# Lost racing pigeon?



## Harvey (Aug 17, 2009)

Hi guys i joined this forum to ask an importany question... ok i am 13 and a racing pigeon is in out back garden and hyas been for a couple of days now... it just wont go ... so i have been feeding it nuts and bird seed and water witch it loves  ... i dont want to ring the rspca because if they return it to the owner of the pigeon the owner will ring its neack and kill it because its not a good racer... so i might have to keep it... now i was wondering where do i keep it? i have a shed shall i make a cardboard box bed with newspaper in it? also what do i feed it ? so far i have been feeding it nuts and bird seed and water... my dog (greyhound loves it .. they walk around the garden together he doesnt mind the bird at all lol so dont be worried hes verry dosile and loves all animles apart from cats. so please give your opinion on what i should do.

P.S. i have found a pigeon before... it was injured and i called the rspca and they took it away in a van (this was not a racing pigeon)

~Harvey~​


----------



## pigeonpoo (Sep 16, 2005)

Hi Harvey,

Thanks for looking after the pigeon. 

I'm taking a guess here that you are in the UK?? Are you able to catch the bird? They usually have the owners number printed on the wing if you can carefully open the wing and see. If not, you could report the bird to the RSRP You will need to read the numbers and letters on the birds ring. Try this link. 

http://www.rpra.org/Default.aspx?tabid=100

You should not keep the bird, it belongs to someone else! But, if you contact the owner, he may be willing to let you keep it. What colour is the ring? Does it have a ring on each leg? The bird is probably not a bad racer, just a young pigeon that has become lost or too tired to fly any further.


----------



## Harvey (Aug 17, 2009)

pigeonpoo said:


> Hi Harvey,
> 
> Thanks for looking after the pigeon.
> 
> ...


hi .. thanks for the reply... umm the pigeon wont go away from my garden it just keeps comeing back... umm and when i walk to it it flys away so i dont know if i can read the tags but i think if i can remember it has 3 and they are all different colors... and also if i give the pigeon back will the owner ring its neak?


----------



## pigeonpoo (Sep 16, 2005)

Hi Harvey,

LOL. he's coming back because he knows that he has found a nice caring boy who will feed and water him. Three tags mean that the bird has been to a race and didn't make it home. 

You say that you have a shed? The best way to catch the bird would be to lay a trail of bird seed into the shed with a pile at the back of the shed. See if that will entice the pigeon in.


No, not all owners wring their birds necks. He would not pay the cost of a courier to return the bird if that was to be it's fate. Most owners are pleased to have the bird back but if the owner doesnt want the expense of getting it home, then I'm sure that he would transfer it to you. 


You are doing a grand job giving the bird seed and water. Wild bird or dove seed is fine for the time being. When/if you get to keep the bird we can tell you what he will need.


----------



## Harvey (Aug 17, 2009)

pigeonpoo said:


> Hi Harvey,
> 
> LOL. he's coming back because he knows that he has found a nice caring boy who will feed and water him. Three tags mean that the bird has been to a race and didn't make it home.
> 
> ...


so what should i do... just leve it to go on its own accord... or look at the tegs... if so what shall i do with the tags


----------



## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

Hi Harvey,
If pigeon has three rings different colors, this means that he was in race. Probably got lost and ended up in your garden. Take it in your shade as Pigeonpoo suggested and keep it safe. This is not wild bird and needs your help. Feed him and give him water. From tag numbers you can contact owner and ask him if you can keep him. This is right thing to do. Owners of racing pigeons do not like birds who lose they way home and there is a chance that he can let you keep it. If he wants him back though it will not be to kill the bird. Maybe he can send you another youngster so you can have own pet pigeon.


----------



## pigeonpoo (Sep 16, 2005)

OK Harvey, I can see that you want to do your best for the bird.

Try to get it in the shed so you can read the number. The bird will follow a trail of seed when it is hungry so dont feed it anywhere else until you are ready to trap it. Once you have it you can gently open a wing at a time to see if there is a phone number stamped on. If not, then check out the rings. One of the rings will have some letters and numbers on - this is the ring you need to take note of. 

If you are in the UK, go to this link and it will tell you what to do.http://www.rpra.org/Default.aspx?tabid=100

If you are not in the UK then tell us where you are and post the number up here.

Sue


----------



## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

Not all racers will kill birds who got lost....I know I don't. When someone calls me saying they found my bird, I go get it and give it another chance. A couple weeks ago my dad was crazy enough to allow us to make a 200 something mile round trip to pick up one of my lost birds 
Tracing the band and contacting the owner would be a good idea. Ask them what they plan to do with the bird. Make sure they know if they don't want to give it another chance, then you'd be glad to keep it as a pet  Many people aren't going to pick up a bird just to turn around and kill it, after all.


