A pigeon from the animal shelter “The Orangery Retirement Home For Pigeons” in Scotland began drawing attention for a curious ritual: every day it returned to the nest with small flowers in its beak and left them for its partner; then it showered them with kisses.
The scene seems straight out of a romantic movie, but behind this curious gesture is a scientific explanation that goes far beyond love.
Pigeons can form lasting pair bonds and, once established, both individuals take part in building the nest, incubating the eggs, and feeding their young. Their courtship behavior includes body movements, vocalizations, and contact between their beaks, which can seem surprisingly similar to a kiss.
Cases have even been documented of pigeons that let themselves die after losing their lifelong partner.
But what about the flowers? Although it may be tempting to think that the pigeon is bringing a bouquet to win over its partner, there is no evidence that it collects them specifically as a “romantic gift”. The flowers may end up in the nest simply because they are part of the materials these birds find available.
That does not make the scene any less striking, much less mean that it lacks true love.