# Pigeon Keeps coming back HELP!!



## Ewoods1985

Three days ago I went out to run to the store at around 11pm and a Pigeon was sitting on my porch, I just let it be till i got back and when I opened the door it walked right in. I set it up in our guest bathroom( small shower with frosted glass door and cardboard over top so it couldn't fly out and water dish covering the drain so its feet couldn't get stuck). With food and water and a perch. 
I was able to read its leg tag, I located the owner and called him the next morning and released the bird around noon. The owner called back and all he wanted to know is if the bird flew off okay wich he did. At 8pm the next night I heard something out on the porch and wouldn't you know it the bird was back. Again he walked right in to my house and he went back to his "room" and called his owner to tell him the bird had come back. I kept him that night all the next day and the following night because there were rain storms going all up the east coast. I released him AGAIN this morning around 7 am after checking the weather and off he went. At 8:15 tonight he returned to my house and is now back in his "room" again. I have still not heard back from his owner. 

Although he is a very pretty bird and a very sweet bird with 3 cats 2 dogs a 6 month old baby and another on the way My husband and I REALLY do not want another mouth to feed/ being to be responsible for....What do I do now ????? I believe I have done everything I could do to get in contact with its owner and give it a safe place to stay..HELP .. Im a former animal shelter worker and vet tech so I cannot just boot him out and say sorry bud ( unless that is what i need to do to get him to return to his home) We are located in the Lehigh Valley in PA and the bird is from Long Island NY.


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## orock

Hello and welcome to PT, I guess that bird is calling your home his. I believe this bird is trying to go back home. He keeps flying off searching for his or her home and doesn't find it and goes back to his 2nd home it might take several attempts to find home. One option is to find a local club in your area that one of the members could take the bird off your hands.


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## Ewoods1985

Thanks, I will probably call the only club i found that is in the next county over tomorrow. I do have a friend that is willing to take it and keep it as a pet she just saw my facebook posts about it and said she would take it, but i would much rather attempt to get it home then have it become someones pet.


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## Quazar

While your intentions are good, one thing to check and be careful of is that if the bird does get home through one means or another, is that the owner is going to keep him & not destroy him.
Although a lot of people on here would welcome him back, sadly, many who race pigeons are not interested in a bird that cant return quickly and would even consider it a waste of food to even keep it.


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## Ewoods1985

Okay, So I released him again this morning and he flew off IF he comes back tonight since I have tried to make contact with his owner 3 times now and only got a response once, do I have any right to give the bird to my friend who wants him then? Im assuming since his owner is not calling me back he does not want the bird. Is there an amount of time I have to wait legally to give it away or can I just do what I need to... I'm hoping he makes his way home today but I do need to find something for him if he keeps returning.


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## Skyeking

I hope he is safe.

If he does return, I would leave a message with the owner in regards to finding him a home, if he still doesn't call you back..... then go ahead and adopt the bird out.


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## Ewoods1985

Thank you all for the advice I really do appreciate it. My husband has grown very fond of this bird and keeps hinting at keeping it ourselves but I am not okay with another animal right now... Plus no offense to any of you I am just not a bird person. I owned a rescue African Grey for 2 years and endured pretty bad bites almost daily till i was able to find someone She liked and wouldn't attempt to eat. Plus working for the vet having to hold for wing /nail/beak trims I was faced with scared birds who liked to bite regularly this bird has never offered to bite but im pretty sure i have been traumatized out of ever owning a bird again.


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## Charis

Pigeons are so much easier than parrots....like night and day.


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## Ewoods1985

Well he came back again today at 8:30 pm I think my friend who wanted him backed out but I will call his owner again tomorrow and leave a message with my intentions to re home the bird... Im posting some pics maybe you could tell me what breed he/she is


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## abluechipstock

That's a helmet not a homer


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## Jay3

OH he's really pretty. Do they have homing ability?


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## M Kurps

That pigeon cannot fly home that is a fancy pigeon. That pigeon was either sold to someone perhaps local or the band was on another pigeon that passed away and the band was reused.
Kurps


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## Skyeking

Yep, definitely not a homing pigeon, please do not release it.


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## spirit wings

Well, now we know the reason the poor thing keeps coming back! it is NOT a homing pigeon. If the owner has taken this long and not communicating.. post in the birds for adoption and for sale here and state his breed and your location in the title..someone will want this pretty helmet.


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## orock

Pretty bird, hope you can find it a good home!


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## Bella_F

Oh wow, that is an incredibly unique and beautiful pigeon! It has a crest too; not all Helmets have that..very, very pretty!. You shouldn't have much trouble selling it or giving it to someone who breeds them for show. Pity you can't keep it- the best pets are the ones who have chosen you.

PS. Pigeons don't bite, they are gentle, intelligent, funny and don't make the noise that parrots make.


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## DeeDee's Mom

Ewoods1985 said:


> Thank you all for the advice I really do appreciate it. My husband has grown very fond of this bird and keeps hinting at keeping it ourselves but I am not okay with another animal right now... Plus no offense to any of you I am just not a bird person. I owned a rescue African Grey for 2 years and endured pretty bad bites almost daily till i was able to find someone She liked and wouldn't attempt to eat. Plus working for the vet having to hold for wing /nail/beak trims I was faced with scared birds who liked to bite regularly this bird has never offered to bite but im pretty sure i have been traumatized out of ever owning a bird again.


One of the great things about owning a Dove is that you can let it sit on you shoulder with no fear that you'll wind up in an emergency room getting your earlobe stitched back on! 

Same thing with pigeons, only I don't think a dove is even capable of breaking skin, no matter WHAT.

If you want to know when a dove bites you, you need to be paying close attention, or you'll miss it. 

Doves are not capable of killing other birds, but almost all other birds are capable of killing a dove, even parakeets. 

Maybe that's why they've been such a widely-used symbol for Peace throughout history.

I would imagine that a pigeon could break the skin with a peck, if he was determined enough, since they have larger neck muscles than doves. 

But they typically aren't aggressive at all, and don't take on dislikes to specific people. They will often prefer and bond with a specific person, but if they don't like you, they don't start planning you harm every time you come into view. They just don't have a mean bone in their bodies.

Your experience with parrots shouldn't color your pigeon perception too much.


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## nycpigeonlady

DeeDee's Mom said:


> I would imagine that a pigeon could break the skin with a peck, if he was determined enough, since they have larger neck muscles than doves.


Yes, that could happen....but only if there was a steel tip mounted on the end of its beak, LOL.


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## DeeDee's Mom

nycpigeonlady said:


> Yes, that could happen....but only if there was a steel tip mounted on the end of its beak, LOL.


ROFL! I agree. I just have a hard time seeing a dove seriously attacking anyone. If they DID, it would probably be with a wing "slap" rather than pecking hard enough to hurt badly (which, in itself, is rather amusing). I imagine pigeons are much the same. DeeDee, our dove, will sometimes get into a "wing slapping" fight with my husband, with my husband wielding an envelope, which he has "waved" at DeeDee to get him to hush. That would make a good "America's Funniest Video".

Seriously, if your husband is attached to this pigeon, you might consider at least trying to keep it as a pet. You really would find the experience a pleasant change from having a parrot. It is a beautiful bird, and it has obviously decided that your house is home. Look at it this way...if it got out of the house, you wouldn't have to worry much about 'losing' it, since you can't seem to make it leave as it is.


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## Jay3

Well pigeons can bite, especially if you are reaching into it's nest box, but a bite from them is NOTHING like a bite from a parrot. You can usually pretty much ignore it. LOL.


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