Why Do Pigeons Suddenly Fly Away?
Pigeons, also known as rock doves, are some of the few animals that you will see a surprising number of in any urban jungle. They are a very interesting species, with habits that can be baffling to a lot of us if we take the time to observe them for a while.
One of their most puzzling phenomena amongst these species leads scientists to ask “why do pigeons suddenly fly away?” We do know that a flock of pigeons anywhere are dependant on each other as look outs and will take flight the moment a single member of the group senses danger.
However, it seems that the answer to this is more mysterious than the simple question implies. While there is a process to passing around the message, the whole thing takes less than a second so their flight seems sudden in our eyes.
So read further down this article to know the science behind their sudden departures, their destinations, and the more interesting aspects!
Read more about pigeon habits:
The Many Reasons for a Pigeon’s Sudden Departure
Pigeons all seem to have mind-reading abilities as they always seem to take off at the same time, but it is something to be observed in many birds. Pigeons just come closer to humans, most often to be fed in parks or streets, and do not usually seem to be afraid.
However, their flight response can seem weird so let us find out the reason behind it.
01. The Science of Why Pigeons Fly Away
So, here is the catch. While pigeons seem unafraid of humans, their fight-or-flight responses are still triggered like any other bird when they come close to us. Since they are far more urbanized than most other birds, their natural responses take more time to come into action.
However, their sensors against danger are way more sensitive than ours, and we cannot often perceive exactly which little movement pushes their internal danger alerts over the threshold.
02. The Psychology of Why Pigeons Fly Away
Something hilarious about pigeons is that if you chase them, they will actually choose to hop or run away from you first before they decide that it is time to take flight. It is quite humbling to realize that pigeons simply do not view humans to be that big of a threat, and flying away is just wasting too much of their energy.
Instead, they will simply move away and give you space. Only when you are too close will they fly off, but even then, they might actually circle back and settle down somewhere close again!
How Do Pigeons Know When to Fly Away?
What is most interesting about pigeons taking sudden flight is that they all seem to do it at the same time. A flock of any species of birds is super attuned to each other’s reactions to the environment. They place blind trust in each other to detect any threats and follow signals very closely.
If one pigeon is closer to you in the park and you choose to throw something at it (that is not food), and that pigeon perceives this object as a threat, it will signal the other pigeons closest to it. Those pigeons, in turn, will signal the next ones until the warning has been passed around the flock, and they all take off.
All of this will take place in under a second. So when they decide to fly away, it will seem as if they all individually made the decision at the exact same moment or even that they actually read each others’ minds.
But in the end, it is simply their self-preservation technique that is honed into them.
We have covered an in-depth article on “Pigeon Habits“; if interested, you can check this article here.
Do Pet Pigeons Fly Away?
Pigeons are a species of birds to be domesticated and kept as pets. They are playful, amenable, and overall low-maintenance pets. Homing pigeons have a great reputation for finding their way back to their houses from up to 1100 miles away!
So, unless they have not been trained properly, bonded with the owner, or come across some sort of harm while circling, it is unlikely that they will fly away. There are procedures to train pigeons to fly, however, and pigeons that are hatched and grown under a human’s care will need to be protected properly.
They do not have the ability as they were not taught to protect themselves or hunt for food on their own and can be in grave danger if they are let out without being trained properly.
Do Pigeons Come Back If They Fly Away?
As we mentioned before, pigeons are quite well known for their ability to find their way back, whether it is to their owner’s homes or their nests. It is one of the reasons they were used to carry messages across long distances in the old days.
This ability is still quite a mystery to scientists, but they use the Sun and the earth’s magnetic fields to direct their flight. This culmination of information, plus possibly other adapted traits, allows them to find places, particularly their nesting grounds, quickly and effectively.
It can be annoying if the said pigeons’ nests are around your house without your approval, as it can be difficult to chase them away. But rest assured, unless they are deprived of their resources and have decided to move away, they will usually fly back to their home ground in next to no time.
Conclusion
With that, we finish off this article to solve the mystery of “why do pigeons suddenly fly away?”. As we have discussed above, the answer lies in their defense mechanism and fight-or-flight response that they have evolved through the years adapting to humans. It is simply one of the ways they learned to avoid danger as a group.
If this article feels interesting to you, do not forget to share it on your social media and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest for more content like this!
Article Reference:
- Wonderopolis.org/wonder/how-do-homing-pigeons-find-home
- Oklahoman.com/story/news/columns/2014/06/30/not-a-flying-rat-11-facts-about-the-pigeon/60814990007/
Image Credit: Canva.com/photos
