# Baby Pigeons **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [August 9, 2008, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-pigeons/459426 "2008-08-09T18:00:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2008, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-pigeons/459426/1 "2008-08-09T18:00:03Z")
I happened to be walking along the street today, with the kids and **Ms. Attack** , and we heard a kerfluffle under a store awning. We looked up and saw a flimsy minimalist nest in the corner of the awning, and a grownup pigeon feeding two approximately half-scale baby pigeons. Here we have further confirmation of the Master’s words. If there is continuing demand, I could prolly get photos. Cecil’s column: [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2\_069b.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_069b.html) ---
**Author:** ![RedSwinglineOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a9adbd/32.png) [@RedSwinglineOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedSwinglineOne)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2008, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-pigeons/459426/2 "2008-08-15T18:44:30Z")
I’ve got some here. [In the nest](http://s274.photobucket.com/albums/jj271/SPORTYBUELL/?action=view¤t=DSC00361.jpg) [Freshly out of the nest.](http://s274.photobucket.com/albums/jj271/SPORTYBUELL/?action=view¤t=DSC00364.jpg) [Another in the nest.](http://s274.photobucket.com/albums/jj271/SPORTYBUELL/?action=view¤t=P8122496a.jpg) They grow really fast and are nearly full size by the time they leave the nest. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2008, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-pigeons/459426/3 "2008-08-15T19:29:33Z")
I’ve noticed baby magpies where I live, and they are far smaller than the adult ones. Anyhow, now I want to see a baby squirrel , but I’ll settle for a pic, if anyone’s got one? ---
**Author:** ![RedSwinglineOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a9adbd/32.png) [@RedSwinglineOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedSwinglineOne)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2008, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-pigeons/459426/4 "2008-08-15T19:54:50Z")
This one isn’t my photo, but I think it qualifies. [Baby squirrel](http://media.photobucket.com/image/baby%20squirrel/luvsiberians/squirrel_syringe.jpg?o=7) ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2008, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-pigeons/459426/5 "2008-08-15T20:16:48Z")
[QUOTE=RedSwinglineOne] This one isn’t my photo, but I think it qualifies. [Baby squirrel](http://media.photobucket.com/image/baby%20squirrel/luvsiberians/squirrel_syringe.jpg?o=7) [/QUOTE] That’s great, but I can’t really get an idea of the size of the little blighter. Is that a syringe being used to feed it, or a tiny bottle? How many inches would it be from it’s head to it’s haunches, say? ---
**Author:** ![RedSwinglineOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a9adbd/32.png) [@RedSwinglineOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedSwinglineOne)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2008, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-pigeons/459426/6 "2008-08-15T20:25:19Z")
[Looks like a handful](http://media.photobucket.com/image/baby%20squirrel/shellered/squirrel/squirrel-2.jpg?o=9) ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2008, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-pigeons/459426/7 "2008-08-15T20:38:23Z")
[I’ve gotta admit, these squirrels are cute little critters!](http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll155/Britishrose_2008/My%20Squirrel/Oscar20baby1.jpg) (Although, saying that, I don’t like the way that one is eyeballing me.) ---
**Author:** ![RedSwinglineOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a9adbd/32.png) [@RedSwinglineOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedSwinglineOne)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2008, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-pigeons/459426/8 "2008-08-15T21:08:45Z")
Many years ago I rented a room from a woman who found two baby squirrels who had fallen out of a tree. She hand fed them and let them run around the house. They were pretty cute. She let them go, and even a year or two later, they would occasionally come back and visit. They would even come back in the house. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2008, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-pigeons/459426/9 "2008-08-16T07:41:10Z")
Lovely photos. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2008, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-pigeons/459426/10 "2008-08-16T07:59:14Z")
[QUOTE=RedSwinglineOne] They grow really fast and are nearly full size by the time they leave the nest. [/QUOTE] The first two squabs of the pigeons that moved onto our balcony left at about 7 weeks, and they were close to fully grown then, only a little smaller than the parents. The second batch are almost 4 weeks old now and seem bigger than the first. They’ve just started leaving the nest and running around the balcony a little. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-pigeons/459426/11 "2008-08-22T20:37:32Z")
[QUOTE=RedSwinglineOne] I’ve got some here. [In the nest](http://s274.photobucket.com/albums/jj271/SPORTYBUELL/?action=view¤t=DSC00361.jpg) [Freshly out of the nest.](http://s274.photobucket.com/albums/jj271/SPORTYBUELL/?action=view¤t=DSC00364.jpg) [Another in the nest.](http://s274.photobucket.com/albums/jj271/SPORTYBUELL/?action=view¤t=P8122496a.jpg) They grow really fast and are nearly full size by the time they leave the nest. [/QUOTE] Those are mourning doves, not pigeons. Beautiful pictures, though. ---
**Author:** ![RedSwinglineOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a9adbd/32.png) [@RedSwinglineOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedSwinglineOne)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-pigeons/459426/12 "2008-08-22T21:49:44Z")
[QUOTE=cher3] Those are mourning doves, not pigeons. Beautiful pictures, though. [/QUOTE] Thanks. Yes you are right, they are mourning doves. I figured for the purpose of the OP, they were close enough. Doves and pigeons are very similar, and the choice of which to call them is based more on common useage that any technical difference. (According to WIki anyway) 🙂 To me, if they’re cute, its a dove. If not, its a pigeon. The squabs from the most recent brood (the last picture, there were two) just left the nest yesterday and were walking around on the ground. They were gone today. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2008, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-pigeons/459426/13 "2008-08-23T00:31:19Z")
I’ve found a second nest within easy walking distance of the first. Either I am a naturally gifted baby pigeon hunter, or there are a lot of baby pigeons around right now. (hint- pick the second answer) ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2008, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-pigeons/459426/14 "2008-08-23T06:03:46Z")
[QUOTE=RedSwinglineOne] Doves and pigeons are very similar, and the choice of which to call them is based more on common useage that any technical difference. (According to WIki anyway) 🙂 To me, if they’re cute, its a dove. If not, its a pigeon. [/QUOTE] Thai uses the same word for pigeons and doves. (For lemons and limes, too. An odd language.) But our pigeons are very cute. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2008, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-pigeons/459426/15 "2008-08-23T08:53:41Z")
Could we have a link to the Master’s column, please? ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2008, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-pigeons/459426/16 "2008-08-23T10:18:12Z")
[http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2\_069b.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_069b.html) I’ve also added a link to the first post. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2008, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-pigeons/459426/17 "2008-08-23T14:46:34Z")
[QUOTE=bibliophage] [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2\_069b.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_069b.html) I’ve also added a link to the first post. [/QUOTE] I ought to have done that. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-pigeons/459426/18 "2008-08-28T17:45:15Z")
deleted. ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-pigeons/459426/19 "2008-09-05T21:01:11Z")
I recently saw a dead baby pigeon on the ground in downtown Chicago. So, logically, if a baby pigeon is on the ground it’s dead. What?