Pigeons: history of domestication, appearance, behavioral features. Rock pigeons: how they live and what they eat

Pigeons are large group birds. They inhabit all continents except Antarctica and almost all climatic zones, with the exception of the Arctic. More than 5000 tamed years ago. They were used by Europeans and Arabs, merchants, rulers and soldiers sent news with pigeons, and were raised for meat by peasants and nobles. Domestic pigeons are raised for decorative purposes; some species are used for meat. Many believe that this is God's bird that brings peace. Once common, pigeon mail has now become a popular sport.

All types of pigeons represent the order Pigeonidae, the family Pigeonidae. How many chromosomes does a pigeon have? According to experts, there are 16 of them in somatic cells and 8 in reproductive cells. This set allows you to study the genetics of birds well, which helps a lot in the selection of pigeons. The appearance of different species varies greatly, although there are common features. Here is their description:

• The head is small, sitting on a relatively short neck.
• The beak is thin, slightly elongated, thickened in front. The width is less than the height. The base is soft, the tip is covered with horny scales, the color depends on the tone of the plumage.
• The nostrils are open, in the form of two slits at the base of the beak. The pigeon's third eyelid is well developed. The vision is sharp and allows one to view objects on the ground from many meters high.
• The eyes are relatively large, of different shades, with a wide viewing angle.
• The ears are covered with feathers. Pigeons have excellent hearing; they even perceive infrasound and ultrasound, so they hear a decoy that is silent to humans.
• The body is compact, weighs 250-650 g, some types - 900 g.
• The legs are relatively short, with four toes, and gray to pink in color.
• The feathers are hard, hard, and fit tightly to the body. The downy part of the feather is developed. Some of the growing feathers are erased, forming powder that protects the plumage from dampness.
• The pigeon's tail is short, slightly rounded, the outer feathers are shorter than the middle ones. The coccygeal gland is absent in many varieties.
• The colors of pigeons can be very different, from gray and brown to bright multi-colored (in tropical zones), blue, red, and red specimens are found. The outer feather is more intensely pigmented than the inner feather.
• Sexual dimorphism is expressed in the size of the birds, the male is larger and fatter than the female.

Pigeons fly very quickly and swiftly, like seagulls. On average, the bird reaches a speed of about 60 km/h. Sporting pigeons can fly at a speed of 140 km/h, and calmly fly a distance of up to 3000 km. The voice of pigeons is dull, they make fragmentary low sounds. In some species it resembles laughter. The hearing is well developed, it is difficult to sneak up on a bird unnoticed.

Habitat and food of pigeons

What does a pigeon eat? He doesn't overdo his food, and his taste buds are poorly developed. Birds eat wheat, barley grain, sunflower seeds and other grains. They pick up crumbs from the ground with their beaks, food waste. Most types of insects and worms are eaten accidentally. But there are some birds that require animal proteins. Some pigeons pick berries and other fruits from trees.

All pigeons drink a lot of water. It not only quenches thirst, but also helps digest dry grains. Under its influence, the seeds swell and are more easily exposed to digestive juices. Unlike other birds, the pigeon does not throw back its head when drinking, but draws it in with a straw.

Birds are anthropomorphic; they settle near human habitation. Some species live in forests, only occasionally flying into cities and villages. The wood pigeon is often larger than the one living in the city. These birds inhabit the territory of the Northern and Southern Hemisphere, equatorial and tropical zones. They live on all continents except Antarctica and Arctic zone. The pigeon is diurnal.

Natural enemies of pigeons are magpies, crows, lynx and other cats. Eggs and chicks can be eaten by snakes, especially in tropical areas. Seagulls, rats and mice often become competitors in the urban environment. Many people ask how long pigeons live in the city. This largely depends on diseases and the presence of natural enemies. In urban environments, these are primarily stray cats, rodents and people. Street species live no more than 3-5 years.

Breeding pigeons

Wild and domestic pigeons - monogamous birds, form one pair for life. Even when they gather in flocks, a pair of pigeons sticks together. Mating occurs several times per season, from spring to mid-autumn. In tropical zones - almost all year round. Throughout the year, pigeons can produce 4-8 clutches. The male finds a place for a nest and begins to guard his territory while courting the female. It inflates its throat, spreads its tail, making specific guttural sounds. Cooing attracts the female, after which mating takes place.

The dove's protection of the dove after mating is worthy of imitation. He protects his girlfriend from other males, takes her to a safe place. A dominant pigeon gets into a fight with ease. The winning favorite does not always get the female. Even after laying eggs with another male, the dove can return to her first lover. This is what dove fidelity means. Both partners are involved in the construction of the nest, the male brings materials, and the female carefully arranges them, adding her down and feathers to the structure. The process begins 7 days after mating.

On average, a dove lays two or three eggs, with an interval of 12 hours to 2 days. Shell color is beige or blue. Both parents sit on eggs. Hatching lasts 16-19 days, the chicks emerge from the eggs with a break of 12-36 hours. The hatched baby pigeon is blind and covered with thin light fluff.

In the first days, the father and mother feed him with a specific secretion, which begins to secrete in the throat. After about 7-10 days, grains begin to appear. Chicks live in the nest for a long time, in small and medium-sized species - a month, large pigeons raise their offspring for up to 45 days.

