# pigeon's memory.



## Rock Dove (Aug 4, 2003)

I've always wondered about how good a pigeons memory is...

A few days ago, a few feral pigeons I used to feed in the summertime came back to visit my backyard. 

I hadn't fed them for about 3 or 4 months now, so I thought they had left my area for good. (Where have all the pigeons gone?) 

Though I haven't fed them for many months, and they hadn't seen me since the summer
, I then decided to go and give them some crackers and see if they would still recognize me. 

When I tried to hand feed them the food, most of them were shy and reluctant, as though they've never seen me before. 
Only one of the pigeons (the one whom I nicknamed ******) stepped forward and ate
from my hand. 

And so I wondered curiously... Is ****** the only one who remembered me, or are the rest of the flock just shy?


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## Whitefeather (Sep 2, 2002)

Pigeons are incredible for remembering surroundings & people.

****** is probably a bit 'closer' to you then the others, however, you can bet they all remembered you.

I have 'one' pigeon out of my backyard flock of about 70 that waits at the door for me to come out & feed them. She jumps on my 'pie pan' of seeds & eats while we walk to the feeding area. The other pigeons know me but are cautious. But that's just a pigeon's nature.
Cindy


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## Joel (Mar 6, 2001)

Thats a good question. I had several very tame birds and had to give them up to a friend that has a large loft with many birds but not as tame as mine. After a couple of months i visited them. All his birds shied away but a couple of my old birds walked straight to me. After a year, i built a small cage in my garage that accomodates about 8 birds. My friend gave me two of my original pigeons but i've yet to tame them. They're very skittish around me now. These were birds that once would fly to my hand when i whistled. I hope to gain their trust again.


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## ddpowell (May 16, 2003)

I think it is about trust. They have to be cautious by nature of anything new in their surroundings. They will definitely come around. I've had some ferals join my coop and in time, they were just as calm and tame as my others. I'm sure they remember, but circumstances changed their surroundings, and it automatically puts them in a defensive mode. They will soon realize that they are "home and safe".


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## bigbird (Aug 19, 2000)

I agree with the description given by ddpowell. Pigeons never forget, but they cannot be expected to act the same after a long period of absence. Given some time, they will come around to their old ways if you give them a chance.
Regards,
Carl


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## maryco (Apr 1, 2002)

Hello,

The feral birds that visit me get like that too, if they did not visit for awhile they will act more wild and it takes some time to get used to me and the balcony.

I have some though as you say that will just jump back onto me and the food, these birds have a curious nature and are not so frightened of certain things as the others are, they are more brave to explore and take some risks.

Mary


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Just picking up on the 'trust' aspect. When I used to be home more, and had a lot of ferals visit my balcony, I only had to make a small change (maybe just the color of the food tray, move a plant tub) and they would sit around, look, pace up and down, and maybe take most of a day before they would land. I think it is because they did not actually see ME very often, and did not get used to door opening and closing, and human being around.

In Cynthia's aviary it is entirely different. Her pigeons are very used to seeing me as well as Cynthia, and respond in varying degrees from laid-back tolerance through interaction when necessary (one 'asks' for twigs for his nest)to demonstrations of affection for their 'pet humans'. I think because they have learned to trust the people who regularly enter their domain they react quite differently to change. When new items are added, or something removed or repositioned, or just temporarily displaced for cleaning out they take it in their stride. Anything new is an opportunity to explore with much curiosity! 

Mess with their nesting arrangements, tho, and they are very worried (must tell that story, or get Cynthia to)

I have noticed that, at a wildfowl reserve where I fed the pigeons once in a while, there were always two who would come straight to my hand out of nowhere for food, no matter how long between visits (one year it was a whole winter!)

John


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