# Ok, so I found this Pigeon once, now he won't leave us alone!



## af4caster (Nov 17, 2011)

Back in August, my daughter and I found a pigeon with a broken wing. We found a site online that showed us how to repair the wing. We had him in a birdcage in our garage for about 2 months until the wing was fixed. Well, the wing got better, and we let him fly around the garage for a few weeks to make sure he can fly. During this time, he seems to have bonded to me. I walk in the garage, he flys right to me, lands on my shoulder or head! We figured it was time to set him free, so we let him go out in our backyard. Well, he won't leave! Everytime we open the garage door, he flys right back in. When he is flying around outside, he spends A LOT of time on the ground, and doesn't fly off if we approach him. Should I take him somewhere away from the house and let him go there? It concerns me that maybe he can't fly far distances, because he seems to always end up on the ground walking around. Any advice would be great! Thanks.

Aaron


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

Is he a "wild" pigeon or a lost domestic? You could take him to a wildlife rehab. They might be able to distance him from people and get him back into the groove of feral life again. OR you could keep him (he does sound like a keeper ) or perhaps someone here will adopt him.


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

Thank you for helping this pigeon. I definitely would not release him farther from home. It sounds as though his flight ability is not 100% and that will make him easy prey for a hawk or other predator. This is a very bad time of year to release a pigeon because hawks are everywhere. A lone bird is especially vulnerable. 

If you can't find someone to adopt him and don't want to keep him, Beckie's suggestion of finding a wildlife rescue is a good one. If this is a feral pigeon someone knowledgeable can eventually reintroduce him to a feral flock. If a domestic pigeon, then he needs to be taken in by someone who keeps pigeons. Be careful, though. Some wildlife places have little regard for pigeons because they aren't a native species. 

Where, approximately, are you located?


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## af4caster (Nov 17, 2011)

I have no idea if he is domestic or feral. He is pretty cool, but my wife wants him gone asap! The other day when she came home from work and parked in the garage, the pigeon landed on her shoulder and pecked her in the eye. She is convinced the bird is out to get her. When we let him fly around outside, he hangs around all the windows and peeks in. If we attempt to open any door, he is ready to try to fly in. 

I am in Omaha, Nebraska by the way.


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

*Whoa, there*...hold on ! 

....wildlife rehab facility for a Feral who has healed with only partial flying ability....(?)

THAT is one combination which will end really, really....really...badly. 

(did I note *really* ?)

Wildlife rescue and rehab places, for the most part (meaning like 90% of the time) have no want or need of a Pigeon who is (by their standards) unreleasable. So...they'll almost certainly just kill it without a second thought.

You consider going that route, you do a lotta research and ask TONS of questions and gets LOTS of assurances. Wildlife places are very good at couching their semantics to make it sound as if you (and they) are helping the Pigeon...but I really am not exaggerating this. It's just not a trustworthy venue if you want your pal/rescue to stay alive.

I think there are two possibilities here...and the likely one has already been aluded to: this Pigeon was never Feral. Certainly doesn't act like a Feral. Therefore...release is downright dangerous because he/she has no clue (nor will he/she ever) how to survive in the Feral world. If this is the case, it's a small miracle he/she is still around and I'd suggest you secure him ASAP.

The other possibility is he/she could be a Feral who you found as a baby and he bonded to you...but in 2 weeks ? Very, very unlikely.

But the same thing goes: please get him/her secure and inside ASAP.

Can you post a photo ?

Also, tell your daughter that he/she is hardly out to 'get' anyone. Just being a Pigeon is all...and that's how Pigeons act with their 'flockmates' (which, apparently she/he thinks you are).

BTW...welcome !... and thanks for saving your buddy's life.....there's still more to be done, though....


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## af4caster (Nov 17, 2011)

We found the bird at the end of July actually. I said August, but it was actually in July, so he/she has been around us for nearly 4 months...not 2 weeks. It was definitely not a baby, and is the same size as it was when we found it. 

Here is a picture...I think.








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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

His flying ability most likely isn't 100%. Often times with a broken wing they don't come back 100%. But even if it were, then he should be released into a flock, not just turned loose. Pigeons don't survive well on their own. Was he young when you first had him? If that is the case, then he won't know anything about surviving in the wild. They are taught these things from their parents. If he keeps coming back, he probably has no idea of where to go or what to do. That's kind of like putting a child out and saying...."good luck!"
Where he seems so bonded to you, then it sounds as though maybe he was very young when you took him in, or was previously owned by someone, which would mean that he doesn't know how to be feral. Can you catch him again until you can figure all this out? You did a good job of saving him. I know you want what is best for him now. I know you don't want to see any harm come to him.


