# Single Pet Pigeon for 7 Months now, still not bonded. Will it ever happen?



## pigeopigeo (Sep 16, 2016)

Hi, I rescued an adult white homing pigeon (unknown age, but very healthy and active) about 7 months ago. He was a survivor of a dove release nearby, local orgs told me either keep him or they'd euthanize him, so now he's my pet but I'm not in a situation to adopt a mate for him. Sex unknown, I'm guessing male.


I spend a good bit of time with him, I take him out for walks in a secure flight suit and leash, and used to try cuddling with him more but he always flies away very fast as soon as he gets the chance so I was told I shouldn't force it. However, he seems to like it when I'm holding him and he's settled in and getting head pats (he'll start closing his eyes and doesn't struggle, but still flies away as soon as I move my hands out of the way).

He doesn't ever come to me, but isn't particularly scared of me either. If he's on one of his perch spots (a mirror on my desk and on the bookshelf) he's very territorial and bites any hands coming close, even if it's to give him safflower seeds. He's nervous about hands if he's in another spot like on the ground or being held, and if he does accept seeds he'll do it without biting. 

Here are some Instagram pictures for reference of when we're together while outside or while I'm holding him, which is when he seems very patient and sweet. But that's kind of the limit to our interaction: https://www.instagram.com/pigeo.coo/


I've been given a lot of conflicting advice, such as that I should just leave him alone as most pet pigeons don't want that much contact, or that his personality is probably just not cuddle-friendly. But others have said that since he is a single pigeon he needs attention and is probably lonely, and I feel bad because I'm not in a position to get another pigeon friend/mate. 

Perhaps male pigeons just aren't as into human bonds? Or I'm not doing something correctly/not doing enough? Should I leave him be or try harder/ try something else?

Thank you very much for reading


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## pigeopigeo (Sep 16, 2016)

Also, please note that I'm not ungrateful for the amount of interaction that we do have! I definitely appreciate how he is now, this post is inspired by recent worries that he's lonely. The other people I know personally who have single pigeons are very close to them and are able to give them a lot of attention, but Pigeo doesn't seem to want mine, yet I assume he must be lonely (and sometimes will coo from his perch, but not at me because if I approach he bites, haha).


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Most pigeons don't like being cuddled and petted. Maybe that is why he doesn't come to you, because he thinks you will hold him and pet him.They like to come to you when they feel like it. To sit on your shoulder..........not to be held and petted. Also, taking him outside is dangerous, people have had hawks come down and grab them right off of their owners shoulder, leash and all. Introduce him to chopped unsalted peanuts. Mix them in with his seed, so that eventually he will try them. They love chopped unsalted peanuts. It may take time for him to try them, but when he does, he will love them. He may eventually come to you for them. Don't give a lot as they, like safflower seeds, are very high in fat, so too many are not good for him.


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## pigeopigeo (Sep 16, 2016)

Jay3 said:


> Most pigeons don't like being cuddled and petted. Maybe that is why he doesn't come to you, because he thinks you will hold him and pet him.They like to come to you when they feel like it. To sit on your shoulder..........not to be held and petted. Also, taking him outside is dangerous, people have had hawks come down and grab them right off of their owners shoulder, leash and all. Introduce him to chopped unsalted peanuts. Mix them in with his seed, so that eventually he will try them. They love chopped unsalted peanuts. It may take time for him to try them, but when he does, he will love them. He may eventually come to you for them. Don't give a lot as they, like safflower seeds, are very high in fat, so too many are not good for him.


I think that might be the reason he doesn't like to be around me! Today I tried bringing him to the living room and giving him some safflower seeds without trying to pet him, and magically he didn't fly away and is hanging out on my knee...

Is it okay to take him outside if I have him standing on my hand only (holding my hand close to my body)? I keep the leash very short so he can't run up my arm to my shoulder.

