We are so used to seeing CPs displaying in all seasons that I for one, when reporting, no longer bother to choose breeding code ‘C’ for courtship display
in the case of CPs unless it turns into ‘C’ for copulation (I have sometimes wondered why C can stand both for Courtship display and for Copulation. The latter is a reasonable indication of breeding. Display is not in the case of CPs and probably others
and should have a code further down the list). I have regularly seen CPs fighting with their wings in early spring in the large flock which hangs around here. This normally followed a display by one but sometimes BOTH birds and I have always presumed this
two be two competing males. Someone probably needs to study CP behaviour and see if the courtship display which males put on for females is the same as the ‘aggressive’ (?) display males appear to put on for competing males. The theory that a male can mistake
another male for a female because of the lack of obvious sexual differentiation seems to be a bit unlikely. I imagine that in CPs as in all birds where the sexes are similar, that the differences are more evident to the birds than they are to us humans!
From:
Philip Veerman <>
Date: Friday, 25 May 2018 at 12:25 pm
To: 'John Layton' <>, chatline <>
Subject: RE: [canberrabirds] Combative Crested Pigeons
I am curious to know (as I don’t) if this relates to a problem of lack of sexual dimorphism. Can it be that a male is approaching a female for
sex and she is not interested and this is the reaction. Or more likely is it that a male is approaching a male for sex thinking it is a female. So both likely thought the other was a likely female. In what John described I think that is what happens because
the initial behaviour is both birds were initiating a sexual contact. If there truly is no outward sign of gender, there is no way to tell, other than by the reaction it gets.
Normally a disinterested bird will simply move away (you see that all the time too) but some may attack in response.
Philip
From: John Layton [
Sent: Friday, 25 May, 2018 11:31 AM
To: Canberra birds
Subject: [canberrabirds] Combative Crested Pigeons
Re Crested Pigeons fighting here’s an excerpt from a post I sent to the chat line in September 2007:
Two Crested Pigeons landed in the bare-branched White Cedar tree. They faced one another cooing, bowing and tail-fanning. Suddenly, one bird flew at the other kicking it once, twice, thrice in the chest. The impacts were palpable, the dominant
rooster appeared to be the Bruce Lee of Crested Pigeons.
The bashed bird left and the victor was soon joined by a female (we suppose) and much lovey-dovey, bill-and-neck rubbing ensued before the pigeon-pair tired of our voyeurism and repaired to a more secluded tryst.
John Layton
Holt.
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