Do Pigeons Recognize Humans?
A lot of people think pigeons can’t remember people. But is that the real case and do pigeons recognize humans? The pigeons can easily recognize humans and are very good at differentiating their owners from strangers.
Their behavior towards someone they’ve seen before and to a stranger won’t be the same. And there have been many research experiments and all point to the ability of pigeons to recognize humans easily.
To learn more about this, continue to read on.
Do Pigeons Bond with Humans?
Pigeons bond quite well with humans. Especially if you give them food, they bond almost instantly and it’s almost forever.
I got a house pigeon named Bunny when it was just like a couple of weeks, and now it’s 7 years old and the bond is going strong.
In fact, it thinks of me as his parent. The pigeon has a good relationship with my wife as well, but its behavior clearly indicates that it prefers me as I take care of its food and other needs.
A friend of mine rescued a pigeon. Initially, he wanted the pigeon to return to the wild.
But the pigeon bonded with him and refused to mix with the wild pigeons. The bird is quite protective of him and doesn’t tolerate anyone coming close to him.
I’ve seen strong bonds between pigeons and their owners many times, and if you take good care of the pigeons, you can easily build a solid bond with them.
See our in-depth “Pigeon Behavior” article to learn what these urban birds eat. We cover their dietary habits and nutrition.
Do Pigeons Remember You If You Feed Them?
Pigeons are very good at remembering faces and sometimes even voices.
So, they can remember faces if you feed them.
Université Paris Nanterre conducted research with 2 of their staff. Both staff were female, of the same height and size.
And both went to a park wearing different clothes. One fed the pigeons, while the other one shooed them away when they were trying to eat.
After a while, they changed their clothes and went to the same park, and this time both tried to feed the bird.
While pigeons happily came to the person who fed them the first time, they ran away from the person who scared them during the first trip, even though she was very nice to them this time.
The test was repeated several times in different parks, with the same result.
It clearly proves that pigeons can remember the kindness of humans and will remember you if you feed them.
How Do Pigeons Recognize Humans?
From the Université Paris Nanterre research, we can see that pigeons can recognize humans by their faces.
Because in the test, both staff members came with different clothing and had similar body structures and because of the clothing, most of the body was covered as well.
So, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to say that the pigeons recognized them by their face alone. But if you live with the pigeons for years, they can recognize your voice as well.
Is It Possible to Train a Pigeon To Recognize a Specific Human?
Pigeons can be trained to recognize a specific person. And to be honest, it doesn’t take mammoth efforts either.
The easiest way to train a pigeon to recognize a person is to get that person to feed the pigeons. I’m sure they won’t forget the person’s face for a long time and the next time they see that person, they will be warmer toward that individual.
But how long does it take a pigeon to recognize a human? That depends on a lot of things like that pigeon’s remembering ability, your physical characteristics, previous interaction, and its nature.
But normally, it should be 3-5 minutes if the nature of interaction with the pigeon is positive.
So, if you want the pigeon to recognize you, feed them, play with them and the next time, they instantly recognize you.
What Behaviors Do Pigeons Display When They Recognize a Human?
The reaction you’ll get from pigeons when they recognize you mainly depends on that specific pigeon. For example, my pigeon will fly to me when I go to the loft. And then he’ll start to play around me.
Some pigeons will squeak when they see you and fly over so that you hold them with affection.
But usually, they display some kind of happiness and it also makes you happy and endears the pigeons to you.
Can You Train Them with Your Voice?
Pigeons can be trained in ways to respond to their names. And it doesn’t take much longer to do that, as they will start to respond to their names after a few weeks.
With proper training, you can even make them 2-3 things with your voice. However, that would be limited to 2-3 actions only as they will be unable to follow most of the vocal orders.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do pigeons react to humans?
They react well to humans. And if treated well, they gel nicely with anyone. So, if you’re treating the pigeons in a nice way, they will certainly react better with you. Remember, gifts like toys can go a long way in building bonds with pigeons.
Do pigeons like hugs?
Yes, they enjoy hugs from people. My pigeon hugs me all the time and it also hugs some of my friends. But they might be reluctant to get hugs from strangers. So, don’t try to hug at the very first meeting.
Wait for a couple of days, and then hug the pigeon and it will hug back without flinching.
Do pigeons get jealous?
Sometimes, they can get jealous over territory and partners. So, if there are multiple pigeons, the jealousy issue may arise. But it rarely escalates. And even if they do separate them for a couple of hours, it gets sorted.
So, handling the jealousy problem isn’t a big issue.
Do pigeons like being picked up?
Pigeons enjoy being picked up occasionally. I do it with my pigeons and they kind of like it. But some pigeons may not like it. So, you have to look at how they are reacting before continuing the practice.
If they’re happy, you can pick them up. If they seem annoyed, you shouldn’t pick them up.
Do pigeons like being petted?
That depends on the individual pigeon. Some of them do, some of them don’t. So, again, watch the reaction of the pigeons closely when you pat them.
If they enjoy it, you can and should pet them. Otherwise, don’t do it.
What does it mean when birds stare at you?
It could mean a lot of things. Maybe they see you as a threat or they could view you as a source of food as well.
So, if the pigeons know you, it could mean a demand for food. But if you’re a stranger, it might mean they’re suspicious of you.
How do you get a pigeon to trust you?
Giving it food can be a good start. Treating it with food and toys can build trust.
So, start buying food for the pigeon, especially the ones that the pigeon likes.
Look for its preferences and try to avoid food items that it ignores. In between, treat them with different toys. Soon, they will start to trust you completely.
Can pigeons understand human emotion?
University of Iowa research suggests they can detect human emotion. But the proof isn’t very concrete. But from my own experience, I feel that they can understand your mood, like when you’re happy and sad.
As pigeons are smart creatures, it’s logical that they would be able to detect your emotions.
Conclusion
Pigeons are perfectly able to recognize humans and most of the time, only a single meeting of a few minutes is good enough to remember their face.
Making a kind gesture like giving pigeons food or toys can guarantee you a place in their memory.
References
- https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110703132527.htm
- https://blog.mybirdbuddy.com/post/pigeons-recognize-human-faces
- https://www.petassure.com/new-newsletters/doves-and-pigeons-as-pets/
