Today during Urban Nature Club we cleaned up the garden a bit and then watched as a male pigeon followed a female pigeon in front of the school. The male puffed himself up, trying to look all big and handsome so the female would notice him. He continued this behavior as he tagged along behind her. She really didn't pay much attention to him, instead pecking on the ground perhaps looking for seeds. But the male was relentless. He kept bobbing behind her and then even began performing circles around her. She still didn't seem interested, but he kept at it. You gotta give the guy credit. He was not giving up!
Then a strange thing happened. The male and female all of a sudden touched beaks in what we all thought was a quick smoochie-smoochie. Then the male quickly got on top of the female and a second or two later jumped off her and they just continued walking around like nothing happened. But something did! We had just witnessed two pigeons mating!!!!!!
I did a little research and apparently, male and female pigeons mate for life. How romantic! And when the male and female were doing what we thought was a little smoochie-smoochie, the male was actually feeding the female by regurgitating (throwing up) food into her mouth. Yum, right? Well, she must have like that because she didn't mind when the male jumped on her flapping his wings to maintain his balance.
So, I guess these two are now a couple. And we were at the wedding. May they have healthy and happy chicks some time in the near future!
46 comments:
Yay, the post is here! It would've been so cool if we had a pix of the male on top of the female, flapping his wings around. I'm writing this in the morning. Today is the test! I feel a little confident than before.... Wait till I tell Ms. Friedman about this whole pigeon incident! She will be shocked that we saw it right in front of the school! I'm so glad we stopped to watch the pigeons yesterday! And yes, the regurgitated food does sound yummy!:)
Oh, have a wonderful life together Mr. And Mrs. Pigeon! :).
Hi Ms.Seitz!I was waiting for this post.I was just checking things out when I found this post.I wonder what our next project will be about.I did make that life cycle on my Cuban Crocodile project.Congratulations pigeons!!!!Bye Ms.Seitz!!!
Hi ms.seitz yu should seen tasfiya she was telling everybody about the incident it is so funny
Good job Ms.Seitz!You were really good.Don't admit that you were bad.You and Ms. Warren had a great idea about the karaoke.Is that how you spell it?Bye!!See you on Friday!
P.S
I like bumping in to you like today on the bus stop!!!!!:) :) :) :) :) :)
i should of been there to see the pigeons mating. Also did this happen when i left?
Yes Hasib .We saw you passing by with a basketball.Remember?Just when you passed by, the UNC gathered around the fence of the front garden and watched the pigeons.Maybe you can see something like that too.
I wrote that comment on 5:09.
UPDATE: Guess what?? Kaloakulua is FEMALE! :) I thought she was a male, but I guess not! Some scientists took a DNA sample, and its confirmed that she's FEMALE! Can't believe it! :)
UPDATE: There are now two new cams streaming on the Cornell lab's website! Great Blue Herons. and Barn Owls!! How exciting!!
Looks like Kaloakulua had a meeting with another local albatross chick, that is about her size!
I am going to check out the new Cornell cams right now. Thanks Tasfiya.
Why were you absent today Ms. Seitz?I wanted to give you the slip for UNC.
Had something personal to do. Are you busy Wednesday or Thursday to do UNC? How about you Tasfiya?
Tasfiya: There is an osprey cam now too!
Hi, Ms. Seitz! Yes, I saw the osprey can too! Unfortunately, one of the osprey cams (they are two of them) will now be streaming on the Cornell website this year. It will be streamed on another website. I think it is the Dunrovin Ospreys that won't be streaming on the Cornell site this year. I am really excited about the barn owl cam, because just like the albatross cam, it is brand new and was never on the Cornell site before! They live in a nest box in Texas. There is even a video about the owls mating! They don't have names yet, but I'll be sure to do a lot of research on barn owls now! Sometimes, my mom tells me stories about how she used to see Barn Owls, Golden Orioles, and other birds in Bangladesh when she was a child. And about the UNC: I can't come if it is on Thursday because I have tutor, and I can't miss it. :( But I am free on Wednesday! I don't have anything after school on Wednesday. Recently, I learned that when birds see their reflections in windows and such, they crash into the windows because they think it is another bird. They don't realize it is their reflection! Especially in spring, when they lay eggs and get protective and territorial. On a related note, there was a Red Crested Cardinal on the albatross can, and it was attacking the camera, because it saw its reflection. At least I understood why the cardinal did that right away. :) Plus, I'm trying to get used to calling Kaloakulua a she. :) Well, see you at the next UNC!
