By Carol Tannenhauser
They’re child pigeons!
The query then arises: Why don’t we ever see child pigeons walking across the metropolis with the tens of millions of pigeon adults? It might be postulated that pigeon dad and mom are unusually protecting. After hatching, pigeons spend their total youth — simply over a month — in the nest, “being cared for 24/7 by attentive parents … [growing] strong enough to take flight,” in keeping with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. “When they are finally ready to take the plunge out of the nest, they have already developed into full-sized pigeons.”
Some of us are (and really take into account ourselves) fortunate to have a pigeon nest in our view. I’ve one on a small terrace off my lounge, the place the 2 “squabs” (as child pigeons are referred to as) pictured above have been laid, hatched, and are at the moment nonetheless being incubated and fed by each dad and mom. I’ve watched them altering shifts. Pigeons mate for all times, or till one companion dies. The life span of a wild pigeon averages two to 5 years, in keeping with the Parks division.
Upper West Siders David and Heather Stone additionally had a chicken’s eye view of the pigeon reproductive course of. “I had never seen the inside of a pigeon’s nest until a few weeks ago when one was built right outside my window,” David Stone wrote to the Rag. “The mother deposited two eggs, and she and the father took turns roosting over the next three weeks. A few days ago, one of the eggs hatched …. We’re open to suggestions for baby names.”
As am I, having unexpectedly named my pigeon couple Pat and Pete — and, by the best way, let me provide a particular shout-out to them. Steadfast and selfless, they took turns sitting on their eggs via every kind of situations, together with the three-day-and-night rain and wind storm we had initially of April, rivaling my private function mannequin, Horton the Elephant, for faithfulness, 100%!
Here’s a video of the newborn pigeons on my terrace, uncovered for a couple of minutes periodically, whereas their mom or father stretches their legs and gathers meals for them. Anyone know what the young ones are doing whereas their dad and mom are away?
One ultimate notice: Before the infants have been born, the terrace was a multitude, lined with pigeon poop. Since their delivery every week in the past, it has been immaculate.
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