Kenneth Glad
They gather under café tables, cluster near train platforms and scatter across public squares. Pigeons are everywhere. But their youngest? Almost never in sight.
Most people assume they would recognise a baby pigeon instantly. Small, fluffy, obvious. That moment rarely happens though.
As LadBible points out, even actively searching through busy streets is unlikely to turn one up. The birds are not missing, just elsewhere.
Birds and Blooms describes how newly hatched pigeons, known as squabs, remain in sheltered nesting spots during their earliest stage. By the time they are visible, that stage has already passed.
It says something about people, too. We tend to scan pavements, not rooftops. And once you notice that habit, it is hard to unsee how much we overlook above us.
City hiding spots
Urban landscapes quietly suit pigeons well. According to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), feral pigeons descend from cliff-dwelling ancestors, which explains their preference for high ledges and tucked-away structures.
Those spaces can be anywhere: Behind shop signs, under bridge spans, along station canopies. Places people pass every day without a second glance.
Birds and Blooms reports that once a pair settles, eggs are incubated for about 16 to 19 days. After hatching, the chicks stay in the nest and are fed “pigeon milk,” produced by both parents.
They do not wander. They wait.
No awkward phase
Unlike many birds, pigeons complete most of their visible development before ever appearing in public.
Research cited by wildlife groups such as the RSPB indicates that young pigeons remain in the nest for around four to five weeks, growing quickly during that time.
When they finally leave, they already resemble adult birds, just slightly duller in colour and less confident in movement.
So there is no obvious in-between stage on display. No scruffy, half-grown chicks hopping around sidewalks.
And honestly, most people are not looking that closely anyway.
The result is a quiet illusion: Pigeons seem to appear fully formed, blending straight into the flock, while their earliest weeks unfold unnoticed in the background of city life.
Sources: Birds and Blooms, LadBible, RSPB
