Pigeon Sex

On Friday evening I lounged in the garden for a while after work. I had noticed my new bird feeder was getting emptied very fast.  A magpie came down and showed me how.

Next were a pair of woodpigeons. The male (as I later surmised) went to the bird feeder and hoovered up all remaining food. He went back to sit on the fence with the female. She started snuggling up to him and he to her. They did a bit of a dance, bowing to each other, and then she was gentle pecking at his gorge and nape. The nape seemed expanded and more checked than usual. After a bit he started regurgitating food into her beak, like a parent feeding a chick. He did this five or six times, then she squatted and he mounted.

Doesn’t take long for pigeons. When he climbed off he seemed to lose interest. She carried on gently pecking at him for quite a while. They settled down and he started taking notice of other birds around. After a while they flew off.

I make no comment.