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## af4caster (Nov 17, 2011)

I don't think he was really young. He hasn't changed in size at all in the 4 months or so we've had him around. He was a full size bird when I first found him.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

They are just about adult size at a month or so old. Do you have feral flocks near where you live?


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## November-X-Scourge (May 12, 2011)

Mmmphhh... -_- 
No way you can keep him? If he lands on your shoulder and pecks at you, he is bound to do so with strange people in the wild eventually, and If he lands on the wrong stranger...well...bye bye pigeon! Also, if he doesn't like flying, will he know to fly when a dog/hawk/human approaches him? He could be seriously hurt/killed.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

If he were introduced to a wild flock, and were to join them, he would wild up again. But right now, you don't know that he can even fly well enough for that.


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## af4caster (Nov 17, 2011)

I haven't really seen any flocks around the area. I really don't think I can keep him. We can't have him in the garage...he is pretty messy. Due to neighborhood rules, I can't construct any type of 'home' outside for him.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

If there are no flocks in the area that you know of, then where did he come from? He sounds as though he was either young, or owned by somebody. If he had been an adult feral, then he wouldn't have warmed up to you so quickly. Some never do at all. 

Anyway, he can't survive out there alone. He needs to be part of a flock. I don't think he even knows how or where to find food and water on his own. Can you post a picture of him?


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## af4caster (Nov 17, 2011)

I posted a pic in the thread already. We have a minor league ballpark about a mile away, I think there is a flock that hangs out over there...otherwise...I am in the middle of cornfields. Ya, he is lost in the real world. Just hangs out by our back door until he can sneak his way back into the garage...which is where he is now.


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

af4caster said:


> I posted a pic in the thread already. We have a minor league ballpark about a mile away, I think there is a flock that hangs out over there...otherwise...I am in the middle of cornfields. Ya, he is lost in the real world. Just hangs out by our back door until he can sneak his way back into the garage...which is where he is now.


I'm in the Omaha area too. Wish I had another cage...  (Plus going out of town next week. plus have my max capacity of birds as a college student.) I know there's a guy here on this site who lives in OMaha and keeps pigeons. Can you keep the little guy enclosed until we find someone? The hawks are pretty thick here, and very hungry right now. They know winter is coming.


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

Another option is to get on Facebook and look up "Too Many Feathers." Contact Mary and see if she could take him and look for a new home. I don't know if she has room right now.

There is also a parrot rescue in Bellevue called the Nebraska Parrot rescue. Sometimes she takes doves and quail (button) and finches so she might take this guy too. http://www.nebraskaparrotrescue.org/


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

Jay3 said:


> They are just about adult size at a month or so old. Do you have feral flocks near where you live?


There aren't really very many feral flocks in the whole Omaha area. I can only really think of about 3. One in Bennington, one in Ralston, and a very very very small one in Papillion. We have a hawk on every street though.


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## af4caster (Nov 17, 2011)

Libis said:


> There aren't really very many feral flocks in the whole Omaha area. I can only really think of about 3. One in Bennington, one in Ralston, and a very very very small one in Papillion. We have a hawk on every street though.


I am out in Papillion. Right now he is back in my garage in a cage...as happy as can be!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Libis said:


> There aren't really very many feral flocks in the whole Omaha area. I can only really think of about 3. One in Bennington, one in Ralston, and a very very very small one in Papillion. We have a hawk on every street though.



Gee, that sounds odd, as I'm so used to seeing different flocks around here. But he really can't make it on his own. He needs to be released into one. Poor little guy.


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

Jay3 said:


> Gee, that sounds odd, as I'm so used to seeing different flocks around here. But he really can't make it on his own. He needs to be released into one. Poor little guy.


I think he sounds kind of.. domesticated, though. The way he's acting towards the people. Do we know anybody in the Omaha area besides me and Victor? 

Did you get a chance to call Nebraska parrot rescue? She's awesome.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Libis said:


> *I think he sounds kind of.. domesticated, though. ** The way he's acting towards the people.* Do we know anybody in the Omaha area besides me and Victor?
> 
> Did you get a chance to call Nebraska parrot rescue? She's awesome.




That depends on how old the bird was when found. If young enough, he would respond better to people than if he had been an adult. We would have needed to know how old he was. Hard to tell now. But yes, he could have been someones bird before. May have gotten lost.


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## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

I think he probably was someone's pet. Can you put up some "found pigeon pet" flyers? I bet somebody is looking for this little guy.


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