How do you tell the difference between a male and female pigeon?

Question

I've started this new thing on bird watching, but right now i the only bird i can see at the moment, is a pigeon... but thats what i get for living in the city! I think pigeons are strange things, and i want to observe them and how they react to one another.

So can some one please tell me the difference between a male and female pigoen?

And for those who do, bird watching, please give me a few tips on bird watching because i am totaly new on this.

Answer 1

The male is greyer, and ususally has green, pink feathers around the neack whearas the female is brown and won't be colourful.

Answer 2

Grab a few, get round the Vets, part with money, and, have them 'sexed.'

Answer 3

Pigeons are a bird of many MANY colors and patterns. No two pigeons look exactly the same, whether it's down to the smallest details of color, or just the shape of the body and size.

There is no way to tell the difference between a male and female by color, and sometimes even size doesn't work. Just like dogs and cats, some are bigger and some are smaller.

I made a post in my blog telling some of the key things to look for. Some of the things you'd only be able to use if you were actually holding the bird, so don't pay any attention to those things.

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-YE73G0c8e...

Just remember that the key thing is the males courtship behaviour. They'll be the ones puffing up their crop, fanning and dragging the tail, and struting around on tip toe after the hen. They also 'dance' by bowing and spinning in circles/half circles while making a deep "roo-coo-coo". Pigeon fanciers call this 'bow cooing'. They also puff up the neck feathers and drag the tail while doing this normally. Males may also making a popping sound in flight by slapping the wings together with each stroke. Most of the time if they do this, they're chasing their mate, so the bird that will be playing hard to get will be a hen.

Good luck and enjoy your birdwatching!

Becky

Answer 4

The female is usually slightly smaller....also watch a pair together....the male will strut around the female....once you get this image in your head there are other small details to look out for...good luck with it

Answer 5

The males the one on top?

Answer 6

First know your Pigeons.!!

Feral (flying Rats)pigeons come in a variety of colours,The male bird usually has brighter iridescent feathers round it's neck.

This also applies to Homing Pigeons.

Wood Pigeons the female is slightly larger than the than the male but you need to be experienced to see this and the colouring of the male is much brighter and iridescent(round the neck) than the female.

Collared Doves the male tends to have a much more Grey tint on it's head.

Next the heads of all the species the male has a much rounder head than the female who tends to have a flatter head.

But this all come with experience.