<aside> 🐦 Pigeon behavior can be a lot more complicated than described here! The best way to learn is to film your bird and ask for advice from people well-versed in behavior. The #pigeon-behavior channel in the CPC Discord is a good place to check out if your pigeon is doing something that’s not described here or in Pigeon Courtship.
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Pigeon behavior is simple on the surface, but can quickly become confusing. It is heavily context-based, a lot of behaviors are based off of one motion, and the meaning can change depending on the speed at which it’s done and the context it’s done in. It’s completely normal if learning to recognize the behaviors on this list and in Pigeon Courtship takes you some time; patience is key. As you spend more and more time with your bird, you will make progress—and even note their own unique behavior patterns!
Opening and closing beak as if smacking lips (and sometimes sticking their tongue out): ****Beak smackies! A sign of comfort, similar to happy beak grinding in parrots.
Usually paired with the forehead feathers and/or cheek feathers being puffed out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdpagyW8qJk&list=PLdZKA4o1cArBrrj0Dpw7DAU3xR-_WAIL4&index=10
Vibrating: A sign of stimulation/anticipation. Can be either a sign of nervousness or uncertainty, of enthusiastic excitement, or a blend of the two, depending on context. Often you can hear a quiet “bbbbbbbb” vocalization along with it.
Quick, jerky flights into the air, or bursts of wing flapping while standing in place: Wing flappies! Generally a sign of excitement, though sometimes seen done after a brief scare that turned out to be no big deal; may also just be a way of getting out excess energy in some cases, especially if your bird is spending a lot of time inside the cage.
Tightening of feathers and standing tall, sometimes paired with a widening of the eyes: a sign of nervousness or desire not to be touched. Vibrating may be done along with this.
Floofy forehead, right in front of the eyes: a sign of comfort. Often accompanies beak smacking and fluffy cheeks.
Sometimes it can be hard to understand if your pigeon is comfortable, scared, or nervous, because the posture would look very similar to an untrained eye. Floofy forehead is a good visual aid to understand that your bird is actually comfortable; when they’re nervous, the forehead feathers will be much closer to the body.
Energetic flights into the air with sharp turns and acrobatic maneuvers (such as small flips or tumbles): a totally normal behavior, usually a bird that feels energetic, excited, or good. Zoomies!
Contact calling (long repetitive calls, especially when nobody is around): trying to call to the flock or get attention. You can try contact-calling back, but make sure your pigeon sees you do it; otherwise they may get really confused. The embedded video is a good example of what contact-calling may sound like, although different birds will sound a little differently!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zp6VZ4PEakI
Quick, jerky preens under one wing, over the shoulder, or around the neck area, multiple times in a row, often accompanied by a zipper-like noise: a type of flirting! This bird is in a sexy mood! Akin to fluffing your hair out when around your crush.
Deep nods, often a bit faster on the way down with a slight pause at the 'bottom' point of the nod: courtship nodding, and if you’ve been noticing this behavior, it’s time to read up on Pigeon Courtship! Feel free to ask others for help spotting this, as learning it can take a little time.