Wood Pigeon behaviour

[jeremiah]

A local garden centre has a nature trail with a bird feeding station. The feeders were being used by flocks of tits, with chaffinches and robins feeding on the dropped seed.

Under the feeders there was also a woodpigeon, which ignored all the other birds but chased off any other woodpigeons that came anywhere near. (Chased is a bit of a misnomer - it sort of waddled at them and flapped at them - it only flew a couple of times). Is it usual for woodpigeons to be so territorial and agressive?

[Deb London]

It certainly is in my garden, jeremiah. This type of behaviour sounds very familiar.

[htcdude]

Yeah it's the same with my garden, although I only get a few Pigeons, they usually have a go at one another if either gets too close

Nige

[C J Smallman]

We have a woodpigeon who thinks all food in the garden is his by rights

Other birds are allowed to eat only because he allows it.

This does not include any other woodpigeon though these are delt with by flapping wings and much running around with the occasional who can raise their head the highest as they face up to each other.

Chris.

[jeremiah]

Thank you!

I've never seen this behaviour before - in a friend's garden they keep themselves to themselves and seem to be wary of the feral pigeons.

[actionfinch]

I also get this behavior... funny sometimes especially when you have three on a bird table... one chases the other off, in fact i notced one spending most of its time on the ground chasing after the others..

[slimrbp]

We get similar behaviour in our garden, if there are only two one will 'shoo' the other away.
Then conversley the other day we had six woodies happliy feeding together...

[markturner]

we have the same problem with collered doves the same pair come every day and the other birds can t get anywhere near the feeders

[Naturenutz]

Saw these too having a right old ding dong the weekend but not sure if it was a territory dispute or a very rough courting process

[jeremiah]

My idea of them until now has been either flocks covering a field like aphids, and small groups waddling around the local cemetery, or crashing about in ivy.

It seems they are much livelier than I ever gave them credit for.