Wood Pigeon Courtship | Hopping, Bowing and Preening

Male Wood Pigeons use hopping and bowing displays when trying to attract a mate. As the video shows, this isn't always successful! The hopping and bowing display is also used to strengthen the bond between an already paired male and female. The pair bond is further cemented by mutual preening (also called allopreening) where the Wood Pigeons take turns to preen the neck and head of their mate.

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Thank you for watching!

[PrisForrest-cwyl]

Woodpigeons are a source of constant entertainment. They bow, strut, squabble and flirt on my shed roof for hours. Better than watching TV!!!

[woodpigeonlover]

Watching wood pigeons is never boring. The are such beautiful creatures. Thank you for your video!

[thetyanneh]

I read (and saw) that they also do so called eye flashing (pinning). It's when they constrict their pupils. A rescued woodpigeon lives with me and he does all those things: hopping, preening under his wings and bowing. ❤

[ffffff]

Wood pigeon romance dramas are so entertaining

[jeandixon]

And madam turns her back and flies off 😂 How baby pigeons ever get made is a mystery to me! Beaut of a video!

[hellcat]

Never a dull moment with pigeons, is there?

[grogg]

I never knew they hopped! How adorable.

[anniemac]

Thank you for this, we have some Woodies visiting every day & now I can under better what's going on.
A pair of them lay down beak to tail in one of my bird baths the other day, no room the other way around. They just laid there for ages, cooling down I imagine.
Lovely birds.

[VideoNatur]

Great footage, I love his species! Kind regards, Rolf

[Ringduva]

this is so beautiful i'm gonna cry

[Crow_Friend]

The WP's here use the bowing with tail splayed as a territorial threat display.

[The_Emily]

Why are they so cute tho?? Most people I know hate woody's but I love them!! They are such loving birds <3

[helenashton]

Thank you for the video and information with it too. I must say I didn’t know it was the male doing the bowing, I do now. I get quite a few in my garden and I love to watch them.
Thank you again for sharing your work 🙂

[jeandixon]

I love the bowing part! Our pidgies don't do that.

[HyperDragoonHx]

For female pigeons, "If you don't like the guy, just fly away."

[Reddw]

There was a wood pigeon that kept visiting my garden but his tail was missing and he seemed to have an injured leg because he was limping, I’m guessing he was attacked by a cat or a fox. It was really sad one time when he was trying to bow in front of a female but he couldn’t open his tail feathers and kept stumbling over. 😢 Thankfully his tail grew back over time however I haven’t seen him in ages so idk if his leg ever healed, if it did then maybe he is still here but I no longer recognise him from the other pigeons now.

[tinarichardson]

I like watching them groom each other. It's cute when they kiss each other's faces, even if it does look more like a peck!

[saturahman]

They are beautiful ! Greetings from Finland.

[stressedvulture]

I saw them having a little date outside my window during sunset and doing the little dance and sitting together!

[steppa]

That bowing is also used in aggression before they smack away a competing male.