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First - The Courtship

	Here, the male struts his stuff in front of the female. Standing as tall as he can, tail spread, crop expanded, and cooing loudly, he suddenly bows down and returns to his previous position, showing his partner just how wonderful he really is. Strangely enough, I have seen this same type of behavior as a threat posture directed toward another male.
	I call this shoulder walking, and have observed it many times. The pair, while performing other courtship rituals, suddenly push their shoulders together and walk a distance side by side. Sometimes, one of the birds has it's wing up over the back of the other as they walk. Kind of like walking arm in arm through the park.
	Even though the male selects a nesting site, it is the female who has the last word as to where the nest will be. Here, the male (front) has invited the female to inspect the nest site. The invitation is offered by loud cooing and consistant wing shaking. The wing closest to the other bird constantly moves up and down in short jerky movements. Usually, the intended mate responds likewise. Once in the nest box, if the pair attempts to scratch out a hollow in the floor, it is a pretty sure sign that nest building is not far away.

Then - The Love Making

The actual mating procedure of pigeons is a thing of beauty. As with most birds, when the moment of copulation arrives, the female crouches down and the male jumps up onto her back. Supporting the weight of herself and her mate, she waits until the male is ready. When he is, he flips his tail up under hers and the act is complete. This occurs many times before the eggs are layed, and ceases as soon as the second egg is deposited.