---
id: envelope:pigeon
icon: envelope:entity/pigeon
title: Pigeon
type: entity
custom:
    Health: "8 (4 hearts)"
    Behavior: "Passive"
---

A **pigeon** is a flying passive mob that lives in [pigeonhole](@envelope:oak_pigeonhole) and interacts with [mailbox](@envelope:mailbox) to deliver mail.\
When a pigeon stays in [the Nether](@minecraft:the_nether) for 15 seconds, it will become a [Charred Pigeon](@envelope:charred_pigeon).

## Variants
There are currently 4 natural pigeon variants in the mod:

<center style={{ alignItems: 'top', marginLeft: "1rem", marginRight: "0.2rem", display: "flex" }}>
    <div style={{ marginLeft: "12px", marginRight: "12px"}}>
        <Asset location="envelope:pigeon/pigeon_gray" width={84} />
        <div style={{ marginTop: "6px"}}>Gray</div>
    </div>
    <div style={{ marginLeft: "12px", marginRight: "12px"}}>
        <Asset location="envelope:pigeon/pigeon_brown" width={84} />
        <div style={{ marginTop: "6px"}}>Brown</div>
    </div>
    <div style={{ marginLeft: "12px", marginRight: "12px"}}>
        <Asset location="envelope:pigeon/pigeon_white" width={84} />
        <div style={{ marginTop: "6px"}}>White</div>
    </div>
    <div style={{ marginLeft: "12px", marginRight: "12px"}}>
        <Asset location="envelope:pigeon/pigeon_passenger" width={84} />
        <div style={{ marginTop: "6px"}}>Passenger</div>
    </div>
</center>

And 2 special variants:
<center style={{ alignItems: 'top', marginLeft: "1rem", marginRight: "0.2rem", display: "flex" }}>
    <div style={{ marginLeft: "12px", marginRight: "12px"}}>
        <Asset location="envelope:pigeon/pigeon_charred" width={84} />
        <div style={{ marginTop: "6px"}}>Charred</div>
    </div>
    <div style={{ marginLeft: "12px", marginRight: "12px"}}>
        <Asset location="envelope:pigeon/pigeon_archimedes" width={84} />
        <div style={{ marginTop: "6px"}}>Archimedes</div>
    </div>
</center>

### Common

<Asset location="envelope:pigeon/pigeon_face_gray" width={16} /> **Gray**, <Asset location="envelope:pigeon/pigeon_face_brown" width={16} /> **Brown** and <Asset location="envelope:pigeon/pigeon_face_white" width={16} /> **White** are **common variants**. They have following distribution respectively: **62.5%** / **31.25%** / **6.25%**\
The game will fallback to common variants if a specific variant fails to spawn.

## Spawning
### Natural
Natural variants spawn in groups from 3 to 6 pigeons. They spawn in the following biomes:
| Variant | Biome |
| - | - |
| <Asset location="envelope:pigeon/pigeon_face_gray" width={16} /> Gray <br/> <Asset location="envelope:pigeon/pigeon_face_brown" width={16} /> Brown <br/> <Asset location="envelope:pigeon/pigeon_face_white" width={16} /> White | [<img src="https://minecraft.wiki/images/BiomeSprite_meadow.png"/> Meadow](@minecraft:meadow) <br/> [<img src="https://minecraft.wiki/images/BiomeSprite_stony-peaks.png"/> Stony Peaks](@minecraft:stony_peaks) <br/> [<img src="https://minecraft.wiki/images/BiomeSprite_windswept-hills.png"/> Windswept Hills](@minecraft:windswept_hills) <br/> [<img src="https://minecraft.wiki/images/BiomeSprite_windswept-gravelly-hills.png"/> Windswept Gravelly Hills](@minecraft:windswept_gravelly_hills) <br/> [<img src="https://minecraft.wiki/images/BiomeSprite_windswept-forest.png"/> Windswept Forest](@minecraft:windswept_forest) <br/> [<img src="https://minecraft.wiki/images/BiomeSprite_stony-shore.png"/> Stony Shore](@minecraft:stony_shore) |
| <Asset location="envelope:pigeon/pigeon_face_passenger" width={16} /> Passenger | [<img src="https://minecraft.wiki/images/BiomeSprite_old-growth-birch-forest.png"/> Old Growth Birch Forest](@minecraft:old_growth_birch_forest) <br/> [<img src="https://minecraft.wiki/images/BiomeSprite_old-growth-pine-taiga.png"/> Old Growth Pine Taiga](@minecraft:old_growth_pine_taiga) <br/> [<img src="https://minecraft.wiki/images/BiomeSprite_old-growth-spruce-taiga.png"/> Old Growth Spruce Taiga](@minecraft:old_growth_spruce_taiga) |

They also spawn in a village, similar to [cat spawning](https://minecraft.wiki/w/Cat#Villages).\
Pigeons can also be found near [dovecotes](@envelope:dovecote).

### Special
**Charred** variant is created when a [Charred Pigeon](@envelope:charred_pigeon) converts into regular pigeon.\
**Archimedes** has 1 in 20 chance to spawn when player blows up a *zombie, pillager, piglin or wandering trader*, granting a hidden advancement.

## Behavior
Pigeons roam the Overworld avoiding hazards. A pigeon flees for a short time when harmed.

Pigeons follow players holding <abbr title="Any item in #envelope:pigeon_food tag">seeds</abbr>.

[Cats](@minecraft:cat), [ocelots](@minecraft:ocelot) and [foxes](@minecraft:fox) pursue and attack pigeons. Pigeons will also try to flee when predator is nearby.

