SIC-Invisible Chicks

Science In The City

Invisible Chicks

DEAR SCIENCE WORLD,

Where are the baby pigeons? Every spring I see fledgling crows in the park, spot goslings and ducklings swimming in False Creek, spy grey gull chicks cautiously strutting the seawall and hear baby songbirds peeping from the tree branches. But I’ve never seen a baby pigeon or pigeon nest. How can such a prevalent bird be so secretive as a baby?

Urbanite Sleuthing Birder

Dear USB,

It almost seems there should be a tremendously exciting answer to this mystery, as in they hatch out fully-grown from eggs the size of grapefruit or all congregate on some remote island to raise their young. However, pigeon chicks are hatched and raised in every corner of this city—undetected for the most part due to very straightforward reasons.

Secret Identity
What most of us see as common city pigeons are know to ornithologists as “Rock Doves.” Nice euphemism! Their ancestors originated from European cliffside habitats.

Got Milk
After the eggs are laid they are constantly covered — by the male during the day, and by the female during the night. In about two weeks, the squabs hatch. Unlike most other birds, pigeons feed their chicks a protein substance called “crop milk.” Both mama and papa pigeon produce this nutritious substance for the chicks’ first two weeks, giving the chicks a boost in their development. The menu then changes to regurgitated bread crumbs or whatever else the adults have scavenged.

Fly Away Birdie
About a month after hatching, the chicks are ready to take flight for the first time. They leave the nest fully-feathered and nearly identical in size and colour to their parents. There are ways to spot the juveniles among the masses if you’re observant. Look for the darker grey-brown eyes that young pigeons retain for their first six months. As they reach maturity, their eyes become orange or red. Behaviour is another sign of a young bird, but it’s hard to tell which birds are acting immature when they are all pooping on statues.

Science World’s urban wildlife enthusiast, Rhoda Klein