Also, are there any alternative treats to the peanuts? I'm allergic to those. Do safflower seeds work or do you suggest something else? Thank you


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Agree with Jay3. Please do not take him outside unless he is caged. Too many people here try that then the bird flies away and is never seen again or is hawk chow. If you want to make friends, just keep letting him out indoors and offering treats. He will bond more as time goes on. Our first feral, who was injured, became our dearest friend but it took months. Our racer Lucy took 9 months and now she has been renamed Sweet Lucy because she loves being touched. Our first feral, Phoebe, would sit on our shoulders and on the printer next to our desktop. She loved a hanging parakeet toy and toys requiring sliding open a little door to get the treat. But after a while, you will be your birds toy and flock. It just takes patience. Sounds like he is starting to make friends if he is sitting on your knee. Would NEVER take him outside uncaged though.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

pigeopigeo said:


> I think that might be the reason he doesn't like to be around me! Today I tried bringing him to the living room and giving him some safflower seeds without trying to pet him, and magically he didn't fly away and is hanging out on my knee...
> 
> Is it okay to take him outside if I have him standing on my hand only (holding my hand close to my body)? I keep the leash very short so he can't run up my arm to my shoulder.
> 
> Also, are there any alternative treats to the peanuts? I'm allergic to those. Do safflower seeds work or do you suggest something else? Thank you


So sorry about your allergy. That's their favorite treat. However, they also like safflower very much, and when I don't feel like chopping peanuts, will offer shelled black oil sunflower seed, and they love that too.
As far as taking him outside, I wouldn't, but on a leash, and always in your hand, not on your shoulder, now and then would probably be okay. But if you should forget, and not watch, or let him out of your hand, you are putting him at risk. Only takes a hawk seconds to grab them. Keep up the good work. Don't rush him. Let him take his time and come to you, and he will bond to you. Just go slow, and don't do what he doesn't like. That way he will have no reason to avoid you.


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## JennyM (Sep 21, 2015)

My pigeon goes crazy for hemp seeds, you could try giving those!


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

I have hawks swooping down in my backyard to the flight cages all the time! They have no fear of me standing there filling water dishes and feeding. I've almost been knocked over multiple times while standing in my flight cages when a hawk swoops down......all my birds shoot into the loft bombarding by me! I would not take him outside. He doesn't need to as long as he's getting good feed and vitamins.
I have a couple inside birds. They calm down eventually with regular feedings, treats and interaction. The only birds of mine that like to 'cuddle' are my fantails and cockatoo. Even my hand raised homers and tumblers don't like to cuddle. They play rough.....charging my hand and grabbing it, pecking at me and wing slapping. Buts that's their way of 'playing' with me. They DO like a nice neck/head scratch though.
Just let him out in the house regularly, talk to him and give treats. If he's sitting on your knee with you, he's accepted you as his friend. When you confine him with your hand, that's a threat to him. He'll mellow with time.


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## pigeopigeo (Sep 16, 2016)

Jay3 said:


> So sorry about your allergy. That's their favorite treat. However, they also like safflower very much, and when I don't feel like chopping peanuts, will offer shelled black oil sunflower seed, and they love that too.
> As far as taking him outside, I wouldn't, but on a leash, and always in your hand, not on your shoulder, now and then would probably be okay. But if you should forget, and not watch, or let him out of your hand, you are putting him at risk. Only takes a hawk seconds to grab them. Keep up the good work. Don't rush him. Let him take his time and come to you, and he will bond to you. Just go slow, and don't do what he doesn't like. That way he will have no reason to avoid you.


Offering him food/seed hasn't been going so well lately  He's pecking and biting quite hard and I'm not sure why. Even if it's nowhere near his perch, last night I just held out some seeds or food and he walked up to my hand, and he'll first start attacking my fingers, then go for the food, and maybe switch back to biting my fingers.

I read somewhere else that I should just let him bite it out and not move your hand out of the way, but someone else said that would be reinforcing it because he's getting the food too. Or what about when he finishes eating, then starts biting my hand immediately after? :/ 

I was also told if he bit to put the food or treats down in front of him and stand back a bit with my hands hidden. Would that help him feel less threatened or reinforce biting to get food?


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## FredaH (Apr 5, 2016)

I know you can reinforce bad habits with dogs but didn't know you could with pigeons. I will say this though - I hand reared my pigeons, ferals and tumblers, from eggs that I incubated myself and all five of them still peck me when I put my hands in their cages and they hang on to my skin too, lol. The males often peck me when outside the cages too but I don't take any notice of that, I pick them up and kiss their little knobbly heads and they'll sit on me whenever I go in the room - they're sassy lil fellas and I think males will just bite anything they can, usually it's because they're showing out to me and doing that fancy fan tailed dance of theirs but the girls are less likely to peck when outside the cage, although in the cage they're as violent as their partners. 
Reinforcing or not if I want to do anything with my babes I just pick them up and do it and they can like it or lump it but it never stops them coming back to me. Sometimes I think over thinking with animals crates more problems and they prefer you to be confident rather than edgy with them. Dogs too.

