How does a baby pigeon know your the mom?

Question

I found a baby pigeon and need to know how I can tell if it thinks im its mom? He follows me around soooo maybe and how do you tell if its like a guy or a girl?

Oh and how long does it take for a baby pigeon to fly???

Answer 1

Well unless you look like a pigeon it won't think your it's mom. As with any animal, You know a dog doesn't think your it's mother either. But it's the connection it feels or the security. I can tell a male from a female but it's hard to explain. Male tend to have a thicker neck. Last question I'm not sure but you can help him.

Answer 2

If you feed him, he will begin to imprint a bit on you, and yes, he begins to think you're his mom.  As he/she gets older they can become very friendly and even sight mate with you when they are mature -- i.e., a hen will react to you as if you were a male and a male will react to you as if you were a female pigeon.

Baby pigeons begin to fly at about 32-35 days old.  I suggest you might like to check out some basic pigeon information sites for yourself.  Pigeons can be great pets -- you can check with a lot of folks at this site who have found lost wild or injured birds and kept them as pets for a lot of years.

http://www.pigeons.biz  (check the Pigeon-talk section)

I also suggest that you read: http://www.angelfire.com/ca7/pigeonloft/...

http://www.angelfire.com/ga3/pigeongenet...

As for telling male from female.  That's a little harder at your bird's age.  As it gets older, you'll be able to tell more from its behavior. Males tend to be more agressive; etc.