Sexing Pigeons?

[gness]

Can anyone tell me an easy way to sex pigeons.....from a distance?

I only ever have three together in the garden at getting fruity time.....one will sit on a fence and two will approach from either side....wriggling and fidgeting towards the middle one.....who doesn't look the least bit interested.....
After some nudging and getting middly to perk up a bit the two side ones fly off......

I thought it was two males trying to interest a female......but watching middly's face as it's left alone and confused I think it may be that it's two females teasing a male.....
Well, it has the baffled look I've seen on the faces of some men occasionally...... ;-)
Quite expressive birds if you watch for long enough....

You can tell I'm having a rare, lazy day but they have interested me for some hours.....x

[Mamyalynne]

Two main ways.

1 DNA testing.

2 Wait to see which one lays an egg.

[gness]

How did this get in birding and twitching? I was having some banter on CB.....do I have to stay on topic?

Think I will just open the wine.... :-(

[sunny-dave]

Mamya - I was quite a confused teenager, but surely there must be a better way ... ?

[Mamyalynne]

If you were eyeing up the pigeons, you sure were confused.

[gness]

I'm as befuddled as my pigeon now......I wasn't being serious.....it was a question that the instructions on CB says I can ask.....and I got amusing answers which I was told to expect on CB.
I'd have put it in T&B if I wanted serious answers.

Dave....I'm off to knit......wine is open if you're passing on the bike...mind the pigeons eating the grit in the road........x

[pixie374]

Is sexing pigeons even legal?? Put a handbag out there and see what they do xx

[woofgang]

Tends to be the males who approach the females.

[Tilly2]

Stick with ospreys, Gness. They are easier to tell apart. :-)

[Old_Geezer]

I'd go with your first impression. The one in the middle is probably signalling that they are flattered by the attention but just wants platonic relationships.

[Tuvok]

I saw my pair of pigeons yesterday - in their usual place - under the bird feeder!

[sunny-dave]

I have just two Collared Doves (very pretty they are), sitting on my garage roof - right next to each other, but staring fixedly in opposite directions.

Are they

1. Gay
2. Friends of Dorothy
3. Tired after a heavy night
4. Just not that into each other ...

Answers by carrier pigeon please

[gness]

Well I haven't seen mine since Mamya mentioned getting their DNA....... :-(

[Mamyalynne]

They were wrong 'uns then, scarpered.

[Ken4155]

Easy. The female pigeon is the one with the attitude :-)

[Tilly2]

As you know, there are lots of pigeons in my garden (they've stopped dying off) and the males make themselves very obvious with their puffed-upness.

[gness]

Think it was me creeping down the garden with the cotton bud wanting their saliva, Mamya.....

But if Ken is correct then it was two females and one confused male....x

[gness]

Ahhh.....Middly wan't puffed up....more hunkered and dejected...so Ken may have it, Tilly..... :-)

[dunnitall]

Gness...hate to see dejected pigeons..... They are poor souls needing love....well needing summat. Love pigeons....but not for breakfast. That was a joke...cos I actually think they are intelligent and have a bigger IQ than Chavs...!

[gness]

Hi, Dunnital....they're fascinating birds if you take the time to watch them, aren't they....
They are far from stupid and as Tuvok says....know where to stand for effortless food!
One of the few birds I can see being expressive in their behaviour..... and with their faces......I like them.... :-)

[melv16]

The female is always the one with its beak open:-)