Pigeons Nesting Season ((better)) Page

The season is short. In about five weeks, the babies will leave. If you really need to evict them, wait until the nest is empty, then install "pigeon spikes" or netting. They hate sloped surfaces. A Plea for the Pigeon It’s easy to be annoyed by the droppings or the cooing at 6 AM. But during nesting season, take a moment to watch the parents. Pigeons mate for life. You’ll see the male puffing out his chest and bowing to his mate. You’ll see the pair take turns sitting on the eggs (the male takes the day shift; the female takes the night).

But here’s the secret that ornithologists and city-dwellers know:

Moving a nest is illegal in many regions (thanks to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which oddly protects pigeons in some areas but not others—check local laws). Even if it’s legal, moving the nest 10 feet will cause the parents to abandon it.

They are resilient, devoted parents surviving on the concrete jungle’s scraps.

When you think of nesting season, you probably picture robins pulling worms from a dewy lawn in May, or sparrows chirping noisily under the eaves in June. You likely don’t picture a plump, iridescent pigeon balancing a twig on a 12th-story air conditioning unit in the middle of February.

While most birds have a frantic three-week window to reproduce, pigeons operate on a different schedule. Understanding this unique cycle is the key to coexisting with our most misunderstood feathered neighbors. Unlike the seasonal breeders we learned about in grade school, pigeons are opportunistic breeders . If there is food, water, and shelter, they are ready to nest. In a warm city with plenty of dropped french fries and heated subway vents, pigeons can successfully raise up to six broods a year.