Types of pigeons

As already mentioned, there are 35 species of pigeons known in the world. Most lead sedentary image life. They differ in size, type of plumage, body shape, and shades. Here are the main species living today:

• White-necked or white pigeon;
• Ethiopian;
• Silver;
• Olive;
• Canary;
• Wine red;
• Nilgian;
• Brown;
• Mottled;
• Himalayan;
• Guinea speckled;
• Black;
• Laurel;
• Lemon Dove;
• Black and white;
• White-breasted;
• Rock Pigeon;
• San-Tomeisky;
• Klintukh;
• Somali;
• Yellowlegs;
• Andamanese;
• Wood pigeon, also called vytyuten;
• Comorian blues;
• Ashen;
• Purple;
• Rock Pigeon;
• Maroon;
• Ceylonese;
• Madeiran;
• Congolese;
• Ruffed;
• Seychelles blues;
• White-throated.

The silver-striped pigeon and the Bonin pigeon are considered extinct. About 100 years ago, the American passenger pigeon completely disappeared. Its population has begun to decline due to deforestation. Once upon a time, a dodo pigeon lived on the island of Mauritius, Rodrigues and the Mascarene group of islands. He didn't fly, he built nests on the ground, natural enemies he had none. When the colonialists arrived on the islands, they began to hunt these gullible birds. The matter was completed by the imported cats and pigs, who ate the eggs and chicks. The rock pigeon is now under threat; catching it is prohibited; banding is carried out regularly.

Breeds of domestic pigeons

All domestic breeds are descended from the rock pigeon. He is the most common in appearance, but his genetics are the best studied. When breeders crossbreed, they produce varieties that are often completely different from each other. To date, the following groups have appeared:

• Postal or sports;
• Racing or flying pigeons (includes subgroups of high-flying, racing, fighting and roller-type pigeons);
• Decorative;
• Meat.

Meat pigeons were the first to be bred, but now they are losing relevance. Carrier pigeons, which have helped people exchange messages for many centuries, now only participate in competitions. The most common are flying and decorative. There are also a few trumpeters with an original drawling voice.

Homing or racing pigeons

IN postal service pigeons were used until the beginning of the 20th century. For many centuries, people wondered how birds knew the way home. The ability to navigate in space and high flight speed made communication the fastest at that time, although not very reliable for the recipient. Winged postmen transmitted messages even on the fronts of World War II. The best specialists Belgians are responsible for breeding homing pigeons. The most famous breeds:

• Belgian homing pigeons;
• English courier.

Well-trained homing pigeons are very expensive because teaching them all the skills is not always easy. At competitions, birds need to fly the entire route correctly and win. This requires careful selection and long-term training to correct behavior. All breeders of such breeds are members of sports clubs.

Flight or racing pigeons

This group of pigeons has a special flight style. Birds are becoming increasingly popular. The most ancient representatives of this group are Damascus. Germans, Poles, Czechs, Ukrainians breed flying pigeons; there are good breeders in Russia. The breeds are divided into several types, depending on their flight style:

• High-flyers are able to rise very high into the sky and circle there for 2-8 hours, the duration of the flight depends on the breed. This type includes Nikolaev, Perm, Budapest derishes, Kazan, Pakistan, Mordovian, Sverdlovsk, Odessa, pigeons from the Kama region, Ochakovsky pigeons, Dubrovsky, Kryukovsky, Uryupinsky, Uzbek shaggy-legged, Crimean, Ivanovo running, Staroufimsky, Kirovograd beskruzhsky, Chiliki, Chistopolsky , Moldavian black-faced, Shadrinsky, Kuptsovsky, Bugulminsky, Militopol, Zhdanovsky and Kremenchug high-flying, Volsky, Dubovsky, Dzhambula pigeon, Salska.
• After takeoff, racing pigeons fly in a circle, are able to turn sharply, somersault over the wing, and raise their wings sickle upward. Popular are Polish silver Warsaw pigeons, pearl Warsaw pigeons, as well as Ural and Moscow monk fighting pigeons, German monk fighting pigeons, Arkhangelsk bullfinches, Kazan armored ones, Nikolaev end and black white-tailed ones, Ochakovsky, Novocherkassk black-tailed pigeons, bred on the basis of Poltava ones, Pavlovsk tumblers, etc. women's and Czech chegrashi, Tula hot, Kirovograd lilac, Tsaritsyn, Kiev fireflies, sickle everted or sickle, Krylov, Old Russian round, Kursk or kursaki, kremak, Kamyshin.
• Fighting pigeons are distinguished by their low but very beautiful flight. They are able to do somersaults over their head and tail, and fly into a column of 10-15 cm. During the flight, they flap their wings vigorously, and sometimes clicks are heard. Such individuals are especially highly valued. The most famous are Andijan pigeons or Andijan pigeons, Armavir white-headed kosmachi, Tehran, Persians, Iranian tickled ones, North Caucasian kosmachi from Dagestan and other regions of the Caucasus, Armenian, Melitopol, takla, tumbler, Tokyo ghoul, artamon, Baku marble, Chebarkul, gulsary, Afghan, Tashkent Chelkari, Gulbadam, Tasman, Termez or Termez, Krasnodar Neverovsky, Leninakan, Karagezy, Awlaki, Agasievsky, Iranian Golovaty, Krasnodar Bokaty, Chimkenta, Kosana, Sobeit.
• Roller pigeons fly in a helical manner, turning around their axis in the air. Flight duration is 2-3 hours. Most known species- Birmingham pigeon, Old Cossack and steppe spinners, Akkerman are also popular.

When breeding flying pigeons, the fight for their health is important. Properly organized wintering, disease prevention, balanced diet, otherwise the pigeon may get sick and die.

