It’s baby pigeon season, in Downtown Los Angeles.

 

A baby pigeon, amidst the adult flock, seen here, in Skid Row. 

This year, the feedings and the community support of the pigeon flocks that I frequent has been robust (I visit 3 flocks regularly, and sometimes I see another tiny flock, here and there). That being the case, the paired pigeons felt confident to mate and rear some young, and, here in mid-May, I started to notice the baby pigeons’ ruffled feathers signature look, along with their smaller size amongst the rest of the flock, not to mention their squeaking sound, as they struggle to make sense of feeding time. There are perhaps 4-5 different baby pigeons that I’ve noticed. By this time in their fledgling upbringing, they already knew how to peck for food on the ground. I hadn’t noticed them out, any much earlier, though. 

The babies are charming, this year, because there’s some adults that are setting examples of eating out of my hand and perching on me, to compete for my hand to feed them, with priority, so the babies immediately took after these adults and they comfortably started eating out of my hand and perching on me, as well. It’s really satisfying to have attained this level of comfort and sociability with the Pershing Square flock, in particular - they’re a large flock, and it’s a challenge to keep them fed, although, as I mentioned, the community at large has also been supporting the flock, bringing food and water pans for them. A lot of times, the pigeons will follow me, as I leave, because they would like more food from me, it’s really cute. 

It’s slim pickings, at the end of my food supply, for the Figueroa at 4th underpass pigeons, today.

I'm at the end of my food supply for the birds, out here, in Downtown Los Angeles, and it's been a rough patch for this flock,over the past week, in my care and watch over them, which I'd been making sure to get to. I do 4 flock areas, in Downtown Los Angeles, when I come out here.

(Update): I had recalled that I found a container of some sort of rich beef soup, and I gave it to them. This past week, it seemed as that there might have been some people present, in the nearby vicinity, and the birds weren't perching at their regular location, in a notch, under the underpass bridge. The birds were super excited to get some food in them, as this spot is most typically my last stop, in visiting the birds of DTLA.

I’ve discovered another pigeons’ roost.

Here, at the 4th St. underpass at Figueroa in Downtown Los Angeles. This one fills in some of the blanks as to where and when flocks could be found; importantly, if I or no one else has gotten around to feeding them for more than a day or two, or more.

Once again, I discovered a low-lying ground scout, out and about, pecking around, as a simulation of eating. I had just found some extra food about a half-hour ago, so I was well-prepared to feed the dozens of birds here, nearby the lawn outside of the American University Preparatory School.