Pigeon Talk

[biophiliac]

Surprised by this. My pigeons have regular pigeon waterers for full beak dunking, but the pen that I put them in also had pvc tube with nipple waterers for the chickens that were there before (it extends further into the next chicken pen). The pigeons have learned to drink from them. I won’t remove their regular ones, but it’s nice to know they can drink from the nipples too.
View attachment 1600991

My observations confirm this absolutely!! When it rains the water drips down the powder coated steel wires in the aviary and they reach their necks up to sip water from the wires. Also have seen them imbibing water from small accumulations as little as a tbsp and less than 1/4 inch deep. I believe that if they find liquid they want, they can find a way.
I'll too will still be using drinkers at least an inch deep.

eta - great pic!

 

[Fields Mountain Farm]

Surprised by this. My pigeons have regular pigeon waterers for full beak dunking, but the pen that I put them in also had pvc tube with nipple waterers for the chickens that were there before (it extends further into the next chicken pen). The pigeons have learned to drink from them. I won’t remove their regular ones, but it’s nice to know they can drink from the nipples too.
View attachment 1600991

Smart birds!

 

[WVduckchick]

My observations confirm this absolutely!! When it rains the water drips down the powder coated steel wires in the aviary and they reach their necks up to sip water from the wires. Also have seen them imbibing water from small accumulations as little as a tbsp and less than 1/4 inch deep. I believe that if they find liquid they want, they can find a way.
I'll too will still be using drinkers at least an inch deep.

eta - great pic!

I wondered if it may just my short-beaked variety, so it’s good to know others do it too. I know there are many purposes for the water, (like ducks need to flush their nares) but at least they can get a drink in many ways.

 

[backyard pigeons]

Very interesting! Ive seen them drink from the reguler chicken/chick water base. I dont think mine would ever figure out the nipples, they have a hard time finding the trap!

 

[WVduckchick]

Very interesting! Ive seen them drink from the reguler chicken/chick water base. I dont think mine would ever figure out the nipples, they have a hard time finding the trap!

I assume either they saw the chickens on the other side of the wire drinking from them, or they bumped a nipple and noticed water came out, or it dripped.

Before my waterers arrived from Foys, I tried a vertical nipple cup attached to a bottle. They drank from the cup just fine, but were never able to peck the lever to refill the cup themselves. Chickens figure that part out, the pigeons never seemed to (although i switched it out within a few days, so maybe they would have eventually)

 

[Hokum Coco]

nipple waterers The pigeons have learned to drink from them.

I always knew that pigeons were smarter than chickens. To be honest I never thought pigeons were capable of drinking from nipple waterers where they drink in such a different manner than chickens.

Thank you for sharing your discovery.

I believe you but still am surprised none the less.

 

[LamarshFish]

Hey guys, i was wondering when the hawk migration ends? Im thinking they will head out of here around march? Im missing flying them. Thanks!

In Michigan I think the migrators begin in September, peak in November and the migration is over by late December early January. As others mentioned, residents may stay around, but here they are usually red tails, which I do not think pose even close to the threat that the migratory goshawks and coopers do.

I'm currently training 4 YBs with loft flying, hoping to get to tosses soon, and haven't lost any, but I do have this one old bird of mine that is in the habit of flying out of my loft every time I feed them, he's just a jerk like that, but he is almost always back in the loft within 15 mins. Anyways, he went out with the YBs on Friday, flew around for a while with another OB, and never came back. He's a solid homer, so I have to assume he got killed by a hawk. I've seen several goshawks around my neighborhood lately. My loft is now on true lockdown. Sucks I lost him, he was one of my best looking birds, but just couldn't kick that habit of flying out when he wasn't supposed to, and likely paid the ultimate price for it.

 

[LamarshFish]

They drank from the cup just fine, but were never able to peck the lever to refill the cup

There is no doubt in my mind that with the right circumstances (combination of thirst and being taught how to get the water out) that pigeons would learn how to operate this.

During WW2, before heat seeking or smart missiles were invented, BF Skinner designed a missile piloted by a pigeon (yes, a real pigeon). You heard that right, a pigeon guided missile. The pigeons actually steered the darn things, and yes, when the missile hit the pigeon would of course die like a kamikaze. If they can do that, they can learn the water cup things! And I'm sure there's good reason Skinner never thought to try this with chickens!

Check it out:

 

[backyard pigeons]

Ill check it out later, sounds interesting. Sorry about your bird. Is it the one who lost its mate?

 

[WVduckchick]

In Michigan I think the migrators begin in September, peak in November and the migration is over by late December early January. As others mentioned, residents may stay around, but here they are usually red tails, which I do not think pose even close to the threat that the migratory goshawks and coopers do.

I'm currently training 4 YBs with loft flying, hoping to get to tosses soon, and haven't lost any, but I do have this one old bird of mine that is in the habit of flying out of my loft every time I feed them, he's just a jerk like that, but he is almost always back in the loft within 15 mins. Anyways, he went out with the YBs on Friday, flew around for a while with another OB, and never came back. He's a solid homer, so I have to assume he got killed by a hawk. I've seen several goshawks around my neighborhood lately. My loft is now on true lockdown. Sucks I lost him, he was one of my best looking birds, but just couldn't kick that habit of flying out when he wasn't supposed to, and likely paid the ultimate price for it.

So sad. I guess stubbornness is a trait of theirs, as well as smart.

Anyone ever had a bird disappear for an extended period of time, and it return? Like how many days is usually considered definitely gone?
I had a call duck fly off and return about an hour later. I had already kinda figured he wouldn’t return, but was happy when he did.