Decorative pigeons

Decorative breeds economic importance They don't, they serve for decoration. There are pigeons with beautiful posture, for example, stately, high-winged or shaped. Colored pigeons have an interesting shade of plumage or pattern on it; there are red, red, blue and even green. Some resemble other birds (swifts, gulls, swallows); they are small-nosed, short-billed or with an elongated beak. Decorative birds include some breeds of flying birds with certain decorations, for example, bearded vultures, Volsky vultures, pockmarked vultures and others. It is impossible to describe all decorative pigeons, here are some popular breeds:

• Royal or peacock;
• Barb;
• Brno pouter pigeon with increased crop size;
• Pomeranian Pomeranian;
• Marchenero;
• Swift or Egyptian swift;
• Syrian folded;
• German show pigeon from Germany;
• Rostov white-breasted;
• Czech and Austrian lapwings;
• Bohemian space swallow (fairy);
• Light and dark ribbon pigeons;
• Rzhev ribbon tumblers;
• Cloudy pigeons;
• Blondinettes;
• A Saxon priest with a forelock adorning his head;
• Uzbek colored ruyans, red, brown and red;
• Kharkov cherry and black velvet;
• Chubby, two-forelocked German drummers or torkuts;
• Bukhara shaggy;
• Tufted capuchins;
• Jacobins with their heads covered in feathers like a ball;
• Curly or curly, having curly feathers;
• Berlin short-billed tumbler.

The decorative pigeon often looks so that it is difficult to recognize its species. They are bred in Germany, England, the USA, Russia, the Czech Republic, Poland and other countries. They are very popular in the Middle East. The original color of the plumage, the plumage adorning the head, the hairs on the paws and other characteristics make each breed unique.

Meat pigeons

The meat direction in the selection of pigeons has now faded into the background, although it is the most ancient. Birds of this type are mainly raised in Western Europe and the USA, where the meat of these birds is still considered a delicacy. The most famous breeds:

• English Modena, derived from Italian Modena;
• King giant from the United States of America;
• Hungarian domestic giant;
• Texans;
• Strassers.

Distinctive features of meat pigeons are a massive body, well-developed muscles, large mass and rapid weight gain. Some breeds look like jocks. Compared to other pigeons, they are real giants.

Doves, domesticated many thousands of years ago, have not completely lost their wild habits. They fly beautifully and are able to find food on their own. Keeping it at home is based on the fact that this species is very attached to its nesting site. If you properly equip your dovecote, the birds will always return home. There are different types of poultry houses:

• Mounted. Such dovecotes are placed under the roof, half a meter below its upper edge. They are designed for 1-3 pairs of birds, have the same number of entrances measuring 15x15 cm. It is not difficult to make such a house with your own hands. It has a number of disadvantages: it is too small, does not protect pigeons from predators, temperature changes, and does not allow inspection of eggs and chicks.
• Tower. This dovecote looks like a real big house. They are built on the ground from different materials (brick, tin, wood, plywood). The poultry house has two floors; bedding, equipment, and feed are kept below, and pigeons live upstairs. The height of the dovecote is at least 4 m. The number of entrances corresponds to the number of pairs; in front of them it is necessary to build wooden platforms with an area of ​​​​about 10 cm². A door is installed at the back so that you can enter the poultry house. The design allows you to take good care of the birds, clean the room, and monitor their reproduction.
• Dovecotes and winter huts in the attic. They are installed in rural houses or in the countryside near the dormer window. Inside there are nests and shelves for sitting. The inconvenience of such a dovecote is the constant smell of excrement and the risk of contracting an infection, the carriers of which are often domestic birds.

In a typical dovecote, wooden perches are arranged. They should not be absolutely round: when birds sit on such perches, their paws become deformed. The nest is built in a secluded place. You can use ordinary wooden or cardboard boxes for this. Be sure to install drinking bowls in the poultry house, where the water is constantly changed, and feeders. A rodent trap will come in handy to prevent them from disturbing the birds and eating their offspring.

Small breeds of pigeons can be kept in a cage at home. Buy a rectangular one, without unnecessary parts. The bottom is covered with a bedding of shavings or straw. Drinkers and feeders are attached to the wall. It is advisable to let the birds fly from time to time. No more than one pair of pigeons can live in one cage.

A good place to keep pigeons is an aviary. It can be placed both in the yard and in the corner of the apartment. The enclosure consists of a fence covered with mesh on top. Conditions should be as close to natural as possible. It is necessary to arrange a place for the nest at a height of 2-3 meters. Grains and small pebbles are scattered on the floor for pigeons to peck.

You cannot make a pigeon house near poultry farms, barns with horses, pigs or cows, or multi-story living buildings in the city. This increases the risk of diseases in pigeons and infections transmitted to humans. In addition, in the city, birds too often sit on balconies and shit there, littering courtyards with their droppings. It is important to carefully ensure that there is no high voltage lines, where pigeons get entangled and often die.

Feeding pigeons

What can you give pigeons to eat? Birds are unpretentious in food. Wild and semi-wild pigeons, as well as mixed breeds, perfectly find food for themselves. Thoroughbreds need to be fed, although they can find food for themselves if they have the opportunity to fly freely. It all depends on the specific breed: sporting and flying ones are more intelligent and independent than decorative and meat breeds.

The diet of pigeons includes:

• Cereals, primarily wheat, oats, corn, millet; barley, rice, and rye can be given in small quantities. Seeds from sunflowers and other plants will be useful for pigeons.
• Bread soaked in water, porridge, which must be mixed with grain.
• Peas, lentils and other legumes as a source of protein.
• Roots.
• Green food.
• Top dressing different types, both mineral water and vitamin water.

