What Sound Does A Pigeon Make?

Pigeons can be quiet, but they are also capable of producing several noises and sounds. This begs the question – what sounds do pigeons make?

We’ll get into the main types of noises a pigeon makes in this article, as well as why they produce different sounds in the first place.

Different Sounds That Pigeons Make

It’s important to note that pigeons are relatively quiet birds. If you do hear them make a sound, this generally indicates that they are trying to mate, or that there is an important issue.

On the whole, pigeons produce two sounds, either a cooing or a grunting noise.

Cooing

Most people have heard pigeons making cooing noises. This isn’t a loud sound, it’s quiet and subdued.

The cooing is normally a mating call. Pigeons tend to make these sounds within spring or fall, as this is the mating season.

Pigeons that are bred in captivity differ; some make a mating call, some don’t. Like any other animal, these birds have a mating instinct, but even so, they may not produce a cooing sound.

However, you may hear a cooing sound if you have several pigeons on hand. This isn’t necessarily a mating call, as pigeons can communicate with each other through this noise.

If you listen closely, their cooing will have various frequencies that mean different things. You may be able to distinguish if a cooing is more relaxed, or if it’s more frantic, like a warning.

Pigeons are social birds, so it isn’t recommended to have pet ones that live by themselves.

Nevertheless, if you have a pet pigeon, you might not hear any cooing, as they don’t have any other birds to communicate with.

You don’t need to worry if you hear a pigeon cooing. This is how they communicate, but as stated previously, pigeons are quiet birds.

They don’t normally make noises. If they do start cooing, they will do so faintly, so the noise shouldn’t be disturbing.

Singing

Some birds sing beautiful songs, but pigeons differ, as they only tend to make cooing noises. Despite this, there have been instances where pigeons have sung mating tunes.

These are similar to cooing noises, but they have a slightly different sound.

If pigeons are looking for a partner to mate with, they may make cooing noises for a long time. They vary the strength, pitch, and tone of this noise, resulting in a pleasing song-like tune.

You’ll know if this is a mating call by the way the pigeon is acting. If they are walking proudly or displaying their feathers freely, this is a strong sign that they are attempting to mate.

Beating Wings

Pigeons will beat their wings if they are going to fly, but only a few species of pigeons do this.

We don’t know why some pigeons beat their wings before flying, but it’s probably a way of telling other birds that they are leaving the area.

Pigeons are social birds that keep company with other pigeons. If one pigeon leaves a location, other pigeons from that pack will follow suit.

This is best seen in wild pigeons. As one bird flies away, the rest will leave and fly with them.

Wing beating may also be a mating dance, but this is very rare, only seen in some types of pigeons. It may not happen often, but wing beating is an action that pigeons inherently know how to do.

Pigeons will still beat their wings, even if they can’t fly or have had their wings clipped.

Grunts

Other than a cooing sound, pigeons may also make a grunting noise. This will be low, loud, and noticeable.

If you hear pigeons making a grunting sound, this generally means that there is an issue.

Pigeons grunt when they are in pain or injured, but they sometimes do so if they are near predators. They may also grunt if they are around a person that they don’t trust.

Pigeons are prey birds that won’t show if they are hurt, as this would make them easily hunted in the wild. If they are grunting a lot, this means that something is wrong.

If you can’t fix the issue yourself, take your bird to the vet to see if they can help.

Grunting is a rare sound that pigeons make, but in case your bird is injured, pigeon owners should be aware of this possibility.

In most cases, the only sound you may hear is a gentle cooing.

Conclusion

Pigeons are intelligent birds! They can communicate with the slightest variance in cooing sounds. These birds tend to be quiet, but they have the potential to create distinct noises.

If you own one or several pigeons, you shouldn’t hear much from them. However, if they start to make loud grunting noises, this is probably a sign of injury.

If you can’t help heal them, take them to the vet as soon as possible.