P.S. I've been researching pet birds, and when I grow up, I want to get: a male Lutino Indian Ringneck, a male Pastel Blue Pacific Parrotlet, and a female Pineapple Greencheek Conure. Three birds may be hard work, but I'll make sure I give them loads of attention and also get to continue my regular everyday activities! I've seen three of these birds in a YouTube channel called Peekaboo Parrots. You could check it out! :)
Plus, in my other comment, the second sentence should say the word NOT instead of now. :)
Hi Ms.Seitz!I am not busy on Wednesday or Thursday.It would be fine to have UNC on those days.Don't worry I will tell my parents before I go to school.:)Bye!!See you on Friday!!!
Hey, Ms. Seitz. I just have a few questions for you, that I thought I might include in The Daily Tweeter.
How do you feel about the bird cams on the Cornell website?
Which cam is one of your favorites?
Why are they so great to watch and how do they help us understand more about nature?
That's it for now. Hope you get to answer them!
I am SO shocked right now! Since my dad was working in Park Slope today, he saw the mayor walking down the sidewalk! He didn't get the chance to take a picture but he said they had teeny chat! It feels so unbelievable, that my dad saw the mayor! Wish I was there!!
Guess what? Another new bird cam! Check out the new Barred Owls!! So now, there are Barred Owls and Barn Owls! Plus, did you know that people can have toucans for pets?? Also, Barn Owls and Barred Owls are pets!
P.S. I got out of my car when we arrived home, and I saw two birds flying towards a tree in my backyard. Guess what it was?? It was a bird I NEVER thought I would see in my yard! It was a male and female cardinal!!
P.P.S Sorry I write too much, I just have so much to say! You could delete others if you want to Ms. Seitz. :)
Tasfiya: This morning my son said to me "Mom, there's a cardinal in the backyard." And indeed, I could hear it's song. When I looked outside, like you, I saw a pair of cardinals too! I love them.
As for owls as pets, no, no, no. Where did you hear you can have owls as pets?
One night, when I couldn't sleep, I turned on the Barn Owls cam and just watched. They were both there, then they both flew off. About five minutes later, one came back with a mouse in its mouth and I watched it eat.
Here's answers to your questions:
How do you feel about the bird cams on the Cornell website? I think it is terrific and I love that they have so many different cams in so many different places to watch. You get such a variety of birds.
Which cam is one of your favorites? I really liked the Ontario, Canada one because I really enjoyed watching the grosbeaks. They are so colorful and I got to see three different kinds of grosbeaks. I'm disappointed that it's off-line now, but they don't use feeders in spring and summer because the birds can find their own food.
Why are they so great to watch and how do they help us understand more about nature? I like watching them because I pretend I'm looking out a window at nature. I think the cams make it easy for people to bird watch and you can see birds you may not see at home. Also, if you tune in at the beginning when some of the birds are laying their eggs, you get to see the whole process of birth, rearing and growing up. I also think the cams allow us to experience bird behavior, and again, make it easy to tune in a little now and a little later. The cams bring nature up close and personal. I love them!
Hi Ms.Seitz!Thanks for the binoculars!Are Pentax binoculars useful during birdwatching?My dad has a pair.They are kind of heavy.I never knew that binoculars could be so expensive!They cost $448.00!!My parents said I could only bring it to school for a reason like the birding trip Ms.Friedman said we would have.If I wanted to bring them on a trip my mom has to come.I have never seen a Cardinal before in real life but they look beautiful.Especially the male one.How are we gonna know who is going on the trip to Rally Island?Are you going to call us?By the way Ms.Seitz, I named the Mexican Flower that you gave me Flurry.The stem is so soft with its hair.Does the little hairs help the plant grow?Or does it give some kind of protection?