In summer and spring, feed should contain a lot of protein, especially during the period when adult birds begin to molt. During the mating period, sprouted grain, vitamin and mineral supplements are added to the diet. Closer to autumn, you should increase the amount of greens and root vegetables. The birds are fed 2-4 times a day at this time. It is best to teach birds to eat by the hour, then they will return home faster after flying away.

In winter, the amount of protein in feed is reduced. The basis of nutrition in the cold season is mash of potatoes, bran, millet, wheat and corn grain. Racing pigeons should be given plenty of corn and barley containing a large number of carbohydrates. Birds are also fed salt and vitamins. Birds are fed 2-3 times in winter. Be sure to drink well. The water must always be fresh and clean, otherwise the pigeons may get an intestinal infection.

Breeding pigeons

Preparations for mating should be carried out at the end of winter. The dovecote must be clean: hay and straw are brought into it so that the birds can build nests. It is also necessary to place mating boxes in the house, having cleaned them first. Hay, straw, and birch branches are placed on the floor so that the birds have material to build a nest. In cold regions, pigeons take off at the end of March, at the beginning of April, at the Annunciation. In the southern regions - 2-3 weeks earlier.

To mate and breed pigeons, you need to create a pair correctly. Thoroughbred birds are selected according to color, flight characteristics, structure and body weight, but pigeons are monogamous, they may not get along with each other, then mating will not occur. In nature, birds choose a mate based on their temperament; an active pigeon is always looking for the same pigeon, while a calmer one prefers a quiet friend. If the pair is chosen correctly, the pigeons communicate with each other, coo, clean each other’s feathers, try to pluck excess ones, and “kiss.”

It is very important that the birds are of a suitable age, from 10 months to 4-5 years. The cere at the base of the beak helps determine age. It begins to grow rapidly during puberty and increases until 3-4 years. Then the cere stops growing. Often pigeons form same-sex couples, especially when there is a disproportion between males and females, therefore it is imperative to check the gender of the partners.

The female lays eggs approximately 10-14 days after mating. The incubation period lasts 14-16 days, both parents hatch the offspring. During one clutch, doves give birth to 2 eggs, but the difference between them can be 1-2 days. To ensure that the chicks hatch at the same time, one egg is taken from the clutch. they put it in when the second one appears in it. This must be done carefully: some breeds of pigeons leave the nest if disturbed.

How are pigeons born? The chick hatches small and helpless. His skin is pink, covered with liquid fluff. The eyes are completely closed, the irises are not visible. If you don't warm the chicks, they may freeze within a couple of hours. The dove and dove warm the offspring with their bodies and make sure that the newborns do not fall out of the nest.

Soon after birth, the guardians need to feed the offspring with a secretion that is secreted from their crop. This feeding continues for 12-20 days, during which time the chicks grow rapidly. Baby pigeons begin to walk and fly quite late, when their adult plumage has fully grown, at 4-6 weeks. A healthy chick leaves the nest closer to two months.

Pigeons can lay 4-8 clutches in one season. How better conditions their content, the more intensively they reproduce; incubation of eggs is 93-95% effective. Considering how long domestic pigeons live, they leave a lot of offspring, which is why so many breeds have been developed today. Distant crossing, inbreeding and many other methods are used in selection.

Diseases of pigeons

How long does a pigeon live at home? With proper maintenance and feeding, timely prevention of diseases, the maximum life expectancy is 20 years. Before you get pigeons, you should familiarize yourself with their diseases. These birds are characterized by the following pathologies:

Some infections are dangerous not only for birds, but also for humans (for example, it is easy to become infected with psittacosis from birds), so they need to be dealt with correctly. Before new individuals are allowed into the pigeon coop, they are kept in quarantine. It is advisable to worm them first and drink them well. To avoid infections, birds must be vaccinated. It is also important to remember that the infection will not survive in a clean room. But you shouldn’t bathe pigeons: they clean their feathers themselves.

Buying pigeons

How to choose the right pigeons? First you need to decide on the breed. It is not recommended for beginners to keep sporting birds; they must participate in competitions. But flying, fighting and ornamental birds are quite suitable for breeding. It is best to buy birds in the fall, then their price is lower. You can order rare chicks from different points peace. Poland exports a lot of pigeons; you can order birds from Germany, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Stavropol and even Mordovia. Birds can be sent to Moscow, cities Altai Territory, Vologda, Kyiv, Khmelnitsky, Rogachyk area, Konotop, etc. It is advisable to buy a pair, a dove and a dove.

Having decided on the breed, you should decide where to place the pigeons. Many people take up breeding without understanding how to build a bird house. The best advice about arranging a dovecote will be given by those who have had birds for a long time. It is necessary to check whether the pigeons are vaccinated when the last injection is given - this is insurance and protection.

Breeding and raising pigeons is an interesting activity and even profitable business, if you fatten them for meat or maintain the standards of a flying or decorative breed, which is highly valued. Launching doves into the sky at weddings has long become a tradition. They do it with them beautiful videos and footage, many city festivals and aerial performances are not complete without birds. So a pigeon farm can generate varied income.

The body length of the sisar is about 35 centimeters, their body weight varies from 200 to 400 grams, depending on the place of residence and quality of life.

Description of appearance

It is very easy to distinguish the sisar from the clintukh, which is similar in appearance, if you know that the first, unlike its brother, has orange eyes, a black beak and a white spot on the lower back, but this is not always found. Therefore, this is not the most reliable sign.

Caesars are classified as sedentary birds; they are always attached to certain territories, where they spend most of their lives.

