Why do you never see baby pigeons?

The short answer

They stay hidden in nests up high on ledges and under bridges for up to six weeks. By the time they come out, they are already full size and look just like adults.

Watch it in about a minute, here or on YouTube

Baby pigeons are everywhere. You just never get to see them. Here is where they are hiding.

Where are they hiding?

City pigeons come from wild rock doves that nested on cliffs. So they still build their nests up high, on ledges and under bridges.

Illustration from the video: Where are they hiding?
Illustration from the video: Where are they hiding?

Why do they look grown up?

Most baby birds leave the nest after a couple of weeks. Baby pigeons can stay for up to six weeks. When they finally come out, they are already full size. So the pigeon you just walked past might be only a few weeks old.

Illustration from the video: Why do they look grown up?

What do they eat?

And here is the strangest part. Both parents feed them milk. It is called crop milk, and it comes from a pouch in their throat.

Illustration from the video: What do they eat?

Sources

  1. Audubon: Why do we never see baby pigeons?
  2. Live Science: Why we never see baby pigeons
  3. Wikipedia: Crop milk

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