Baby pigeons are called chicks. They live in a special house called a loft and they can live up to 20 years. The mother and the father share the sitting times for the pigeon egg. The father sits on the egg from 10.00 in the morning to 3.00 in the afternoon. The mother pigeon sits on the egg from 3.00 in the afternoon to the next morning. The chicks take 18 days to hatch. Baby pigeon's wings have 10 feathers and they can't fly until they're fifty days old. Pigeons have air sacs, so when they fly it puffs up to make them lighter and when they land they squeeze the air out. Adult birds can be many different colours. The chicks have reddish coloured eyes but they change colour when they are adults and then they are yellow. Did you know that pigeon's eyes are 10 times better than a human's eyes? They can see from Auckland nearly all the way to Christchurch, but only on a fine day.
In the olden days pigeons were used to carry messages. They carried them on their leg. Sometimes people took pigeons when they went on long trips, so they could send messages homes. The pigeons also have a ring on their leg and no other pigeon has the same number. If they get lost somebody can return it to their owner. Pigeons are used for racing. They always know to fly back to their home, because they have a very good sense of direction and they can see a long way.
Pigeons are very interesting and useful birds.
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The pigeon's wing feathers lock together like the teeth of a zip
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| Mr Liu holding the young pigeon |