Most often, pigeons live in colonies, which can number up to 1000 individuals. And the total population around the world has long crossed the threshold of a million representatives of the species. Moreover, with the onset of cold weather, the population decreases greatly, and in the summer it returns to its original number.

There are several types of pigeon cooing:

• nesting;
• cooing, indicating courtship;
• warning of danger;
• cooing while feeding.

Color and plumage of sisars

The most common color for pigeons is gray. But there are many other colors available. For example, some city pigeons have very dark or almost black colors; you can rarely find individuals with coffee-colored plumage. Birds bred by humans can also be brown or completely white, sometimes their beak color is pink, and their eyes are dark, and not orange like those of ordinary sisars. For those who live on the outskirts of cities or in rural areas, you can find a “wild” color, that is, when there are several black stripes on the wings, as well as a dark stripe on the gray tail.

Habitat

Since pigeons are very resistant to various types of diseases, they tolerate both cold and hot climate- this helps the gray ones to populate completely different parts of the world. They are distributed in the territories of Africa, Eurasia, the United States of America and the Russian Federation.

The behavior of pigeons varies depending on whether they are wild or live in cities.

Wild sisars often wander, although not over long distances, due to the search for food, but urban ones are tied to one place and do not fly further than a few kilometers, and they always return to their place of life. Another difference is that city pigeons like to spend time sitting in trees, while wild and country pigeons never do this.

Lifestyle

Pigeons are most often active only during the day, but city sisars can also move at night, because the streets in the city are usually illuminated at night. Most of the day, sisari are busy searching for food or resting. And during the mating season or feeding the chicks, it begins to take even more time to find food.

Sisaris sleep at night, ruffled. The female and chicks sleep in the nest when the male lives not far from them.

City sisari lead less active image life than wild ones. And thanks to frequent open and warm places, they can breed throughout the year, and then the number of their clutches reaches 9. But wild pigeons can make no more than 4 broods per year.

Reproduction of sisars

The male courts the female, cooing loudly. Pairs of pigeons preen each other's feathers and touch their beaks, imitating kissing. The mating season of pigeons occurs at any time of the year, because it (the mating season) depends only on the place of residence of the couple.

When the male finds a mate, he begins to protect her from rivals; when they appear, he takes the female to a secluded place so that they will not be found. If the opponent is from another pack, the male behaves more aggressively and attacks the stranger.

The couple begins to prepare a place for future offspring. They will build a nest together. The female folds it, and the male brings twigs, etc.

The female lays her first eggs approximately three weeks after mating. Moreover, the difference between them is 2 days. Pigeons hatch their eggs for about 20 days, both of the parents do this, the female and the male take turns. The chicks do not hatch at the same time, but with a difference of several hours. At birth they have no feathers at all, so they cannot warm themselves.

Nutrition

Most of the pigeons' diet consists of plant foods. Sisari also eat insects and worms. And in cold weather, when it is difficult to find food, they begin to eat anything, even carrion. Pigeons search for food and eat it in flocks, so sometimes over 100 individuals can be seen near the feeding site. And the largest flocks gather during grain sowing. Pigeons can eat 40 grams in one meal; their daily food intake is 60 grams of plant food.

The main enemies are most often birds, for example, hawks; they love to eat pigeon meat. They become especially dangerous during the period of feeding chicks, because if both parents leave their children for even a minute, predators can attack unarmed chicks.

Goshawks are the most dangerous birds; they also love to eat sisars, and one such bird family can eat up to 7 pigeons in a day. This is when we talk about the danger to wild pigeons. But the peregrine falcon threatens only city pigeons, modern world they feed their chicks with pigeon meat.

Another danger in the city are crows; they usually kill the weakest and oldest in the flock.

Predators such as ferrets and snakes are dangerous for wild pigeons. It happens that lizards steal and eat eggs.

Human breeding of pigeons

Man has bred a huge number of new species of pigeons, which differ not only in the color of their plumage, but also in their physical qualities. Currently, there are more than 800 breeds, of which 300 are domestic breeds.

There are several types of purposes for bred pigeons:

1. Meat. They are bred for later consumption. Their peculiarity is their heavy weight, compared to their counterparts in the city.
2. Sports or postal. Their main feature is that they can fly long distances without stopping in a short time. Previously, they were used only as postal pigeons, but since 1820, competitions between pigeons appeared - then they received the name sports.
3. Decorative. They are bred to later participate in international exhibitions.

Pigeon breeding takes place in special buildings - dovecotes.

Of course, the emergence of human settlements greatly influenced the lives of these birds. They have become dependent on humans. Pigeons travel “for” and “with” humans, which is why they have appeared on almost all continents. And the birds themselves, in turn, have both positive and negative influence on people.

Bad influence:

1. Pigeons are natural spreaders of diseases; they spread avian influenza or psittacosis, but humans are rarely infected directly from pigeons.
2. Caesars worsen appearance streets, leaving their droppings. It can be found everywhere on roads, monuments, cars, cornices, windows, fences, and sometimes on people themselves.

Positive sides:

1. Sisaris are good at destroying garbage on the streets, eating them or moving them to their nests.
2. Pigeons determine the weather; they simply sense changes in atmospheric pressure well.
3. They began to be used as postal ones (due to the speed of travel), although now they have not been used that way for a long time.

