Is it the female or male Pidgeon who collects twigs to make up the nest?

[Gina M]

I have been watching a Pidgeon over the past few days collecting twigs and taking them to a nest in my hedge. They have been nesting for years in the same place in the hedge under the bedroom window.

 

[Spriddler]

If it looks to you that it isn't being done very well it'll be the male.

 

[DBK]

I have been watching a Pidgeon over the past few days collecting twigs and taking them to a nest in my hedge. They have been nesting for years in the same place in the hedge under the bedroom window.

Good question! We've been watching one of them carrying sticks this week too. Apparently it's the male which does the stick gathering.

It seems very late for a brood but good luck to them.

 

[buzz1]

Yes it will be a male collecting twigs
, as female will be watching telly with her feet up

 

[Shrimp]

Once upon a time I worked in a Steel factory shop (Airflow Streamlines) and the pigeons that nested in the roof took full advantage of the metal scarf from the drillings, their nests looked not only untidy & bizarre but uncomfortable too!

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[ManTheVan]

I don’t think it’s possible for the human eye to tell the difference between male and female wood pigeons. Birds can also see light in the UV spectrum, so there may be differences that only become apparent when looking at UV.

Ability to see in UV is apparently what kestrels use to spot mice and voles in long grass. As the rodent runs through the grass, its urinary incontinence shows up as a glowing streak in the UV spectrum.

The BBC did a series with Sir David Attenborough on Life in Colour. There’s an episode there all about it. Check it out on iPlayer.

 

[Lisa]

They build the nest together. The male collects and delivers to the female, who places it in the nest.
They actually breed all year round.
I know this, cause I can’t keep the buggers out of our barn. As quick as we reach and remove the nests, they are just as quick at rebuilding
They make a right mess.

 

[pagey]

Must be the male they do all the work

 

[Gina M]

I have watched them for years gathering twigs making nests then chasing their young out of the nests when it was time for them to go. Last Sunday I found the remains of one of them in the garden then on Friday evening, dogs going crazy barking at the window, I looked out of the window and a sparrow hawk was on the lawn ripping apart what was left of a headless second pigeon. Everywhere is silent now the birds have fled and bird feeders are still full of food

 

[Lisa]

That’s the cruel side of it . We often get sparrow hawks, rooks and magpies come into the barn after the squabs.

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[hja]

I like birds but I hate wood pigeons! They destroy so much in the garden such as eating new shoots on fruit trees meaning loss of fruit. I even have to put fleece over radishes to stop them eating them as soon as there is a show of red. They destroyed my redcurrant bush this year. Came back from being away to find loads of broken branches, they were eating the unripe berries! (I always net once they start to ripen, but don’t usually need to before)