Why don't pigeons sit on trees: reasons and interesting facts

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:45

Why don't pigeons sit in trees? On pillars, cornices and roofs of buildings, on the ground, curbs and even on a person - please, as much as you like. So why are these city birds ignoring tree branches, what are the reasons for this behavior?

Why don't doves sit in trees?

It all depends on where you live and the species variety. The natural habitat of rock pigeons, the wild ancestors of our urban pigeons, is the rocky mountains. They are at home on the rocks, and concrete buildings and bridges are a suitable alternative for them. There are other types of pigeons that have a tree house: wood doves in Europe, green pigeons in Africa, many types of pigeons in the tropics, and so on.

Interesting questions

Worth considering:

• Why do pigeons prefer to nest in buildings instead of trees?
• Why do pigeons never perch on trees and always on man-made structures?
• If pigeons are so common in cities why do we never see the deadpigeons?
• Why don't doves sit in trees?

The fact is that pigeons can sit in trees, but the problem is that there are more buildings in the city than trees. In addition, buildings provide a safer nesting site, while trees are often preyed upon by rain and wind. Why pigeons don't perch on trees can be said to be a normal adaptation to change, although it may be the cause of evolution.

In the wild, pigeons nest on high rocky cliffs. Tall buildings remind pigeons of natural nesting sites. It is rather interesting to observe that pigeons never make nests in trees, since we know that birds build their houses or nests in trees. But there seem to be quite a few possible reasons for this.

Reasons

Possible reasons why pigeons do not sit in trees are as follows:

• In ancient times, people used doves to send messages through letters. The message was tied to their paws or to their backs, and they simply flew back to their home. Given the fact that they have a large number of natural enemies, pigeons in urban areas prefer to make their nests or homes inside buildings rather than in trees to protect themselves.
• The pigeons we see in cities are actually rock pigeons. Therefore, buildings, cornices, bridges are closer to them as dwellings. Cities with their fast food options providefood for pigeons, unlike most rocky places. Modern pigeons in cities are not as afraid of people as real wild ones, and they have adapted to city life.
• There is a small possibility that they may have evolved to have lost muscle strength in their legs and thus cannot grasp branches.

Interesting facts about pigeons

There are a lot of interesting facts about humble pigeons, those feathered inhabitants with whom we share our cities, suburbs, and if they are lucky, breadcrumbs.

1. These are the first birds domesticated by humans. Humanity's relationship with pigeons dates back to the dawn of civilization and probably even earlier. Domesticated pigeons, also known as rock pigeons, were first depicted in pictographic writing on clay tablets in the Mesopotamian period, dating back over 5,000 years.
2. They do somersaults in the air, but no one knows why. Many birds have been known to perform impressive aerial acrobatics in pursuit of prey or to avoid the possibility of being eaten themselves, but few of these movements are more impressive than doves doing somersaults. No one knows for sure why some types of pigeons roll backwards somersaults in flight, although some suspect it is just for fun.
3. They have learned to ride the subway and are model passengers. Train drivers say they have seen pigeons regularly riding the subway since the early 1990s and that they are in fact exemplary.passengers.



4. They get to know people who treat them well. Pigeons remember the faces they encounter. In one study of birds in the center of Paris, two researchers offered food to the birds or chased them away, respectively. When this was repeated over several visits, the pigeons began to avoid the pursuer when they were pulled to the feeder, even if they were wearing different clothes.
5. They see the world in a kaleidoscope of colors. Pigeons are known to have extraordinary vision and are able to distinguish almost identical shades of color. Humans, for example, have a triple color perception system, while pigeon photo sensors and light filters can distinguish up to five spectral bands, making the world a virtual kaleidoscope of colors for them.
6. They are the only birds that can suck up water.



7. One of them saved almost 200 American soldiers. In 1918, during the last weeks of World War I, a group of 194 American soldiers were captured behind enemy lines and fired on by both the advancing German forces and their allies, who mistook them for enemy forces. Their only hope of getting word of their predicament was the few carrier pigeons they brought with them. When the first two birds were shot down, one pigeon named Sher Ami was the last hope for salvation. Although the brave bird was shot at several times after leaving the bunker, it survived and delivered a life-saving note. For your valorthe dove was awarded the Croix de Guerre, an honor bestowed on foreign troops by the French army.
8. They can fly at speeds up to 160 km per hour. Some pigeons can fly incredibly fast and for long distances.
9. They were the first pioneers in aerial photography. Not long after pigeons exited the news business, they entered the world of photography. In 1907, the German pharmacist Julius Neubronner developed special cameras mounted on birds. Until then, such images could only be captured using balloons or kites.



10. They are monogamous and seem to really love each other.
11. They are also good parents. Both male and female pigeons are equally involved in nesting, sharing the responsibility of incubating their eggs to give others a chance to eat and rest. Do doves sit in trees? Instead of nesting in trees, pigeons prefer to raise their families in the safety of rocky cliffs. In an urban environment, they prefer to hide in buildings.
12. The little chicks are incredibly cute but rarely seen as their caring parents only let them go when they are almost fully grown.



13. Nikola Tesla loved pigeons and he was a genius. Apart from his research in electricity, the famous eccentric inventor had a strong obsession with pigeons. He was known to go to the park daily to feed them, and even took home when he foundthe wounded. And one white bird in particular won Tesla's love more than the rest, and remained with him as a friend and pet until her death.
14. Picasso also admired pigeons and even named his daughter Paloma after them, which means "dove" in Spanish. As a frequenter of the street scene, artist Pablo Picasso clearly took great inspiration from the feathered creatures at his feet. Doves are a frequent subject in his work.



15. The attractive but extinct Dodo looked like a big plump pigeon. DNA researchers say the dove is the closest living relative of the now-extinct flightless Dodo bird.
16. They are almost everywhere where people are. Today, around 260 million pigeons inhabit virtually every city in the world, living and interacting with humans, perhaps more than any other animal on the planet.