Pigeon Abilities

1. Memory. They have excellent memory, so they can remember and distinguish over 700 different objects from each other, and feel the difference between light and dark with the help of their skin!
2. Hearing. Pigeons hear infrasound, and this helps them in navigation when they are in flight, and they can also sense the approach/beginning of natural disasters.
3. Pigeon vision. Everyone has probably noticed that when walking, the gray ones constantly pump their heads; they do this for a reason. This is due to the way the visual apparatus of birds is structured, and thanks to such an action as shaking their heads, pigeons begin to see much better.
4. Navigation. Pigeons have excellent spatial orientation thanks to certain abilities. The first is that they have a “built-in compass” with the help of which they navigate by the Sun. The second is that they good memory to the area, therefore, when flying somewhere, they remember the topography of the landscape, and then return home without any problems. Besides the fact that they usually easily return to their native area, it is worth noting why they do this. Pigeons have the ability of homing - the skill lies in the fact that pigeons can fly vast distances when returning home, and also remain in the air for a long time.

1. Pigeons can fly up to 3 thousand kilometers, and their speed reaches 150 km/h. Because of this, they began to be used to transmit letters over long distances in a relatively short flight time. That is, for pigeon mail.
2. Pairs can hatch up to 16 chicks throughout the year. Moreover, they are able to provide their “child” with about 8 kilograms of good meat.
3. If you somehow deprive the sizar of vision, for example, by blindfolding it, then it will stop shaking its head, because, usually, this is how pigeons navigate in space.
4. Much more often in symbolism or legends one can find references to pigeons than to other birds.
5. The pigeon is one of the first birds domesticated by humans.

Video: Rock Pigeon (Columba livia)

Pigeons have long accompanied human life in a variety of areas of residence. Even in ancient times, the bird was tamed, so it wandered along with settlers around the world.

Legends and traditions often mention pigeons with the characteristics of peacemakers, remaining faithful in love and friendship. The bird is considered a symbol of spiritual purity.

The constant proximity to human habitation has made their urban habitation habitual, but the characteristics of the birds are not known to everyone who feeds the flocks or listens to the characteristic cooing. Everyone knows tamed pigeon, what kind of bird in their habitat, someone who loves and knows their customs will tell you.

Features and habitat of the pigeon

Many modern breeds of pigeons are descended from the ancestor - the rock pigeon. It is still well known and widespread in Europe, Asia, and Africa. The entire Eurasian territory has been developed by the pigeon tribe; the birds live even in high mountain areas with a cool climate.

Pictured is a rock pigeon

The main condition is places cultivated by man or their close location. Dove - bird of peace, - that’s what they call her in different corners globe. Wild relatives inhabit steep river banks, coastal cliffs, and gorges.

Pigeon nests can be found in small recesses and caves. The presence of agricultural land or housing has always attracted humans as food sources, so relationships with humans have been formed over many centuries.

Based on numerous species of birds - there are more than 30 - hundreds of breeds of domesticated pigeons have been bred. Sizes and plumage vary, although there are traditional and recognizable ones: ash-gray with a purple or green tint birds. White pigeons– objects of photo shoots and holiday shows.

In the photo there is a white dove

Experts count more than twenty shades of plumage, and this list is constantly growing. The sign of a male among pigeons is an enhanced dark metallic color. Females are always brighter and lighter. Young pigeons birds do not immediately acquire bright colors; the richness of bright plumage accumulates in adult individuals.

Large pigeons can be compared in size to, and small ones can be barely larger than a sparrow. Weight Limit is about 400 gr. The wings of birds are large and strong, with a wide span. The feathers and down covering pigeons are weak and often fall out.

IN permanent places clusters of pigeons, as a rule, always contain a lot of dropped feathers and fluff blown by the wind. The abundance of droppings left after a bird feast encourages residents to carry out systematic scaring away birds. Pigeons not only expelled, even exterminated.

The photo shows a dove in flight

Many people love pigeons for their gentle cooing, melodious sounds that accompany the courtship period. Poultry pigeons They can whistle, hum, hiss angrily and even scream. The vocal palette is rich and varies depending on the period, age and condition of the bird.

Listen to the cooing of a dove

Character and lifestyle of a pigeon

The dove has always been considered a peace-loving and gentle bird. But she has enough enemies in nature. In the forests these are raccoons, peregrine falcons, eagle owls, and in the city they are hunted by dogs and. Birds die from sudden cold weather, infectious diseases, and from the rash actions of people whom pigeons easily trust.

Pigeons live in flocks, small colonies. IN warm places They are characterized by a sedentary lifestyle, but in seasonal cold conditions they can fly to more comfortable regions for the winter. Living together helps survival. Together it is easier to resist the enemy or feed yourself.

Wild pigeons, like other birds, are cautious and timid. Vision and hearing are well developed. In urban areas, fed by humans, they lose their vigilance and can peck food from the palms of their hands, especially in the cold season.

Wild pigeons prefer rocky places near water bodies, where there are few plants, so they do not even know the ability to sit on branches. Birds living in urban areas settle under the roofs of tall buildings. This is a kind of reminder of our ancestors about their native shores. The presence of food near the home encouraged the birds to settle in the trees.

You can often see pigeons leisurely walking around squares or along roads. It is not difficult to scare away pigeons; they soar noisily and occupy peaks inaccessible to humans. The flight of pigeons is beautiful; they can circle in the air, captivating with their freedom.

It is no coincidence that they were used as postmen; birds can reach speeds of up to 180 km/h, and cover distances of up to 1000 km per day. Tenacious memory allows you to accurately return to your native places. Their flight altitude reaches 3000 m; higher rarefied air makes it difficult for birds to move.

In the photo there is a wild pigeon

It is interesting to observe pigeons in the air. When it is necessary to stop its rapid movement, the pigeon opens its tail in a “butterfly” manner, braking in a peculiar way in the air and hovering in place. When threatened with an attack by a bird of prey, the pigeon folds its wings and flies down like a stone at a speed of up to 80 km/h. The wings connected at the top promote movement in a circle.

