# How Long can pigeons go without food or water?



## SerendipityCA

OK, I've posted about this in other threads but here's the back story:

I live in a 24-unit building with two lightwells on the east side that face a blank wall of the adjacent building. I am on the first of three floors. For a few years one or two pairs of pigeons has nested under my fire escape. They fly in from the sky and down the three flights, that's the only way in.

Quite a while ago a tenant complained and the management put light netting over the lightwells. They didn't warn us, and some pigeons were trapped. A neighbor on the third floor (different lightwell) alerted me and I ripped the netting to let them out. So, they would come back and roost at night on the fire escape outside my kitchen.

About 10 days ago they did "pigeon abatement" all over the building - spikes, goo, boarding up nesting spots, netting to seal off the area under the fire escapes. Then they pressured cleaned everything and used an enzymatic disinfectant. Yay - clean fire escape!

EXCEPT - they didn't repair the netting. That same night the nesting pair came back. They could no longer get under the fire escape to nest, so they hung out on the fire escape railing outside my kitchen, pooping up a storm. They would leave during the day and come back at night.

After a few days of this, on Thursday 8/18 I called the management to say, it's a shame to waste all that pressure cleaning and not fix the netting because my fire escape is full of poop again.

For the next week I would see them there at night and they'd be gone during the day. Sometime around Wednesday I checked messages and the management had called to say that they had repaired the netting the previous Friday 8/19. I peeked out my window, and indeed the netting had been repaired. There were a few pigeon feathers stuck in it - little ones. I checked all over the fire escape, even went up on the roof and looked down, and I didn't see any pigeons. But I KNEW I had seen them outside my window after the Friday when they said they'd repaired the netting - so I figured there was maybe a way they were getting through the netting.

Indeed, they were back that night, roosting on the railing outside my window.

Sometime in there, I thought I would put out food and water for them, so I did. I don't know if they ate or drank anything. But they were gone the next morning and I removed the food (didn't want neighbors to see it).

Last night, they were back... I opened my window to put out food and water, and they got nervous and flew up. I opened my window and climbed out onto the fire escape and they freaked and went all the way up and were banging around panicking and trying to get out. They were unable to. 

I was afraid they had hurt themselves, and since it was pitch black I decided to just leave them alone. I peeked out several times but they did not return to roost outside my window - probably too freaked.

I was beginning to think they had been trapped for 8 days... when I had thought all along because they disappeared every day, that they were going in and out.

This morning as soon as it was light, I went up on the roof, and I saw them just under the netting. They got really nervous when I approached...started flying around.

Just last week I got a 30 days notice from my landlord of a change in the terms of my lease - I am not allowed to go on the fire escape or roof except in case of emergency. Well, that doesn't take effect for 30 days so I was OK  Anyway, I had already ripped the netting once and I knew I'd catch hell for doing it again, but fortunately when I looked closely at it, I saw that it was hooked over nails that had been hammered in around the edge of the roof. So with some care I was able to unhook it without ripping it. The two birds eventually flew out, and I replaced the netting.

So, now they can't get in anymore. I think! I am going to make sure every evening that they are not outside my window!!!

Sorry this is so long, but my question is - if they were really trapped for 9 days (Friday 8/19 to Sunday 8/28) - without food or water - how did they survive?

As I said, I did put out food a couple of days ago, and again last night, but I don't think they ate any of it.

I made sure, before I undid the netting on the roof this morning, to put out a large quantity of pigeon seed for them so I hope they hung around and had a good nosh to make up for lost time!


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## spirit wings

I did not read all of the post..but to answer the question in the heading.. usually pigeons could not go three days in hot weather without water..food allot longer..but not sure of an exact time frame.


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## tedzahse

I've had a pigeon stuck in my chimney for 11½ days, it finally came out this morning
11/06/2015.. I opened all doors and windows and it just strolled out none the worse for its ordeal !


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## John_D

tedzahse said:


> I've had a pigeon stuck in my chimney for 11½ days, it finally came out this morning
> 11/06/2015.. I opened all doors and windows and it just strolled out none the worse for its ordeal !


It would not be biologically possible to go without water that long, but our climate means that inevitably there will be rain which would go down a chimney and, if there were a little ledge part way down, accumulate. We have had two wood pigeons stuck in people's chimneys who survived like that.


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## tedzahse

It was sat on a ledge just above the fireplace, just out of my reach. Ive checked with a camera there is no evidence of water or water staining., the chimney is not straight up has a bend joining with the shared chimney stack. I had food and water left out for it and it was untouched each day I checked and replaced with fresh. How it survived so long is beyond me.


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## Bella_F

I just wanted to say you are awesome. I had to move house recently, and for ten years previously I lived in an area where pigeons needed help. I fed them, adopted plenty, healed them when they were sick, and loved them. I had an intensely hateful neighbor during this. They are quiet friendly birds, I am so grateful to have got involved.

I moved to the mountains, west of the city . I took 30 pigeon with me, they have a huge aviary, the size of small flat, lol. There are no wild pigeons here, only massive parrots. They are noisy, destructive, and their flock are huge. We fed them only one week before the council came down on us.

Only mentioned it because by comparison, pigeons are the most inoffensive birds. They are not noisy, they are not destructive, they are only friendly. I can't believe how badly they are persecuted.


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## cwebster

All who love pigeons are awesome. They truly are wonderful creatures. Thank you for caring about them!


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