Do Female Or Male Pigeons Coo?
One of the distinctive features of pigeons is their cooing calls. You have probably heard their calls when passing through the street. But is cooing a unique thing for males only? Do female pigeons coo?
Female pigeons do coo. Like the males, the females will use their calls to communicate with each other. And they can also use their cooing to attract mates and bond with each other.
But are there any differences between a male pigeon coo and a female pigeon coo? Is the cooing of the female pigeons have a different sound or tone? To know all these, you would want to go through the rest of the discussions below.
Read more about pigeons behavior:
How Do Female Pigeons Communicate with Each Other?
Cooing is not the only way of communication. Just like male pigeons, female pigeons use different methods to communicate with each other. They can use a wide range of vocal and non-vocal cues.
Vocalization
As stated earlier, vocalization is the primary way for pigeons to communicate with each other. However, these vocalizations do not just include cooing. Other than coos, pigeons can use grunts and trills to communicate with each other.
All these vocalizations can portray different types of information. For example, the birds could indicate the presence of food or warn others about the danger they sensed.
Visual Displays
Female pigeons will communicate with visual displays to establish dominance and hierarchy in the flock. But what visual displays? Examples of that could be wing flapping and head bobbing.
Scent Marking
Besides vocalizing and showing visual displays, pigeons use scents to communicate with others. In case you didn’t know, pigeons have scent glands. These glands are on the base of their tails. But what do they use these glands for?
Female pigeons will use their scent glands to mark their territory or convey a wide range of information.
What Sound Does a Female Pigeon Make?
Pigeons are known for making a variety of sounds. That includes coos, grunts, chirps, and trills.
Nonetheless, the sound that pigeons make is typically softer and has a lot of tone variation. However, the specific sound that the female pigeons make will depend on the context of the communication.
That is, the cooing sound of the female pigeons will not be the same throughout. If you listen carefully, you can definitely hear different variations in their calls.
See our in-depth “Pigeon Behavior” article to learn what these urban birds eat. We cover their dietary habits and nutrition.
Are There Any Other Vocalizations That Female Pigeons Produce?
Like male pigeons, female pigeons will make a variety of vocal sounds to communicate with each other. Here’s a brief explanation of each of the vocalizations that you can hear from a female pigeon:
01. Trills
Female pigeons can produce a high-pitched and rapid trill sound. Through this vocalization, the birds will signal the presence of a predator. That is, they will signal danger with trills.
02. Grunts
Soft grunting sounds of female pigeons are considered to be a reply to the males’ mating calls. In other words, with the soft grunting sound, female pigeons indicate that they are receptive to mating.
03. Chirps
Both males and females make a chirping sound. However, for the females, the rapid chirping sound acts as a form of communication with their babies. They can also chirp to indicate the presence of food.
04. Bill snapping
Female pigeons can make a snapping sound with their bills. This specific sound has a particular meaning. Through the bill-snapping sound, female pigeons warn off the intruders that might have wandered into their territories.
What Does It Mean When a Pigeon Coos?
Cooing is the primary way of communication for pigeons. And even though their coos might sound the same, like humans, pigeons can express different types of information. Here are some examples:
1. Attract Mates
Pigeons look for mates through cooing. And often, you will notice that the one that does not have a partner will coo all day long. Through this cooing, the pigeons will express their longing for a partner.
One thing you need to note is that pigeons are known for breeding throughout the year. That means that search for a partner through cooing can persist all year round. However, males generally initiate this mating call, while females respond.
2. Claim and establish territory
You may know pigeons for being social and friendly with each other. However, did you know that they can be very territorial? Yes, pigeons will do whatever it takes to ensure that they are in control.
Nonetheless, pigeons can coo to claim and establish control of a territory. And the cooing acts like a warning to an intruder who is likely looking to get into an already claimed area.
3. For signaling the presence of food
Pigeons mainly roam around in flocks. They search for food together. And when one member of the group finds food, the bird will signal the others with cooing. The other birds will come to the area and share the food together when heard.
4. To bond and socialize
Like us, pigeons have a lot to tell each other. And as a primary form of communication, pigeons use cooing to form connections with each other. You will even find the flock cooing to each other when they are not doing anything.
5. Express fear and stress
Pigeons do have feelings. They use cooing to express their overall state of mind. For example, you will find a pigeon constantly cooing when they sense danger. In this case, the call can basically be a call for help.
How Do Male and Female Pigeons Differ in Their Cooing?
The primary difference is that female pigeons are less vocal than males. That is, the male pigeons tend to be louder than the females. But that is not the only difference that lies between the cooing of a male and female pigeon.
Male pigeons tend to be repetitive with their coos. In other words, male pigeons will coo more frequently than females. So, you can say that males are more talkative than females.
Besides that, female pigeons have more variation in their coos. If you hear closely, the coos of the female will be different depending on the context. Males tend to have the same type of cooing.
Finally, the coos of the male pigeons are generally lower-pitched than the female coos. This makes the coos of the female coos less resonant and hard to hear from a distance.
Are There Regional Variations in the Cooing of Pigeons?
Region-wise, there can be a slight variation in the cooing of pigeons. For example, the feral pigeons of New York City have a distinct cooing pattern from the pigeons of other parts. They are generally loud and will coo very frequently.
On the other hand, the pigeons of the Middle East and India, for example, have different cooing patterns. So, why does the variation occur?
Pigeons can develop a different cooing pattern from selective breeding. Likewise, the variation in the cooing trait can occur for specific environmental conditions. Yes, like other birds, pigeons can quickly adapt to their environment.
Final Words
So, do female pigeons coo? In short, they do! And the most important part is that the coos of the female pigeons are different than the males. But like male birds, females can make different vocalization sounds to communicate.
Well, that’s a wrap on all you have to know about female pigeons cooing. And if you like to catch up with our latest stories that are as interesting as this one, consider connecting with us in our socials. Find us on Twitter and Pinterest.
Article Reference:
- Nbcnewyork.com/news/local/subway-pigeon-bird-sound-system-roosevelt-island-station-noise/1974222/
- pigeoncontrolresourcecentre.org/html/about-pigeons.html
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