The tail, which acts as a rudder, helps control movement in the air. It is no coincidence that on special occasions pigeons are released in order to draw attention to the beauty and perfection of their flight.

Pigeon feeding

Pigeon - predatory bird or not, one can judge by its feeding preferences. The diet of pigeons is based on various grains, berries, and fruits. The bird's beak, pointed and hard, is well adapted to the pecking process.

Plant food is the main one, insects or other food very rarely attract pigeons. Consumption of solid foods requires softening with water. Pigeons drink a lot and willingly.

Birds completely immerse their beak in the water and suck the liquid as if from a straw. This method distinguishes them from many birds, which collect drops in their beaks and then, raising their heads, direct the water into their throats.

The gluttony of pigeons is known. From the early hours of dawn until dusk, the time is spent searching for food in an area up to 50 km from the overnight stay. They are easily trained with the help of complementary food, getting used to receiving it in certain places and time.

In the photo, a pigeon drinks water

They can wait for hours for offerings, once accepted. A small number of taste buds makes it easy to adapt to food without being picky.

If food is scattered, then pigeons choose larger pieces, intercepting them from their relatives. Only pigeon couples behave decently, do not take food from their neighbor, thus expressing their care and tenderness.

Reproduction and lifespan of a pigeon

Pigeon pairs persist throughout life. Their concern is touching and sweet. They clean each other's feathers, stay close, press their beaks together as if in a kiss, and incubate eggs together. The emerging chicks are fed with a crop nutrient mixture until the time comes to switch to plant seeds.

The nesting period has no clear boundaries, mainly occurring from March to October. Birds lay 2 eggs in nests built under roofs, in attic nooks, recesses in brickwork and other places reminiscent of natural crevices.

The shape of the dwelling is flat. It is composed of blades of grass, fluff and leaves, twigs in such a way that it can be used repeatedly if it is not discovered prematurely by predators.

The hatched chicks are completely helpless, barely covered with down. Only after a month will they gain independence and make an attempt to fly out of the nest. For six months, the pigeons become sexually mature and begin to select a mate themselves.

In the photo there is a dove chick

In nature, the life of pigeons is from 3 to 5 years. In captivity under supervision and with proper nutrition lifespan increases to an average of 15 years or more.

Why is a dove a bird? so durable? His secret is family loyalty and everyday unpretentiousness. People should know about birds pigeons to sometimes try on the behavior of the winged ones, who have been preserving tribal traditions for thousands of years.

Hello again! Who among you has not fed pigeons with your children? I think that everyone, at least once, has sprinkled seeds, grains or bread for street birds. What do you tell your child when you feed the birds?

My daughter has reached the age of why. So from her “why” the children’s story was born. Vika is now 3 years old and I made a presentation for her. So it may be a little wordy for children to understand. younger age. In this regard, in a few days I will publish a simplified version presentations about pigeons for children from one year old. And in subsequent articles we will find educational activities for children on the topic “Birds”. So I advise you to subscribe to site updates so as not to miss the presentation and article.

Voiced presentation "Dove" will tell you about who pigeons are, what they are like, where they live, what they eat, how they hatch their chicks, let’s also remember about carrier pigeons. I voiced the presentation, but in my new childish voice, the same as in .

Below you see two videos. The first is a presentation about a dove, and the second is a presentation about the voices of a bird. This is not mine, but a treasure found on YouTube. I definitely recommend watching and listening!

Presentation about pigeons

Voices of birds

By tradition, I publish a description of a dove for children. You might find it useful for themed activities with your children.

Description of a pigeon for children

A dove is a bird with a small head, a thin beak, short legs, but very tenacious fingers on them. He clings tightly to the trees with his fingers so as not to fall. This bird also has beautiful, long and sharp wings.

Pigeons can live not only in the wild, that is, on city streets, in the forest, in rocks, but also among humans. Man builds for birds good house- dovecote or cage. People who breed pigeons are called pigeon breeders. But city pigeons live under the roofs of houses, in attics, or build nests in trees.

There are many different breeds of pigeons, but those that live in the city are called sisars. They are a beautiful bluish color - gray, although it seems to us that they are gray. And how beautifully the colors shimmer on their necks - both emerald and lilac.

There are also English, Pomeranian and Hungarian pouters.

Also fan-tailed pigeons - they are called peacocks for their fluffy tail. Also, for example, the vitiuten and the common dove.

There are carrier pigeons. They used to deliver mail. They took a domestic pigeon with them on a long journey, and if they needed to write a letter home, they tied a letter rolled up to its paw and released it. A dove flew home with a letter.

In addition to seeds and bread, pigeons eat various grains, seeds, plants, and berries. And in the city everything they can find edible on the street. It is very difficult for city birds in winter because all the food is left under the snow - that is why it is so important to feed the birds in winter. Pigeons also drink a lot of water to soften solid food faster.

Pigeons, like chickens, hatch eggs. Both mom and dad sit in the nest - in turns, but most of all, of course, mom. The small white eggs hatch into chicks after two to three weeks. They are completely blind, naked, with little fluff.

Parents feed their babies with special milk - these are grains soaked in the goiter of mom and dad. The crop is a small pouch in the neck of birds. And when the chicks grow up, they eat with their parents.

Enjoy watching!

Yours, Olga Bazhenova.

Today there are more of which are bred in captivity. They are very different in appearance, so for a long time researchers believed that they originated from different species of the pigeon family.

