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COURTSHIP BEHAVIORS
Feral pigeons display courtship behaviors throughout the year although
they are more likely to mate in late winter and spring. Once a pair has formed a
"bond" they will stay together for life. By recording the colors of pairs of
pigeons involved in courtship displays, a participant can help Lab of
Ornithology scientists to determine what colors of males females choose for
mates.
Illustrations by Julie Zickefoose
| Cooing: during courting pigeons make many
sounds, such as "coo-cuk-cuk-cuk-cooo." Listen to a pigeon
coo!
1 |
Bowing: a male puffs out his neck feathers, lowers his
head and turns around in circles |
Tail-dragging: a
male spreads his tail and drags it while he runs after a female
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Driving:one pigeon runs closely behind
another
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Billing: when a
female puts her beak (or bill) inside the male's beak during mating
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Mating: when mating, a male stands on
top of a female |
Clapping: After mating, a
male pigeon may make a display flight. In this display, he "claps" his
wings twice behind his back. |
1Rock Dove (Columbia livia), captive birds, song recorded
at Cape May Point, New Jersey on October 11, 1992 by Steven R. Pantle. Library
of Natural Sounds Catalog # 72038, Cornell Lab of
Ornithology.
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