# Pigeon hanging around



## JumboJim (Jul 5, 2005)

Last week, I found a pigeon hanging around the front door of my condo. I just came home from being away for the July 4th weekend and found a note from a neighbor saying that a pigeon was at my backdoor on friday and was now sitting on my in-wall airconditioner. I looked up and there it was. I grabbed an old shirt and wrapped it around the bird and took it in. 

Other than the lack of wanting to fly, the bird seems healthy. Not skinny by any means, eyes/feathers/wings/feet look great. There are bands of it's feet, the red one says "Loft Puma 2" and the other is pink with no markings. 

What should I do? 

Thanks for the help!


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

Thank you for taking in this bird.
For now please keep the bird in a safe area in a cage, carrier or box.
Offer him some seeds and water.
Hope we can locate the owner.

Reti


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

JumboJim,

Might be helpful if we knew where you are.

Pidgey


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## JumboJim (Jul 5, 2005)

I'm in Bethel, CT. It's just east of Danbury.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

JumboJim,

Are you currently keeping the bird in a box with food and water? If he's reluctant to fly, then there's something wrong and we need to figure out what that is. In the meantime we'll try to find it by that tag but we also need to know if that's all it says? It could be a tag from a pigeon supply house instead of a racing pigeon club. Can you take a picture of the bird and the tag?

Also, here is a number for the local racing pigeon (International Federation of American Racing Pigeon Fanciers) club in your area:

Danbury & Bethel R. P. C. 
Mickey Smeriglio ..............(860)567-4367
P. O. Box 63 Morris, CT 06763 
[email protected]

And this is another only about 15 miles from you:

Valley Pigeon Club 
Hermann Szalek ...............(203)888-7751 
5 Whippoorwill La. Seymour, CT 06483

These fellows might be able to locate the owner of your bird. I've also emailed three different pigeon supply houses in the U.S. looking for the one where your band came from. We'll just have to wait and see. In the meantime you might want to take your new little buddy and let him watch TV with you sitting on the arm of your chair (but don't feed him pretzels or beer).

Pidgey

P.S. Two of the supply houses (Foy's and New England Pigeon Supplies) have already written back to say that they don't know although NEPS forwarded it to someone who might be able to help.


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## JumboJim (Jul 5, 2005)

OK, the pink tag has nothing on it at all. The red tag is metal and has "Puma Loft 2" with "2005" below that. You can see this in the pic. The bird can and does fly, it seems to like hanging around me and my girlfriend. 

I didn't mention this yet but a day ago I saw it fly around my place so I took it back outside and let it go. It flew onto the roof, looked at me for a bit and then flew away. When I came home from work today it was sitting on my air conditioner again. My girlfriend and I went to Petco and picked up some feed for Doves/Pigeons and fed the bird. It ate fine, likes to sit on our fingers and be stroked. There seems to be nothing wrong with the bird at all. We will keep trying to see if it flies home on it's own or to find the owner with your help. If we cannot locate the owner, we will take care of it from now on. 

Thanks again for your help, 

Jim

P.S. having the bird sit on our shoulder to watch TV probably won't happen, at least not yet. We adopted 2 greyhounds and they might try to chase it if decided to fly. At least until they get used to it being around.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

JumboJim,

Looking at his picture, he looks REALLY young, like what we call a "squeaker." Has he made any sounds whatsoever? Cooing, roo-kooing, anything? If he's as young as he looks I doubt he's very many miles from his home. On your first post you indicated that the band said "Loft Puma 2"--take a real good look at that band and read it again, I think it says "Puma Loft..." I can't read the rest of it from the pic.

This bird's obviously a real sweetie and I doubt he's got the wherewithal to live out in the wilds on his own, at least not yet. Can you take a profile picture and email it to me? I'm not certain that he's a homer and there are other pigeon groups besides the ones I've given you names for. Thanks again for your kindness to this bird! I'll email you and you can reply with the pic if you don't mind taking it.

Pidgey


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## JumboJim (Jul 5, 2005)

Pidgey, Sorry about the mistake in the first post. I corrected it in another though. 

The only sounds it makes sounds similar to a grunt when it doesn't want to be picked up. That's about it. 

I got your email and will send you a profile pic as soon as it returns. I was sitting on the roof when I came home from work but flew away soon after. I'm sure it'll be back later. 

Jim


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

JumboJim,

You know--there is a possibility that he actually doesn't live far away and isn't lost at all, that he just figures you for a really nice person who would allow him to sit and watch TV while munching pretzels and drinking beer. I've had pigeons that disappear during the day and I've looked EVERYWHERE for them and never found them. They just come home when they please--it's just a mystery. If that were the case then you might tape a small message to the tail feathers (NEVER tie a message on the legs) that gives your phone number and a "if found... " notification.

The grunting is kinda' funny, isn't it? Well, I suppose he's at least 2 months old then.

Pidgey


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## TaylorGS (Feb 27, 2005)

He looks heathy to me. Go on npausa.com. If you like you can punch in the letters and numbers on the band and you can find who his owner is. If you don't want to give him back then don't put the numbers in. Hope all goes well!
Taylor


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## JumboJim (Jul 5, 2005)

I wouldn't mind it sitting with me to watch TV if it didn't poop every 5 minutes.  

Still trying to get the profile picture but it hasn't gotten close enough yet. It was sitting on the roof again a few minutes ago. 

I agree it's probably just hanging out for a bit, that's one reason I let it stay outside. It might just go home at some point.


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## TaylorGS (Feb 27, 2005)

Well, thats good. I hope he doesn't so he can be with a good home with you!


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

JumboJim,

This is going to sound odd to you, but... most of us here really love a good-poopin' pigeon--it beats the crap out of the alternative!