Hi, Ms. Seitz. I love seeing cardinals! My mom saw me rush out to the backyard and then she came after me. She agreed that the cardinal looked beautiful! I've never seen a female before, but now I have! It's just as pretty as the male because of the tinges of red it has on its feathers and crest. The binoculars are very helpful because I got to get a close up of the Blue Jay we saw in class and the Cardinal in my yard. Since we had an hour of free time on Friday, Fatima and Sanjida and I were looking out the window to watch pigeons but we didn't get to see anything. So, Ms. Friedman let the three of us use the computer to watch bird cams! Fatima loved it. I keep telling her "Welcome to the bird world." We got to see the egg that the female Barn Owl laid, and we got to see the Barred Owls, and the hawks, and the albatrosses. We saw many non breeders coming in for a landing on the albatross cam. I guess the albatrosses were Fatia's favorite, because she couldn't stop laughing when I showed her a picture of the Red Crested Cardinal attacking the camera. :) Anyways, thanks for answering my questions! They sound so...... wise. I love the whole looking out a window at nature part! :) I also put in something you said about the cams in the past. It was when you said "The cams allow us to gently spy on nature." I have seen the feederwatch cams offline recently but I didn't know that was the reason why! I kinda miss them...
Anyways, I am excited for school after the break because Ms. Friedman said she would start doing lessons on birds!! And because she promised to take us bird watching. I'm taking my binoculars on the bird watching trip and the Statue of Liberty trip we are going to. My mom said she wants to come, so I can take lots of pictures! :) Well, see you when school starts!
P.S. I heard about the owls as pets thing on YouTube where a ton of videos showed up of bird owners having owls as pets!
P.P.S. I watch this Nature documentary on the white falcon and the white wolf. It is so good! It shows the hardships of a white falcon family and a white wolf who got left behind from her wolf pack.
P.P.P.S. I might go to Bangladesh in the summer, so I will bring my binoculars to see birds. Perhaps Barn Owls and Golden Orioles like my mom said?? :) I hope I'll be lucky enough to see them!
Hi Ms.Seitz!I am so excited because my brother said he would show me how to create a blog!He made one about cars because he is very interested in cars.He is really excited because on April 18 we are going to the New York Auto Show.I heard Sabrina was going there too so we arranged a date on April 18 so that we could see the auto show together.We saw it last year too.I still have not decided on what topic I should write about in the blog I am gonna make.What do you think?Bye!!
Just finished an issue of The Daily Tweeter! I like this one better than the others. Anyways, there is gonna be a lunar eclipse tonight, April 14. It should be visible throughout most parts of North America. I'm gonna try to see it! :)
hi ms.seitz i think it was sunday or either monday but anyway i went to my cousins house to meet someone they live new jersey alantic city but we were in the back yard and we saw think robins up in a tree and my brother saw a glimpse of the nest i saw it too! just alittle bit we also tried reaching it with a stick but it was to far away. though i noticed robins going to the nest. they are soo lucky especially because the get to be close to an atually bird nest the owner is extra lucky they can see the nest or even take it. luuucky
i meant to write i think they are robins we didnt see much of the nest it could also not be a nest hope not i also want to say thanks for the binoculars.
Is it good to take a nest if birds are using it? Because don't they still have eggs in it that could hatch? Sanjida, did you see any eggs? Did anybody get to see the total lunar eclipse last night? It happened around 3 in the morning so I didn't get to see it. They said it was gonna be really hard to see it if you lived in the states east of the Mississippi River (which is us). They called it the Blood Moon cause it looks red when the moon passes Earth's shadow. The next total lunar eclipse will be on October 8th, 2014. However, I saw yesterday's eclipse on a YouTube video, and it looks so cool!
Anyways, there is this evergreen tree in our yard, and it never loses its leaves. But, for some reason all the birds land in that tree instead of the tree with no leaves. So I barely get to identify them. :( Also, I'm stuck on what will happen next in my book.... And Sanjida, don't worry: I gave you credit for the work you did for the newspaper. I'll show it to you after the break!