ETA - Gideon one of my feral boys never takes food from my hands and always goes in for the bite - and I'm his mom. Kids today, no respect eh?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

FredaH said:


> I know you can reinforce bad habits with dogs but didn't know you could with pigeons. I will say this though - I hand reared my pigeons, ferals and tumblers, from eggs that I incubated myself and all five of them still peck me when I put my hands in their cages and they hang on to my skin too, lol. The males often peck me when outside the cages too but I don't take any notice of that, I pick them up and kiss their little knobbly heads and they'll sit on me whenever I go in the room - they're sassy lil fellas and I think males will just bite anything they can, usually it's because they're showing out to me and doing that fancy fan tailed dance of theirs but the girls are less likely to peck when outside the cage, although in the cage they're as violent as their partners.
> Reinforcing or not if I want to do anything with my babes I just pick them up and do it and they can like it or lump it but it never stops them coming back to me. Sometimes I think over thinking with animals crates more problems and they prefer you to be confident rather than edgy with them. Dogs too.
> *
> ETA - Gideon one of my feral boys never takes food from my hands and always goes in for the bite - and I'm his mom. Kids today, no respect eh? *





Good post Freda, and I love that last part.
I think they are just kind of challenging you. And they want to feel like they are in charge. I have an Indian Fantail male who would always do that in the beginning. He would bite my hand several times, then he would take the food. 
I always felt that he just wanted to make sure that I knew he was boss and not going to take any guff. I kept my hand there, and he eventually stop the biting. Guess he didn't feel that it was necessary. Today we are friends.
I had another bird who would also bite, but it was different. He acted like he wanted to kill me, and he really hurt. He would grab on and twist. With him, I would just take my hand back with the treats and give them to another bird as he watched. The situation was different, so I reacted differently to them. That bird eventually learned to be nice, or watch as someone else ate his treats. So it all depends on the situation. If he is pecking your hand a bit, just to show you that he is not afraid of you, then ignore it. If he is attacking and hanging on and twisting and trying to kill the hand, then just walk away. He will learn that he doesn't get the treat. First though, you need to be sure it is something he wants. Something you know to be a treat to him.
At least he is standing up to you. That's a good thing. If he is doing that outside of the cage, then it isn't in self defense because he is afraid of you. He would just fly away quickly if he were afraid. He wouldn't stay and stand up to you. It can be a very slow process, but very worth it. Just don't give up, and don't lose your temper. Patience, patience, patience.


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

I completely agree with Freda and Jay! 80% of my hand raised birds will run to my hand and peck and pinch! The other 20% are usually hens that are just plain sweet and want to be cuddled, they will just walk over and let me pat them or pick them up.
The way I look at it is....when they run to your hand, they trust you. If they run to you at all.....they trust you! I have one that when I reach in to fill his dish, he runs over, grabs by hand, wing slaps me, then turns his back to me covering his dish......like I'm going to steal his food from him!
I get more of the aggressive behavior from the homers. The fantails aren't so aggressive.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Msfreebird said:


> I completely agree with Freda and Jay! 80% of my hand raised birds will run to my hand and peck and pinch! The other 20% are usually hens that are just plain sweet and want to be cuddled, they will just walk over and let me pat them or pick them up.
> The way I look at it is....when they run to your hand, they trust you. If they run to you at all.....they trust you!* I have one that when I reach in to fill his dish, he runs over, grabs by hand, wing slaps me, then turns his back to me covering his dish......like I'm going to steal his food from him!*
> I get more of the aggressive behavior from the homers. The fantails aren't so aggressive.


Oh that's so funny! I have one that does that! So cute. I'm adding food, but he thinks he has to protect his dish from me. LOL. That would be Virgil, my little disabled feral. I just love that bird!


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## FredaH (Apr 5, 2016)

Ha ha what cute little birdies. I think half the fun is their bravado and how they think they're the boss, I love that in my boys and it's never been a thing that's annoyed me funnily enough because if it were an animal with teeth I'd be outa there like a shot! Also love how the boys are so industrious with nest making and carry bits back and forth to the nest all day long. I put bags of shredded paper and shredded cardboard out for them to help themselves to and they're so busy that scrapping never comes into the equation now. My little tumbler male who's sitting on a real egg is the cutest to see, they only have one old tail feather and it's treated like gold they way the both carry it about and place it in various parts of the nest. Not one other tail feather between them because ole mom here is too tidy, lol but I'll save some next time and keep them to one side.


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