Pidgey


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi JumboJim,


Ohhhh golly...

As far as I know...

Greyhounds and Young Pigeons are maybe not so good.

Any Dog and Young or Tame Pigeons, is not so good.

If this adolescent Bird, being friendly to people, is in effect shown that Dogs also are friendly, it will very likely end up being hurt or killed by your, or someone elses Dog.

Complaiscency in this matter, while charming initially, only too easily ends in up, fairly reliably, in tragedy for the Bird.

If there are some exceptions, they best not be supposed to suggest the rule.

As pidgey suggests, this does sound like someone's in-effect, pet...who either had escaped, or is allowed to fly possibly, or is allowed to fly and has no reason to return, in it's view of the matter. And at it's age, it would not tend TO feel it had any reason per-se to return, other than food and water and night roosting which if found otherwise, is fine with them too....and as an adolescent, would be disposed to be off exploreing in any event. 

It does not sound as if this Bird has joined or spent time in a wild Flock, but, instead, so far in its young experiences, has only spent time with people.

Please, consider to keep the Dogs and the Bird seperate. Lest this Bird who has no wild Birds to learn from by example and other, assumes your example with the Dogs, means that Dogs are "okay".

The way this usually works, is not where something happens while all of you are in the same room, but, where, you come home from some errand, or from some other part of the house, and had left the Bird inside, and find the feathers and clumps and so on all over the living room.

Or, the feathers and clumps are noticed in the neighbors back yard, and their Dog occasions the irony.

Good luck...!


Phil
Las Vegas


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

TaylorGS said:


> Go on npausa.com. If you like you can punch in the letters and numbers on the band and you can find who his owner is.
> Taylor


Hi Taylor,

I am assuming you are referring to clicking on the link to e-mail the NPA Band Secretary. If not, I'd sure like to know where to go and punch in NPA bands and get the contact information. As far as I know, the only way to get that is to e-mail James & Pat Avery with the band info. I'm not saying or meaning anything here other than wanting to know if there is another way of tracing NPA bands. The NPA secretary is very responsible and very quick to respond on requests to trace bands .. still .. I'm spoiled and like being able to look up the AU and IF bands myself and not have to wait even a little while for the info.

Terry


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi JumboJim,


Oh! I forgot to ask...

What do the poops look like?

Moist 'raisens' of white and green-brown?


Allways good ask...!


Phil
las vegas


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## JumboJim (Jul 5, 2005)

Phil, 

When it first came around, the poop was string like, looked like spaghetti in the colors you mentioned. Not very moist. After giving it fresh water overnight, it looked more raisin like. Poor thing was probably dehydrated. 

I understand your point about the dogs and will take your advice. 



Update: It's back inside with us now. It has feed and water available and it drank and ate right away.


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi JumboJim, 

Thanks, bye-the-way, for helping this wayward youngster...


So far so good..!


Pigeons of course are wonderful companions, readily sociable and charming in many ways. Adolescents are still of course learning to assume what will be their adult ways of self posession and learning about the World.

Normally, in wild circumstances, it is at that time that they are socialised into the wild flock their parents belong to, to then latriculate as may be, to other contiguous flocks they may encounter.

Pidgeons who have been raised by people, who have not been assimilated and socialised into a wild flock, will easily continue to sociallize with people.

Such Birds at this age, can also be socialised into a wild flock, if one proceeds with them through the various steps, even as their wild paarents would have done.

Yours being an adolescent, has only recently learned to fly and to eat on it's own and to seek socializeing experiences, and other adventures or new found freedoms, as it may.

This looks to me to be indistinguishable from those Wild Pigeons I myself work with here in Las Vegas, yours being a rather dark color as some of mine are also. Likely will be a good fast flier, and a handsome sturdy Bird all round.

So...yup, for now, keep him on all the good Seeds and Grit and fresh Water as they may like...

And in liesure, see what you wish to do!


Have fun...


Phil
Las Vegas


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Folks,

JumboJim emailed me a better picture and I posted it on my webshots.com homepage:

http://pets.webshots.com/photo/1389737884073664377TTNhtt

You need to look at it with the lights off because he's a fairly dark bird and the details don't show up well unless your monitor is the only thing in the room glowing.

JumboJim,

I'm a little worried about the look of this little one. When they're "coming down with something" they often start fluffing up like that. It also sometimes means that they don't feel well when they start getting too friendly. Now, the poops look good and you might just make a box for him to stay in for a few days with all the food he wants to eat and all the clean water he wants to drink and see whether he perks up.

Also, I'd like for you to feel his breast and see if it's made like a blimp or has a sharp prow like a speedboat. The sharper it is, the more likely he's been starving to death lately. Can you do that? And keep him from being dinner for the greyhounds? And take more pictures?

Pidgey


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

....yahhhhh, nice mentions there pidgey.


JumboJim, now, do you have this Bird on a heating Pad at all? Set up so he can be on it or off it in his 'box' or what? with a towell on it and so on?

Glad to see such a nice looking little poo there, a very well composed image! Ideal !

But something is bothering this Bird...and you best let this Bird have an easy way to stay warm for now.

Phil
Las Vegas


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## JumboJim (Jul 5, 2005)

It's certainly not over friendly, it usually takes off when we try to get close during the day. At night it seems it can't see very well so we can pick it up easy. It's not fluffed up for long when it does this. I had just gotten it inside when I took the pic, it probably wasn't happy being picked up by something it couldn't see. 

I'll check it's body when I get it back inside. 

We certainly keep it away from the dogs. You just never know with animals.


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## JumboJim (Jul 5, 2005)

OK, the bird seems to be well fed. Not skinny by any means.

It's also getting used to be handled by us already, taking longer with me than with the girlfriend. Still pecking our hands and grunting from time to time.


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