OBSERVING NESTING

AND PARENTING
HABITS OF
PIGEON(ROCK DOVE)

Y- MEHAK MITTAL 1884

.
• Aim:To observe the feeding and behavioural habits of
pigeons
• Materials required:Pen ,paper,camera for photography,

• Observatory period :From 22nd jan 2021 to 18th feb ,

2021
• Objectives:
• To learn about how the pigeons respond to their natural
environment.
• To learn about piegons eating and behavioural habits.
CHARACTERISTICS OF ROCK DOVE

The rock dove has a dark bluish-gray head, neck, and chest with glossy
yellowish, greenish, and reddish-purple iridescence along its neck and wing
feathers. Females tend to show less iridescence than the males. The bill is dark
grayish-pink. Two dark bands across the wings are seen in most pigeons, and
one bluish-gray band across the tail. Rock doves and feral pigeons can be divided
into a large number of different phenotypes, or groups based on outward
characteristics. Some of these classifications are the blue-bar, blue checker, dark
checker, spread, and red phenotypes
WORLD DISTRIBUTION OF ROCK DOVE
PROCEDURE
• Recording the observation of the visiting pigeons at
three different phases of the day i.e in the
morning, afternoon and evening and observing
their Nesting habits and parental care .
OBSERVATION
25 TH JAN ,2021
1. So , on 24th jan there was only one egg
in the nest but on 25th jan , I found
one more egg in the nest so in total
the pigeon laid two eggs. They
started incubating their eggs for
about three weeks or so.
2.
16 TH FEB,2021
1. The eggs hatched after a
period of 21 days i.e
on 15th feb, 2021.
2. The young ones also
known as squabs where
Somewhat yellowish red
in colour.
17 TH FEB,2021
1. The pigeons Started feeding their young
ones with the crop milk or the fake milk
which os actually secreted by the
oesophagus Extension crop during the
incubating period.
18TH FEB,2021
CONCLUSION
Pigeons mate for life and rear their broods together, although if one dies the other
will take a new mate. Once the simple nest is built, the female lays an egg and then
another a day or so later. The incubation period for common pigeons is 17 to 19 days.
The female sits on the egg from late afternoon through the night until about 10AM.
The male then takes over and does the day shift. Once the eggs hatch, both parents
feed the young squabs. The first food is pigeon milk or crop milk, a cheesy substance
that appears in the crops of the parents at hatching time and is fed for a week or so.
Then the adults start regurgitating partially digested grains for the young. By the time
the squabs are ready to fly, about 4 weeks, the father is doing most of the feeding.
The squabs are fed for another week to 10 days after they are free-flying.
INTERESTING FACTS WHICH I
DISCOVERED DURING THE PROJECT
• THEY CAN FIND THEIR WAY BACK TO THE NEST FROM 1300 MILES AWAY.
• DODOS WERE RELATED TO TODAY'S PIGEONS. PIGEONS
PRODUCE FAKE “MILK.
• ONE STUDY SUGGESTS THAT, GIVEN THE RIGHT CONDITIONS, THEY’RE
AS GOOD AT IDENTIFYING CANCER AS DOCTORS.
• MOURNING PIGEONS BRINGS SOULS TO HEAVEN
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
• I would like to thank Mr. Varunendra rawat sir
for providing this opportunity to work on
such a wonderful project and enhance my
observation skills and my knowledge about
rock doves.
Thank you!!!!