# Looks like rescued pigeon's returned to me after over a year



## Critterwoman (Sep 9, 2015)

Sorry. I deleted this post earlier because I live in an unpleasant place where I have to be really careful about what I post online, and I often forget that because I am not used to it, and some of the local people know that I am on this forum. (Birds who trust me or that I look out for sometimes deliberately get targeted to spite me. It's sad. That said, I think that someone may have stepped up, equally anonymously, after the last time this happened.)

This is what I had posted before, before I deleted it (and have now added back):

We humans are so bad at recognizing (most) pigeons.

The past few days, this pigeon has been showing up on my windowsill, so confidently, etc etc. I was surprised by her confidence and I also had the vague feeling that she looked familiar. So I thought "Oh, maybe she is older offspring of pigeon X as she seems to be getting along very well with him and a few of her feathers look similar". 

She also landed cooing a few times, which also struck me as a bit odd. 

I just found her inside eating seeds on my kitchen counter, and I was astonished at that bravery (although I know that some pigeons are quite daring). As I walked up to her to enquire what on earth she thought she was doing, she stayed put, and then decided to want to leave and panic a bit (not too badly), making a bit of a mess of the little tomato plants on my window sill. LOL After I grabbed her and let her go, I was like "I may need to teach this pigeon some manners". 

But... the whole thing was so surprising and I kept thinking "Why do you look so familiar?"

Then it hit me... Could it be? So I went to my computer to look at some photos, and bloody hell, it looks like the pigeon who stayed with me for 6 months and who I released over a year ago, has returned to me.

She used to have baths on that kitchen counter and spent a lot of time pitter-pattering around on it so of course she felt so ridiculously confident there! And no wonder she had that look on her face, sitting on my windowsill outdoors and looking me in the eye as if to say "Hi, it's me!"

OMG.

She knew that I feed some of the local pigeons, as I let her see me do that, on purpose. I thought "if she gets into trouble again, she'll know where to go for some extra food". I also knew that she would be able to find me again if she wanted to, but I would have thought that if she wanted to find me, even if only for food support, she'd have done that ages ago, not after over a year.

I am also very pleased to see that she is in super shape. So helping a pigeon can really make a difference. (When I'd found her and took her home for rehab, she was in really bad shape.)

The funny thing is also that I think I've seen her a few times on her home turf (half a mile from here) some weeks ago, but like I said, it is hard for us humans to be sure unless a pigeon looks remarkable.

Here's another coincidence: the mate of pigeon X has been in my place too, for a short while, in the same cage. It's almost as if they talked about it. 

She clearly does not want to live inside - who can blame her - but it looks like she really appreciated me.

It's amazing. Can I call her my pet now? 

Seriously, where is the line between having a cat who roams outside all the time and only comes home for food and this? I may need to start claiming her as my pet to protect her. 

(I've always assumed she was a she. Does this mean that she's a he? Not necessarily, I suppose.)

I can't stop smiling.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

If your lost bird has returned i am glad for both of you.


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## Critterwoman (Sep 9, 2015)

I know why she's back! She luvved hemp seeds (also called flax seeds), and they're excellent, nutritionally, and pretty hard to find on city streets, LOL.

She must have remembered how much she liked them.

When she was staying with me, she had this collection of dishes hanging in the cage and she would give me a particular look when her hemp seeds had run out and I hadn't noticed it yet. I learned to recognize it. 

I've noticed that pigeons all seem to have their own eating habits, in terms of how they sort their seeds, the ones they pick and the ones they leave behind and what the bowl or dish looks like after they've eaten from it.

(Except when they have a nest, I think; then they may often go for whatever they need for youngsters and drop their personal preferences.)


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## Garye2 (Mar 30, 2019)

They do love hemp seeds. My Aggie will throw everything out of the bowl just to get those seeds. I'm beginning to wonder if they get high from them.


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## Critterwoman (Sep 9, 2015)

Garye2 said:


> They do love hemp seeds. My Aggie will throw everything out of the bowl just to get those seeds. I'm beginning to wonder if they get high from them.




The stuff must be very tasty. I noticed that hemp seed powder is also offered in health food shops for humans (and the package I spotted said that hemp seed is the same as flax seed, but in retrospect, that does not seem to be the case). 

I may try some one of these days to see what it tastes like. Or... I could chew on some hemp seeds, or add them to a rice dish along with sunflower seeds. (Oh! I looked into it and yes, you can add them to your own food too. Will try.)

She also liked tiny seeds that you find in luxury bird seed mixes but I was never able to figure out which ones she was going for in that mix. But she still liked hemp seeds more anyway.


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## Critterwoman (Sep 9, 2015)

Critterwoman said:


> ... I may try some one of these days to see what it tastes like. Or... I could chew on some hemp seeds, or add them to a rice dish along with sunflower seeds. (Oh! I looked into it and yes, you can add them to your own food too. Will try.) ...


I just ate a few and I can confirm that they're really tasty.


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## beachwood45789 (Jul 15, 2014)

Hi, hemp seed is not called flax seed they are two different seeds the hemp seed you buy in pigeon stores has been boiled which takes out most of the nutreints they do it so people dont plant them they will not grow, you can also get hemp seed oil but it has to say it is cold pressed and organic you can get it in any health supply store if you want the best hemp seeds you have to grow your own which i used to do when i raced birds in new york city. Beachwood


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## Critterwoman (Sep 9, 2015)

beachwood45789 said:


> Hi, hemp seed is not called flax seed they are two different seeds the hemp seed you buy in pigeon stores has been boiled which takes out most of the nutreints they do it so people dont plant them they will not grow, you can also get hemp seed oil but it has to say it is cold pressed and organic you can get it in any health supply store if you want the best hemp seeds you have to grow your own which i used to do when i raced birds in new york city. Beachwood


Hi, yeah, thanks. Like I said, I'd read on some package in a store that it was the same, and it confused me for a minute. Flax seed is linseed, I think, and maybe I'd simply remembered it wrong, as flax seed is also great for some animals. 

The hemp seed I buy is not boiled. I buy lots of hemp seeds at this store and a new staff member once initially told me they'd run out until she saw me grab bags of other bird seeds as well. Last time I bought hemp seed, I heard someone in the background say something like "did she buy a lot of hemp seed again?" but I don't know who that was and what that was about.


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## beachwood45789 (Jul 15, 2014)

Hi, flax seed is used when your pigeons are moulting it helps with the moult but i use it year round i buy a 50lb bag it is called candy it has flax seed safflower seeds and canary seed and a few other seeds all seeds that are high in fat they are called oily seeds i give it to my racers when they come home from a race so they dont wolf down larger seeds like corn and peas, after they are relaxed i will give them the larger seeds. Beachwood


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## Critterwoman (Sep 9, 2015)

beachwood45789 said:


> Hi, flax seed is used when your pigeons are moulting it helps with the moult but i use it year round i buy a 50lb bag it is called candy it has flax seed safflower seeds and canary seed and a few other seeds all seeds that are high in fat they are called oily seeds i give it to my racers when they come home from a race so they dont wolf down larger seeds like corn and peas, after they are relaxed i will give them the larger seeds. Beachwood


Oh, great, thanks! So good to know that flax seed is good for birds who need to make new feathers (can also happen after an injury)! I didn't know that yet. 

Also, in a few days' time, I am going to test if this pigeon is really *that* pigeon by putting a few things on the kitchen counter that only she would recognize as potentially containing food and that won't have any food visible in them.


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