Pigeons and doves (Columbidae)
Baby rock pigeons: from egg to fledgling
A Rock Pigeon lays 1–3 eggs. They hatch after 17–19 days, and the young leave the nest 25–32 days later — about 42–51 days from egg to fledgling.
- Eggs per clutch
- 1–3 eggs
- Incubation
- 17–19 days
- Time in the nest
- 25–32 days
- Egg to fledgling
- About 42–51 days
- Broods per year
- Up to 6 per season
- Nest
- Flimsy platform on building ledges, bridges and barns
- Uses nest boxes
- No
Stage by stage
- Eggs (17–19 days): 1–3 eggs per clutch. Most songbirds start incubating when the last or second-to-last egg is laid, so the young hatch close together; owls and hawks start with the first egg, so their chicks hatch days apart.
- Nestlings (25–32 days): the young hatch with little or no down and their eyes closed. They grow fast on a diet the parents bring in. In the breeding season rock pigeons mainly eat grain, seeds, bread and scraps.
- Fledglings: after leaving the nest, young rock pigeons are fully feathered but short-tailed and clumsy. They spend days to weeks on low branches or the ground while the parents keep feeding them.
- More broods: Up to 6 per season.
When rock pigeons nest, state by state
Nesting starts earliest in Arkansas (Jan) and latest in Alabama (Dec). Months are estimates from regional breeding data shifted for latitude.
Found a baby Rock Pigeon?
- Feathered, hopping, can grip your finger: a fledgling. This is a normal stage. Keep pets and children away and watch from a distance; the parents are usually close by.
- Bare skin or only pin feathers: a nestling that fell. If you can see the nest, put it back. Touching it won't make the parents abandon it — that is a myth.
- Injured, cold, covered in flies, or caught by a cat: contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. In the US and Canada, ahnow.org finds the nearest one.
- Don't give water or food. Baby birds can choke, and the wrong food can kill them.
More about rock pigeons
Frequently asked
How long do baby rock pigeons stay in the nest?
About 25–32 days after hatching. Eggs take 17–19 days to hatch, so it is roughly 42–51 days from the last egg to the young leaving.
How many eggs does a Rock Pigeon lay?
1–3 eggs per clutch, with Up to 6 per season.
Where do rock pigeons nest?
Flimsy platform on building ledges, bridges and barns.
What should I do if I find a baby Rock Pigeon on the ground?
If it has feathers and hops, it is a fledgling and its parents are almost certainly nearby — leave it. If it is naked or has pin feathers, put it back in the nest if you can. Call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator if it is injured.