender ?

Ans. The Pigeon gender can be identified by its size. Male pigeons are usually larger than females.

 

36. What is the scientific name of Pigeon ?

Ans. The scientific name of the pigeon is Columba Livia.

 

37. Can male Pigeons lay eggs ?

Ans. No, only female pigeons can lay eggs with or without mating. The male provides nesting material as well as guards the female and the nest.

 

38. Which Pigeon species are considered invasive in many parts of the world ?

Ans. Feral pigeons are considered invasive in many parts of the world.

 

39. Can Pigeons cause Lung diseases ?

Ans. Yes, Pigeons can cause some of the fatal lung diseases. The most common one is Pigeon fanciers lung which can be associated with severe debilitating dyspnoea and patients may present many years after exposure to avian antigens.

 

40. Which Pigeon breeding has been developed to carry messages ?

Ans. A special breeding called Homing Pigeons has been developed through selective breeding to carry messages.

 

41. Can Pigeons recognize number and letters ?

Ans. Yes, they can be trained to recognize numbers and letters. They can be trained to remember as much as 65 letters.

 

42. Are Pigeons social animals ?

Ans. Pigeons are highly social animals. They will often be in flock of 15-25 birds.

 

43. Are Pigeon droppings dangerous ?

Ans. Yes, the contaminated bird droppings mixed with Breathing dust or water droplets can lead to several other diseases including psittacosis and salmonella which might be fatal sometimes.

 

44. When the domestication of Pigeons first started ?

Ans. According to few studies, domestication of Pigeons might started some 10,000 years ago.

 

45. Which Pigeon species have now gone extinct ?

Ans. The passenger pigeon or wild pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius) have now gone extinct. Previously it was endemic to North America.

 

46. Which are the largest Pigeons in the World ?

Ans. Crowned pigeons are the largest pigeons in the world.

 

47. Which are the smallest Pigeon species in the World ?

Ans. The Valencian Figurita are the smallest Pigeon species in the World.

 

48. How big a Pigeon can grow ?

Ans. Depending on species, Pigeons can grow to different sizes. They can be as small as 6 inches to over 2 feet long.

 

49. Does Pigeon build their nest on trees ?

Ans. Unlike other birds, Pigeon does not build their nest on trees. They create them on buildings or on flat rooftops in urban areas and on rocky places in rural areas.

 

50. What is the ecological importance of Pigeon ?

Ans. They are effective as primary consumers to the extent that their population can support substantial predation and are an important food source for many birds of prey.