Another Lesson In Pigeons 101
Pigeons are not people!
1. Assigning a nest, or a perch is impossible. The cannot read, and they attempt by instinct to get the most desirable (for them) location in the group.
2. Male pigeons have a pecking order, not based particularly on strength or size, but on aggressiveness. The closer to a hen's getting ready to lay eggs, the stronger the male's dominance over his mate, thus the driving and pecking at her. This isolattes her and ensures that all her eggs are truly his offspring.
3. Males select the area of the loft that belongs to the pair, but the hen selects where the actual nest will be, and where the eggs are laid.
4. To pigeons, in spite of their obvious parental care and nurturing, babies are an object that, if lost or missing, is quickly forgotten and a new nest is made.
5. Pigeons do not recognize their own babies, unless the size, or differences in color are involved, and the difference is great.
6. All behavior in pigeons, as in all other birds or animals, is instinctive and is beneficial to the survival of the species or the family.
7. All human-like attributes found in pigeons, as any animal species is only seen in the eyes of humans, and goes unrecognized by the animal itself.
8. Pigeons, as in all animals, have no concept of self, of birth, or death. When a pigeon seems to be grieving over the loss of a mate for instance, it is actually seeking that mate. If not found within a certain period of time, usually about five days, they will seek a new mate
Sorry to burst a few misconceptions many many on this forum have here, but these are my conclusions after nearly 60 years of studying behavioral patterns.