OBSERVED WOOD PIGEON BEHAVIOUR.Male and female wp sitting on fence. Female approaches male and totallyinserts her beak into the left side base of his beak. He then lifts hishead and swallows as if drinking. This happens three of four times untilhe mounts her.What is this behaviour? Apart from the obvious!!Anyone know?
Hello sj,
You may know that pigeons feed their young on a regurgitated "broth" of vegetable and invertebrate matter known as "pigeon's milk". The behaviour you describe is courtship feeding, and normally precedes copulation. However, it's usually the male feeding the female! If you're certain that this was the reverse, then you've witnessed something out of the ordinary!
Hope this helps
MC:-)
If I can find anything on the subject, I'll post it here.
Yes I had thought about the "milk" thing> But I presumed it was the female because the other bird was the bird that did the mounting. Also the recipient bird seemed to have a more prominent sear?? on the beak I would have said male.
Birds never fail to amaze you
Hello again sj,
I wasn't aware of, and can't find any reference to sexual dimorphism in Wood Pigeons I'm afraid. The size of the cere doesn't seem to be a dinstinguishing feature (unless, of course, anyone knows different). But it's most definitely the male who does the mounting (Matron)!
I haven't, as yet been able to find any reference to role reversal in courtship feeding, but I'll keep looking.
All the best,
Interesting one this one, LOL, MC (Matron)
Mutualistic preening and feeding is indeed a prominant behaviour to observe at this time of year - simply for the purpose of reinforcing pair bonds. Both males and females are essentially identical to our eyes matron! Pigeon milk, is a bi-product of secretions and partially digested matter for rearing young only, as MC also quite rightly points out!