But in fact, all breeds trace their ancestry to one species - This bird is the most common representative of the family, it inhabits all continents except Antarctica.

Man tamed the rock pigeon in the period from 5000 to 10000 years ago, but most researchers believe that these birds serve humans from 5000 to 6000 years. According to some sources, they were first domesticated in Egypt or Libya, according to others - in the Sumerian state. Today it is not possible to reliably determine where this happened.

The rock pigeon is very widespread and For many thousands of years it has coexisted with humans in various parts of Europe and Asia. More likely, different peoples Ancient World tamed and began to use pigeons independently of each other.

Somewhere they were simply revered as sacred birds, and somewhere they were sacrificed during religious rites. Also, they have been used since ancient times. Later, pigeon mail appeared.

Appearance of a pigeon and behavioral characteristics

The rock pigeon can be classified as medium sized birds:

• its body length is about 30-35 cm;
• wingspan - 50-55 cm;
• weight - from 265 to 380 g.

At the same time, representatives of various species can differ significantly in size and weight from their wild ancestor. Weight of meat pigeons may be more than a kilogram.

So, the maximum mass of birds American breed King - 1.1 kg, and average weight - 650 g. Pigeons of the Austrian Strasser meat breed weigh slightly less - from 900 g to 1 kg. And French Monden pigeons weigh from 900 g to 1.3 kg. Thus, they are significantly smaller in size but at the same time much larger than the wild rock pigeon from which they originated.

Color difference

The colors of pigeons are very diverse. These birds can have either plain faded plumage or very variegated and bright ones. There are white and black pigeons, fawn, blue, green, orange and red.

What does a dove chick look like?

Which emerge from eggs, weigh about 10 g, they are completely devoid of feathers, and their eyes are closed. Later they are covered with yellow down, and then with feathers. At the age of two months, young pigeons become full members of the flock. They can be distinguished from adult birds by their thinness and duller plumage.

Features of lifestyle and behavior

Semi-domestic pigeons, which can be found on city streets, often do not live to see 5 years of age. Average duration their life is 6 years.

At the same time, which are contained in favorable conditions, can reach 35 years of age. This life expectancy is made possible thanks to optimal temperature conditions, constant access to and clean drinking water, as well as good sanitation, which reduces the risk of infection to a minimum.

When does it rush?

The breeding season for those that inhabit cities and for domestic birds is very extended in time. They can reproduce all year round. The female usually lays two eggs, less often - one. She begins to hatch the next clutch even before the chicks from the previous brood mature.

How are nests made?

The wild rock pigeon lays eggs and hatches chicks on rocks. These birds build primitive nests from small branches, roots, and dry grass. Semi-feral pigeons that live in urban environments may lay eggs on bare concrete, boards or on the ground.

Why do pigeons nod?

One of interesting features pigeons - when walking, they sharply throw their heads forward over and over again. This is due to the visual characteristics of birds. In order for their eyes to have time to focus on something, they must remain motionless relative to the object for a certain time.

This is what happens after the dove nods. He continues to step forward, and his body moves in space, while his head remains at one point.

In one experiment, pigeons walked on a treadmill. If the speed of its movement was equal to the speed of the step, that is, the bird walked along the path while remaining motionless relative to the surrounding space, the shaking of its head stopped. In another experience pigeons stopped nodding their heads when they were blindfolded.

However, birds can nod their heads even when they are standing in one place. In this case, rocking performs a different function. Thanks to them, the bird can estimate the distance to objects that surround it, including food objects lying on the ground. By nodding, her vision changes from monocular to binocular.

Male and female pigeons

External differences in pigeons they are much less pronounced than in However, males can be distinguished from females both by appearance and behavior. Male individuals are larger, they have larger heads, thicker and blunt beaks with developed ceres - volumetric formations that are located in the area of ​​the nostrils.

Females also have larger eyes and thinner necks. However, these features are not typical for everyone. So, males ornamental breeds They are smaller than females and may have more graceful body contours.

Males are more prone to aggression and conflict. The behavior of females is calmer, but they coo more often.

How to distinguish?

To reliably find out the sex of a pigeon, you must use both several methods for determining it:

• probe pelvic bones- two tubercles that protrude on the belly near the tail of the bird: in males they are located closer to each other than in females;
• place a bird whose sex needs to be determined with a male individual: two males will begin to fight to determine which of them is stronger; if you place a female, the male will begin to show her signs of attention;
• examine the bird's head in profile: males have a higher forehead, a more massive beak, and a larger cere.

If you use several methods at once, the likelihood of errors in determining gender is minimized.

Why are pigeons bred?

Depending on their purpose, all breeds of domestic pigeons can be divided into four groups:

• postal;
• flying;
• meat.

Pigeon mail has long been one of the main types of postal services. This the oldest method of transmitting correspondence by air. It became possible due to the fact that pigeons always return to their native nest from wherever they are. Pigeon mail was used by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Persians, Romans and Jews. It has long lost its importance, and now these birds are raised mainly for meat.

Representatives of flying breeds are used for performances - they are able to perform pirouettes in the air that look very impressive.

main feature decorative pigeons - uh spectacular appearance. At the same time, many of them fly poorly, and some do not take to the air at all. Meat birds, as their name implies, are raised for consumption.

Over the several thousand years that have passed since the domestication of pigeons, man has developed several hundred breeds, which are bred and raised for various purposes. these, on the one hand, are familiar and ordinary, and on the other, very interesting, and you can spend a long time understanding the peculiarities of their appearance and behavior, discovering new facts for yourself over and over again.