### Breeding

<div style={{ display: "flex", flexWrap: "wrap", width: "100%", alignItems: "flex-start" }}>
    <div style={{ flex: 1, marginTop: "-20px"}}>
        When pigeons are given <abbr title="Any item in #envelope:pigeon_food tag">seeds</abbr>, they enter love mode. Breeding creates a baby pigeon, and the parents cannot breed again for 5 minutes.

        Variant of the baby is chosen randomly from one of the parents with a *50/50* chance.

        <Callout variant="info">Special variants cannot be inherited from parents.\
        If parent with a special variant is chosen - variant from common pool will be selected instead.</Callout>
    </div>

    <center style={{ marginLeft: "1rem", marginRight: "0.2rem" }}>
        <Asset location="envelope:pigeon/pigeon_baby" width={350} style={{ borderRadius: "10px" }} />
        <div style={{ marginTop: "6px"}}>*Baby and parent*</div>
    </center>
</div>

### Eating
<div style={{ display: "flex", flexWrap: "wrap", width: "100%", alignItems: "flex-start" }}>
    <div style={{ flex: 1, marginTop: "-20px"}}>
        Pigeons look for <abbr title="Any item in #envelope:pigeon_food tag">seeds</abbr> dropped on the ground and eat them. They can eat a lot of seeds, so be careful.

        Nitwit villagers will occasionally throw some seeds for nearby pigeons.
    </div>

    <center style={{ marginLeft: "1rem", marginRight: "0.2rem" }}>
        <Asset location="envelope:pigeon/nitwit_feeding.gif" width={350} style={{ borderRadius: "10px" }} />
        <div style={{ marginTop: "6px"}}>*Nitwit feeding*</div>
    </center>
</div>

### Living in Pigeonholes
Pigeons live in [pigeonholes](@envelope:oak_pigeonhole) like bees in [beehives](@minecraft:beehive).
They will enter the block occasionally and spend some time in it. They will also prefer to stay inside at night, in rain, or when tired after delivery.

Every time a pigeon leaves the pigeonhole, it remembers it as its **home** position.
Pigeon with a home will not wander more than 24 blocks from it and will pathfind back if brought outside this radius.\
If a pigeon spends 3 in-game days without resting in any pigeonhole, it will forget its home position and will be free to wander off anywhere.
<Callout variant="info">Pigeon will enter any available pigeonhole nearby if its home is occupied or unreachable.</Callout>

Pigeonhole clears pigeon's tired status when it exits the block, unless exiting due to emergency.

## Delivery
<div style={{ display: "flex", flexWrap: "wrap", width: "100%", alignItems: "flex-start" }}>
    <div style={{ flex: 1, marginTop: "-20px"}}>
        Main purpose of a pigeon is to [deliver](delivery) mail.\
        Pigeons nearby a [mailbox](@envelope:mailbox) will fly to it when the hatch is open, eat food and start a delivery process.

        <Callout variant="warning">
        Pigeon cannot start a delivery when **leashed**, **tired**, **at night** or in **rain** or **thunder**.\
        \- After delivery is started, however, it will continue to the end regardless of time of day or weather.
        </Callout>


        When delivering, pigeon's usual behavior will be overriden and it will follow a defined order of actions:\
        **pick up mail -> fly to the destination -> drop off mail -> return home -> drop off reply (if any) -> finish**\
        *([delivery](delivery) page explains this in more detail)*

        After finishing a delivery, pigeon will return to its usual behavior and will be tired for 5 minutes.\
        Tired pigeons cannot start another delivery, fly slightly slower and seek a pigeonhole to rest in.
    </div>

    <center style={{ marginLeft: "1rem", marginRight: "0.2rem" }}>
        <Asset location="envelope:pigeon/pigeon_delivering" width={200} />
        <div style={{ marginTop: "6px"}}>*Pigeon with mail*</div>
    </center>
</div>

<div style={{ display: "flex", flexWrap: "wrap", width: "100%", alignItems: "flex-start" }}>
    <div style={{ flex: 1, marginTop: "-20px"}}>
        ### Service
        In addition to the regular pigeons (mobs found in the world), there is also a **Service** pigeon.

        Service pigeons are the ones spawned by the game (service addresses, commands, etc.), for the delivery only.\
        They will despawn after delivery is finished.

        Service pigeons can spawn in any natural [variant](#variants-and-spawning).
    </div>

    <center style={{ marginLeft: "1rem", marginRight: "0.2rem" }}>
        <Asset location="envelope:pigeon/pigeon_service" width={200} />
        <div style={{ marginTop: "6px"}}>*Service pigeon*</div>
    </center>
</div>

## Drops
### Breeding
Upon successful breeding, <img src="https://minecraft.wiki/images/Experience_Orb_Value_3-6.png" width={20}/>1–7
[experience](https://minecraft.wiki/w/Experience) orbs are dropped.
### On Death
An adult pigeon drops:

| Item | Default | Looting I | Looting II | Looting III |
|-|-|-|-|-|
| [<img src="https://minecraft.wiki/images/Invicon_Feather.png" alt="Feather" width="24"></img> Feather](@minecraft:feather) | 1-2 | 1-3 | 1-4 | 1-5 |

- When delivering, **carried mail is dropped**, but feathers are not.
- <img src="https://minecraft.wiki/images/Experience_Orb_Value_3-6.png" width={20}/>1–3 [experience](https://minecraft.wiki/w/Experience)
points are dropped when killed by a player or a tamed wolf.

Killing a baby pigeon yields no items nor experience.