- Pigeon courtship starts with the male puffing up his chest, fanning his tail, and bobbing his head while rotating from side to side; the wings may be slightly drooped.
- The male pigeon may walk rapidly around the female or toward her, bow to the female, and circle around her repeatedly.
- The female may respond by walking in circles around the male or by moving slightly away.
- Mutual courtship feeding typically begins once a pair bond has been established.
Mating:
- The male mounts the female’s back and grasps her rump feathers in his beak if the female is unreceptive, she will usually fly off.
- During copulation, the male extends one wing over the female’s body, and the pair’s vent areas are closely apposed.
- Copulation lasts for a second or two and is then repeated multiple times.
Nest Building:
- Both sexes select twigs, grass, mud, moss, and other nesting materials.
- The female is mainly responsible for the final construction, which usually takes from 2 to 11 days.
Eggs and Incubation:
- The female usually lays 1 to 3 eggs per nest, although there may be as many as 6 or as few as 1.
- The eggs are incubated by both parents for 17 to 19 days, with the female typically incubating between dusk and dawn and the male incubating the remainder of the time.
Nestlings:
- At hatching, the young (squab) are naked, blind, and helpless and remain in the nest until they are fully feathered.
- Both parents feed the squabs with a nutrient-rich substance called “pigeon milk,” which is regurgitated from their crops and fed directly into the nestling’s beak.
- The hatchlings’ eyes open 3 to 4 days after hatching.
- The nestling period ranges from 24 to 36 days.
Learning to fly:
- During the last 2 to 4 days in the nest, the juvenile pigeons begin to flap their wings.
- When the young pigeons are about 36 to 42 days old, they make their first attempts at flight.
- Both the male and the female stay close to assist and to protect their youngster.