His head was actually mistaken for a bird's nest and laid an egg on? A pet owner in Japan shared on social media that a physically disabled turtle dove in the family, unable to build its own nest, once perched on his father's head for three hours, leaving behind a bird egg perfectly nestled among his father's hair. Only then did they realize the dove had mistaken the messy hair for a bird's nest. The uploaded photos sparked laughter among netizens, with comments like, "A hairstyle certified by birds as a real nest is hilarious," and "This means dad should get a haircut."
According to Japanese media reports, a local man regularly rescues pigeons that have been abandoned or are unable to return to the wild due to injuries. He posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account "popoko0501," stating that he found a wild turtle dove with a physical disability, renamed it Xiao Lin, and kept it at home. Unexpectedly, the dove mistook his father's messy hair for a bird’s nest, sat right on top, and laid an egg, leaving him stunned. His father also commented, "It doesn't feel great to have your hair officially certified as a bird nest by an actual bird."
The video shows Xiao Lin originally perched steadily on the father's head; as soon as the owner approaches, it flaps its wings and flies onto the microwave nearby. Another photo shows a bird egg firmly lodged among the father's messy hair, instantly making his head look like a bird's nest. The dove named Xiao Lin was initially sitting quietly on the owner's father's head.
The owner stated that since Xiao Lin was in heat, there was still a chance of laying eggs even without mating; however, as she isn't good at nest building, she chose what she felt was the safest and most comfortable place to lay her eggs. He added that Xiao Lin stayed on his father's head for about three hours, and they had no idea she was actually laying an egg at the time. To prevent the egg from falling, he first placed it in a cardboard box for safety; soon after, Xiao Lin laid a second egg. After the owner had moved the first egg to the cardboard box, Xiao Lin laid a second egg.
The incident sparked amusement among netizens: "It really does look like a bird's nest," "A hairstyle certified by birds as a real nest is so funny," "Turtle dove won't build a nest, just takes what’s available — not a bad idea," "Means dad should really get a haircut." The owner further shared that he had once found an abandoned bird's egg in his yard and miraculously succeeded in hatching it after trying.
However, according to local wildlife protection laws, turtle doves are considered wild animals and ordinary people are not allowed to keep them as pets. Since Xiao Lin’s legs are severely disabled and survival in the wild would be impossible, after veterinary evaluation, the owner applied to the relevant authorities and received a permit, allowing him to keep Xiao Lin until she passes away.