----------



## Harvey (Aug 17, 2009)

thanks for the help and tomorrow i will try and get a code of the rings... also.. hat if the owner doesnt want the bird... i kinda dont want to have it as a pet... i mean i wouldnt mind it but i guess it wouldnt be ideal... what would i do then?


----------



## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

Well, then you just let us know, and maybe there's some members out there who could take him in for you


----------



## Harvey (Aug 17, 2009)

wow that would be great


----------



## theBrewMeister (Jun 30, 2009)

we need to know where you are located so we can find the closest members to you harvey.


----------



## Harvey (Aug 17, 2009)

sheffield rotherham scholes


----------



## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

south yorkshire UK?.......bump for UK members.


----------



## Harvey (Aug 17, 2009)

i tried catching it gently but failed... im getting worried on where its sleeping at night and so on...


----------



## pigeonpoo (Sep 16, 2005)

Keep trying Harvey. There's not much we can do without the ring number.

It will have found itself somewhere to roost at night. As long as it is healthy, it should be OK at this time of the year.


----------



## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

Hi Harvey,

Just take it slowly trying to catch the bird. They cotton on very quickly that you're after them. I think enticing him into the shed is a good idea to try. It works best if he's hungry though, and if you give it too much food first it won't be bothered. Make sure you don't give it any food before you lay the trail of seeds going into the shed, then it will be keen to get to them.

I caught one I spotted by a main road yesterday. It took me over an hour to outwit it as it just kept walking away as I got closer. In the end I asked a passer by to help and she just walked towards it while I was behind with a jacket. While it was watching her I was able to throw a sheet over it and caught it. So maybe you could get someone to try and help you.

Failing that, a box trap is quite successful. Same idea as the shed, entice it under with food.
Get a box and a piece of wood or stick. Tie a long piece of string around the wood/stick. Prop the box up on one side with the piece of wood and put a load of seeds under the box. Sit as far away as you can holding the string.
Be patient and hope the bird goes under the box to get the seeds. When it's right under, quickly pull the string so the piece of wood falls and the box will drop down, trapping the bird.
Here's a photo of one I used, but with a cage top instead of a box.
Slightly better as the bird wasn't so suspicious as it could see through the cage, but a box will work ok.










If you do manage to catch it and it has a phone number on, it might be a good idea to get an adult to call the owner to discuss whether they want their bird back, and if not what you can do for it. As others have said, there are some birds that aren't wanted if they aren't good at finding their way home, but also a lot of owners do want them and will arrange to either fetch them or get a courier to collect them.
The owner of mine is driving to pick it up from me and says as he's lost so many birds recently he really wants it back. He promised me he wouldn't 'wring it's neck' as it's only young and got frightened away when a neighbours cat got near it. So just check with them first.

If you aren't able to give it a home then maybe a sanctuary that has an open aviary will take it. I take birds to a rescue centre where they have such an aviary and any unwanted racing pigeons can live there but have the freedom to fly out and return to feed and roost if they want. It might like to have that kind of place as it will be amongst other birds and not have to forage for food like the poor birds do that live wild in the towns.

Anyway, well done for looking out for it and let us know if you have any luck catching it.

Janet


----------



## kbbigman (Jun 4, 2009)

Like Becky and Janet said, not all racing pidgie owners are like that. We always collect any of our birds that have gotten lost,and would never dream of killing them, we bred them because we wanted them and some can even cost a lot of money. The way we see it especially with the babies is its easy to get lost and not find their way home, like putting a 5 year old in a shopping centre and saying get home, some are just that bit too young to do it.
So please do keep trying to catch the little one as it's owner may well be waiting day after day hoping it will either come home on it's own or someone will phone to say they have caught it. When one of my favourite babies didn't come home for 3 night's I was really worried, then she just turned up, I was dead chuffed and she got extra food and peanuts from me I can tell you, and hasn't been missing since.
As for where they sleep on a night time, I guess you won't know for certain, but as she keeps on coming back to your garden it probably isn't far away and sound's like she has picked a good spot and that she is safe.
Please let us know how you get on and thank you for caring about this little one, as youngsters often don't get the recognition they deserve, well done.
Michelle


----------



## Harvey (Aug 17, 2009)

if i catch it... and the owner doesnt want it.. would any of the caring uk members want it? its really nice


----------



## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

Hi Harvey,

We can certainly try and locate a place for it. As I said, some sanctuaries have open aviaries, and I know a particular one I take birds to is happy to take in any unwanted homers. The only trouble is you can't make them stay, and it might just try to get home. There are a lot living there, so I expect once they see the other birds and lots of food, then they will probably hang about.

Also you could put it's details in the adoption section on here and maybe we can find a home that way.

Don't worry, if they don't want it back we'll do our best.

Janet


----------

