Pigeon parenting is a two-bird operation. In the days before eggs hatch, hormonal changes cause cells lining both parents’ crops to thicken.
The resulting crop milk is rich in fat and protein. Parents regurgitate it directly to their chicks, allowing squabs to grow at an astonishing pace.
This shared feeding system helps explain the strong pair bond and attentive co-parenting seen across the pigeon family.
Watch a pigeon for five minutes and the ordinary becomes specific.
Try this on your next walk
Choose one pigeon and follow its decisions without approaching. Note where it feeds, rests, watches and meets others. You are mapping a small life.