Hi Ms.Seitz!I just came back from Shannon's.I was getting some soil for my Mexican Sunflower.I was feeding Mudd and some other random pigeons when I saw a male pigeon and a female pigeon regurgitating.I was shocked and called Harris (my older brother)to see.Every time I looked out the window I could see the female trying to get away from the male.The male kept following.My dad gave me a Saudi Arabian coin when he came back from there.I want to show it to you sometime.Maybe I should start a coin collection.I still have that 2 pounds coin I showed you last time during recess.Remember?When is your birthday Ms.Seitz?Bye!!!
Watching the Barred Owl babies, as Mama and Papa Owl are away. The little fellows are the most adorable things I've ever seen! :) You can get a glimpse of them now!!! So adorable, with their fuzzy white feathers, and their pink little beaks, all three baby owls are so close together, snug and cuddly. :)
Sorry I've been so out of touch. I am in Florida visiting grandma and grandpa. Just came back from dinner. My husband and sons are playing miniature golf....not my favorite thing. Anyway, you all have so much to say, I don't know where to start. First Sarah, yes, you were chosen in the lottery. I didn't get a chance to call everyone. Will do so tomorrow or Saturday. It will be you, Maddy, Julian and Taosif. And yes, Pentax binoculars are great. Happy to hear that the Mexican Sunflower is being treated so well. We can talk more on Wednesday. Tasfiya and Sanjida: glad to hear you are loving the birds, and you should never take a bird's nest unless it's winter. After the eggs hatch, they don't need the nest anymore and most birds build new ones each spring. So winter is the time to collect nests. Birds don't live in nests, they live in nature. They build nests especially for their eggs. That's the purpose of a nest. The birds probably like the evergreen tree because it provides cover for them. Trees that lose their leaves are called deciduous trees. I would love to go to Bangladesh and see what kinds of birds are there. Tomorrow I'm going to a woman's house that's a bird sanctuary. She rescues parrots and cockatiels. She is a wildlife rehabilitator. Went to the Naples, Florida zoo yesterday and got up close with an anteater, sloth, screech owl, gila monster, honey badgers, and other animals. Very cool and educational. I'll try to post photos. And I went on some trails at the Nature Conservancy. Saw zebra longwing and monarch butterflies. I may walk on the beach tomorrow morning and go shelling. By the way, Sarah, my son has a car blog. I'll get the name of it so Harris can check it out. My son LOVES cars. As far as your blog, choose something you are passionate about so it will be fun writing it. Also, start taking photos of whatever the passion is so that it can be visual. I'm going to go now and read for a while. I'm reading a good book called "The Girl Who Fell From the Sky." Goodnight everyone....you are all so great!
Hi Ms.Seitz!I am excited to go on the trip.Harris said he would be glad to see another blog on the same topic.Did you know that honey badgers are the most toughest animals on the African Savanah.Most people think its the lion but it isn't because lions are afraid of honey badgers.I will wait for your call both today and tomorrow.Bye!!
Hey, Ms. Seitz. Hope you're having a good time in Florida. You're so lucky to be going to a bird sanctuary! Since the lady rescues parrots, does she have Parrotlets or Indian Ringneck Parrots? Those are my favorite. Will you be able to hold any birds? You should write about the sanctuary on your blog, I would LOVE to see all those bird pic! Also, I'm seeing more birds in my yard! Yesterday, a robin landed in the deciduous tree in my yard. Anyways, I'm not seeing Bone anymore, but I did see her kitten! I decided to name it Scruff. I think Sanjida suggested that name before. Plus, I have this thing in my computer, where you can make movies. I'm gonna make a short bird film, and maybe get help from my brother, because he knows how to use the Movie Maker. Also, my mom said she saw the birds in Bangladesh in the certain place she lived in. Its called Sandwip. (pronounced SHONDHEEP) Sanjida's parents might've seen them too, because she's also from Sandwip. I could show you pictures of the birds there if I go on the summer.
Also, have you seen any birds in Florida that aren't seen here? Like herons, or Painted Buntings? Or Baltimore Orioles? :) I love the Painted Bunting because it is so colorful. When Ms. Friedman sent to Florida a while back, she said she saw many herons. :) Well, see you after the break! Happy Friday!
