Picture the scene. You’re strolling through a serene woodland when a flutter in the undergrowth catches the corner of your eye. You stop in your tracks and glance over at source of the disturbance, hoping to spot a rare bird or maybe even a mouse or a vole. But alas, it’s just a pigeon.
Just a pigeon.
I’m sure many of us have been guilty of that thought once or twice in our lives, and to a certain extent it’s understandable. They don’t have the rarity of a redwing or the cutesiness of a coal tit. But in today’s blog we’re going to be looking at just how cool these pigeons can be. There are several different species found in Scotland, but for now let's focus on the humble Woodpigeon.
Woodpigeons can be active even on the frostiest of days. Credit: Ben Andrew.
When we think of the breeding season for birds, we may quite rightly think of spring and summer. But Woodpigeons care not for convention. They’ve been recorded breeding in every single month of the year. While they’re generally most active in the warmer months, it’s not unheard of to see them on a nest over the festive season.
Although Woodpigeons may spend a lot of time nesting, that doesn’t mean they're particularly good at it. It takes them about a week to build a nest out of twigs and branches, and they’re often so flimsy that you can see right through to the eggs from below.
Many of us will have seen vast flocks of pigeons descending on a scattering of seeds, but juveniles, known as squabs, can’t digest hard foods like this. Instead, their parents feed them a soft, pale secretion from their mouths, known as pigeon milk. In fact, so dedicated are the parents that they’ll often forego seeds themselves for a few days before the youngsters hatch, to ensure no leftovers find their way into the milk.
They may have a voracious appetite but they'll put it aside for the good of their babies. Credit: Ray Kennedy.
Woodpigeons generally lay a maximum of two eggs in a single clutch. Research suggests this is because they are unable to provide enough milk for more than two squabs at any one time. If one of the eggs fails to hatch, it just means more for the other chick, which can lead to a greatly increased growth rate. Hulk-pigeon!
It can be tricky trying to differentiate Woodpigeons from similar species such as Stock Doves and Feral Pigeons, especially with the latter coming in all sorts of shapes and colours. As well as being larger, Woodpigeons have a tell-tale white patch on their necks and a prominent pink breast.
It's probably pleased with itself thinking that one twig constitutes a nest. Credit: Ben Andrew.
As you can see, Woodpigeons are fascinating birds. Keep an eye out for them the next time you're out for a stroll, but watch for the only-child megapigeons!
For more information about Woodpigeons, visit our website.
Header image shows a Woodpigeon perched on a long tree branch. Credit: Ben Hall.
Lovely article! I'll add that part of the male's courtship behaviour involves repeatedly doing a deep, courtly bow to the female - even as she's probably fleeing from him! The other bird I've seen bowing as part of courtship is the peregrine, so the wood pigeon is in good company there.
Our herring gulls are red listed birds. Think about that the next time you hear some flaming idiot calling for a cull of them.