# How smart is he?



## eowynroh (Sep 18, 2008)

We had a scare today. 

Our deck that we've made into an aviary for Punky opens to our bedroom as well as the dining room. While I was in the bedroom folding laundry, I was started by a loud thump against the silding glass door. There was Punky with all his feathers this way and that, clutching to the screen. Just then I noticed a hawk fly very close by.

Now the deck is screened in with doubled netting, so that hawk is not getting in. I went outside as fast as I could and took Punky down and put him in his cage early for the night. He was scared to death! Poor thing.

What I don't understand is, how did he know that hawk was a bad bird that meant him harm? This is the same bird that goes to the dining room window and dances in front of my cats while they try to bat at the glass. Either he is WAY smarter that I could ever imagin, or he's smart in some areas and dumb in others. What do you think?


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## corvid (Oct 16, 2008)

Smart in some areas , dumb in others....


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

They are pretty smart. They know by instinct that hawks are predators. Same goes for the cats, they do know cats are predators, but with your cats he probably has realized by now that they cat's get to him and lhe likes to tease them.

Reti


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

eowynroh said:


> We had a scare today.
> 
> Our deck that we've made into an aviary for Punky opens to our bedroom as well as the dining room. While I was in the bedroom folding laundry, I was started by a loud thump against the silding glass door. There was Punky with all his feathers this way and that, clutching to the screen. Just then I noticed a hawk fly very close by.
> 
> ...



They usually learn from their parents, or other pigeons when danger is near. He may have learned the danger of hawks, but not cats, because there may not have been any around when he learned his instincts of fear.


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## eowynroh (Sep 18, 2008)

*Today*

We are keeping him in today. I hate to keep him inside, but I'll be gone all day. I don't want the hawk coming back around, trying to figure out how to get to him, and giving him another scare.

How long do you think before a hawk will give up on an area if he's empty handed every time?


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## Larry_Cologne (Jul 6, 2004)

I heard our wild feral female pigeon *Mamieke* give a warning "hech" while she was at the window sill, and her two babies were five meters away, at the edge of the wardrobe, just outside the pet carrier which contained their nest. They could not see the danger, but they both immediately dashed into the pet carrier. They understood the meaning of the warning without seeing the hawk or falcon.

Another time one of my brother's dogs (a Dachshund, I think) had my brother's pet Quaker parrot in his jaws when he quickly detected or tasted my brother's smell on the feathers, and he knew that the parrot was Jimmy's property and should be left alone. The parrot had trimmed feathers and could not fly. The parrot was unharmed.

The pigeon may have picked up some vibes from you that the cats are not to be feared. Especially if no parents had previously taught him otherwise.

Larry


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

I have to admit that my experience with a pigeon and cats has been quite different that most!

When I found Squeaks 5 years ago, I had 4 cats. Squeaks had visual contact with the cats while he was healing and kept in his home. I would let him out to exercise in the bedroom without the cats. Fortunately, I can close off the bedroom/bath/closet area from the rest of the apartment.

THEN came the fateful day when Squeaks wanted OUT, especially since I was in the living room with the cats! All 4 cats were sitting staring at the bedroom door while Squeaks was on the other side beaking and wing-fuing that door for all he was worth! DECISION TIME! Since we were all bound for life, I took a chance, watched closely and opened the door. For those who read his story, you know that Squeaks is not a shy bird and has ATTITUDE up the yin/yang! He came marching out, glad to escape his "prison," completely ignored the cats by walking around them and proceded to explore HIS "new" territory! The rest is history. 

I only have 2 cats now: Twiggy and Timmy. Timmy is terrified of Squeaks and avoids him. Twiggy will deliberately "tease" Squeaks into chasing her into the bedroom, where she jumps up on the bed and "neener, neeners" him from above! When she jumps down, the chase is on again!

I'm not sure what she thinks of Woe...yet. She watches her closely so I keep a sharp eye open. Woe does not have the ATTITUDE that Squeaks does and that may make a difference. Since I don't know if Woe will fly again, we are playing a "waiting" game. 

Hugs

Shi


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

The usual predator of a healthy adult wild Rock Dove in its natural environment is the Peregrine Falcon, so I'm pretty sure they do know hawks and falcons by some kind of instinct, or 'ancestral memory'. 

Larry: when my friendly feral, "PP", lived on the balcony I saw him one day go up to the railing and give his alarm call, and his two squabbies scuttle for cover. PP just flew down again, and before long the kids emerged. Then he did the same thing again. This time I went out and joined him on the balcony, and looked up, down, all over - and saw nothing unusual at all. Now whether he saw something way off, I don't know, but I suspect he was 'training' the kids. For sure, I've never seen a hawk round here in over 20 years.

John


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## Larry_Cologne (Jul 6, 2004)

John D.,

Maybe your friendly feral *PP* heard something we can't hear. 

We'll probably never know. "School fire drills" for pigeons?

I know motorcycle exhausts usually send local flocks into the air, and most percussive sounds (garbage can set down loudly, shifting truck/lorry loads making noise when gong over bumps in the road).

My tame papa pigeon *Wieteke* wasn't upset when his squeakers *Number Three* and *Droplet* ventured out of the pet carrier nest box onto the top of the wardrobe, where I could see and reach them, but his feral mate *Mamieke* was quite upset to find them "misbehaving." She gave the warning signal, which they didn't seem to take too seriously, and I think she considered them hopeless and retarded, doomed to an early demise. There was quite a bit of stress between Wieteke and Mamieke, caused by the unusual situation of an indoor nest. 

Also, I've seen my hand-raised pigeons terrified from an open black umbrella. Any angular "bat-wing" shape will do, even when there is no sudden motion to alarm them. 

Larry


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## psychopomp (May 5, 2008)

very smart...one of mine is much smarter than the other(I have two) shes also the first to learn things it seems! I have one cat, very very lazy and not into birds AT ALL. they know her and dont react much when I tie her outside on a leash beside the aviary (the less smart feral will be nervous but not panic). 
but the first day a strange cat came in the yard, I was watching out my window and they went into total panic mode!! they are the same when they see a strange person that they dont know.

I believe they can recognize not only individual people but animals as well.

which is a good thing!!! I wouldnt want them to be unafraid of all cats.


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