Guess who just saw BONE!? After months of cold weather, I finally saw her! :)
Glad you saw Bone! And yes I've seen tons of different kinds of herons as well as white ibis. Alligators too. And osprey. Going kayaking in a little while so hopefully more discoveries await. So far no indigo bunting.
Did I say Indigo Bunting? If I did, I meant to say Painted Bunting. The white ibis is beautiful!! Did you go to the bird sanctuary Ms. Seitz? Also, I saw Scruff again today, and he got in a fight with another stray cat. LOTS of meowing and hissing. I saw it all from my bedroom window. I think Scruff won the fight, because he made the other cat run away! I wanna go to Florida some day and see the birds there. Well, have fun kayaking! Tell me about the bird sanctuary too! I really want to visit one! :)
Sanjida, no its not the book. Nobody knows about it. I've been working on this all winter break! If I can accomplish this, I'm sure everybody will be super excited. Stay tuned... :)
Oops. My mistake. You did say painted bunting! Kayaking was fun. We paddled through all these watery corridors where the Seminole Indians once lived close to nature.
Hi Ms.Seitz!Thanks for the call.You should make a post about the trip that is coming up.Thanks for the advice about the blog.The Mexican Sunflower's first two leaves are crinkling.That is suppose to be a good sign,right?That means its growing,right?I want to start a balcony garden.I am gonna have to get used to it because I live on the 7th floor.It is really high up.The good thing about living on the highest floor is because its quiet up there.I have changed my mind a bit about what I am gonna be.
I heard that people can also go kayaking in NYC, Ms. Seitz. Sounds like you had a real adventure! Yesterday, I saw a big starling and it was cool because it landed on the ground in my backyard. Most birds don't land on the ground in my yard. I was gonna take a picture because it looked perfect, but I was too late. By the time I pulled my brother's iPod out of my pocket, it flew away. But I'll get a pic next time! :) The weather is amazing here. My brother and I go out everyday. He plays basketball, and I look for birds. When he stops playing, we play badminton. I'm pretty suckish at badminton, but I'm getting better with practice. I'm stuck on what career I want to have when I grow up. Either an ornithologist, or computer software developer. Both are really good jobs, with a high salary. Then again, being an ornithologist would also be fun since I love birds..... As I grow up, I'll have more knowledge and more sense about which would be best, but for now, I'll put that thought aside. I'm just worried about middle school, especially since the day of the results are coming closer and closer. We'll get it in late May, so I'm really nervous. I really want to be accepted in either Christa McAuliffe or Dyker Heights!
Sanjida, the surprise is big. If this works out, I'll give bigger clues. But for now, I'm working on it. And yes, so much suspense right? :)
Phew!I was kind of worrying because I don't have much experience.Hope you have a safe journey on the airplane.Let me give you a tip:When your ears close, chew some gum.I learned that from my mom.I have flown on the airplane 5 times already.I have been going to America to Pakistan and back to America 2 times already.I think.
Fly safely! :) Food on airplanes taste really bad... Blehh. When I went on a plane two years ago, they served pancakes for breakfast. They rolled up the pancakes, and soaked it in syrup, so it was REALLY soggy. The only thing I enjoyed were the chocolate bars. Since I was younger then, my brother and I used to hide our chocolate bars, so the flight attendants would offer us more. It was funny. :) How long is the flight from Florida to New York City, Ms. Seitz?
: Two minutes ago, I saw birds mating again! This time they were house sparrows, mating outside my bedroom window! I think they chose the evergreen tree in my yard for a nest.They're searching the tree, and they bring twigs and other stuff to a place. I can't wait to see their babies! I think I'm gonna name them, and figure out which is the male and female by looking at their actions...,
Hi Ms.Seitz!I really enjoyed the trip.I asked my parents and they said that I could go to the Birding Bonanza!!I am so excited.I want to visit all the events at Randall's Island Park.I am registering.I can not wait for you to make the post about the trip. Maddy and I still have not dug that big rock out.It was so hard to take out.I really liked just sitting in nature and the wind is blowing while we plant the berry bushes.I want to check them out throughout the year.Bye!!
Sarah: I'm so glad you had a good time. And it's really great that you are going to now bring your family to a place that you know. That is wonderful. I'm going to post now!
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