# Oldest pigeon?



## EarthaPidge (Feb 5, 2004)

Hi everyone,

I'm curious as to how long your oldest pigeons have lived? And what kind were they?

I have read reports of them living to 30, but have not heard firsthand. Thanks!

Eartha and Laura


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## ~pigeonlover~ (Jan 14, 2004)

i got a racer that is roughly 11 yrs old right now its getting to big and heavy to fly it don't fly much at all


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## Thunderbird (Sep 7, 2003)

I have a "geriatric aviary" for just that reason. Currently 3 retired racing homers call it home. Ages are: 15, 15, & 16. They pretty much have the run of the aviary with 2 hen turkeys, and a pair of ringneck pheasants. I have to trim beaks and toenails about once every 2 months.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Hi Thunderbird,

I'm glad to hear about your noble retired pigeons that have a "special coop". I'm glad everyone who races isn't culling!

Treesa


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## dano7 (Feb 10, 2004)

Good bird Thunderbird!!

Martha, the last passenger pigeon was born and lived in captivity in the Cincinati Zoo. She was 29 years old when she died - and a beauty even in death: 
http://www.wbu.com/chipperwoods/photos/passpigeon.htm 

The field of avian nutrition is still young and the advances in the last ten years have pushed finches from 15 to 30 years old and large parrots can outlive humans. I imagine that pigeons have the potential for 30 years and maybe considerabley more.


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## WhiteWingsCa (Mar 1, 2002)

The oldest bird in our loft was hatched in 1989 -- which makes him 15 this year!


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## Pigeonworldwide (Dec 10, 2003)

I have a friend who's pigeon died when it was like 5 days before its 24th birthday!


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## birdy (Mar 18, 2004)

The main ingredient to longevity in pigeons (and humans)is not to over-eat.

birdy


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## Christina Coughlin (Dec 29, 2002)

Dano7,

I really don't like to disagree with people but avian nutrition has along way to go still. I have rescued exotic birds since I was 9 or 10 and very seldom do I actually see a bird live that long. My oldest right now is a totally blind Cockatoo that is 21, but she has a low thyroid problem. Budgies are lucky if they die "healthy" at the age of 6. I have many differant species of parrots that have suffered in some way due to nutritional problems.

Pigeons and Chickens so far have been the most healthy of any bird I have ever had. Even second hand pigeons have it better as far as health goes. We don't feed them all the fake vitamins, dies to make their food pretty or preservatives (to make it last longer for our ease) that we do our costly exotic birds.

Avian Medicine and nutrition still has a long way to go before I can actually say that it is making captive birds lives better and longer.

From my rescue point of veiw, now I am off my soap box for the moment









Oh, my oldest pigeon - 5 years old. I haven't had 'em long but have not had any deaths!


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Hi Laura ..

My oldest is Traveler .. he is wearing a 1987 band and thus is 17 years old this year. He is a magnificent old racer who came down in my city about 5-6 years ago and has been with me since. I did talk to the secretary of his club (Devonshire in the San Fernando Valley) but since they only kept records for five years, Traveler could not be traced. Call me selfish, but I was and am so glad. The "T" bird is such a special guy .. so much attitude .. so much pride .. so much everything .. I hope he outlives me .. He was horribly injured when I got him and is now blind in one eye, but it sure doesn't seem to bother him.

http://www.rims.net/travel1.jpg 


There is a documented case of a ringneck dove living to be more than 27 years old .. see Dr. Wilmer Miller's site for info on this.

Terry


[This message has been edited by TAWhatley (edited May 04, 2004).]


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## birdy (Mar 18, 2004)

Hi Terry,

A very distinguished looking and handsome pigeon your Traveler.

birdy


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## dano7 (Feb 10, 2004)

Hi Terry,

That is a gorgeous bird.

Hi Christina,

Although eight years is the common forecast on the life span of a budgie, a well cared for budgie can make it into the teens and beyond. Your comments are...enigmatic.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Terry,

Ah...such a noble bird. I just love that bird....if Traveler could talk...I'd like to hear that conversation.

Treesa


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## Em (Feb 24, 2004)

I was born in 1987! lol.
I know a lady who takes in injured and otherwise needy feral pigeons, she has about 400 at the moment and she told me that her longest lived - a feral born pigeon named Peanuts lived to be around 25. 

My oldest is 2, I hope she makes it that long!

Emily


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## ~pigeonlover~ (Jan 14, 2004)

i born in 1987 aswell hehe.
Jason


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## Christina Coughlin (Dec 29, 2002)

Dano7,

I don't understand what you mean by "enigmatic"? I looked it up but still didn't quite understand what you mean. 

Yes, a budgie can live that long, I had one that was 16 when she died but, that is only the case when they are perfectly healthy and that is so rare. Right now I have a cockatiel that the leg band shows he is 20 years old. We have just done so much to them with breeding that it is a rare thing to see a small bird live that long. 

At one point I had thirty budgies ranging in age from 1 to 6 and I am now down to 8 just because of the poor breeding practices that take place. It's like breeding pure bred dogs (though I have never done it and don't care too). You wouldn't take just any "pure bred dog" and put two and two together and get healthy puppies. Somewhere down the line one of thoses puppies will end up with a genetic problem that wasn't seen before.

My vet was just shocked when I called about the senior Cockatiel. When I take a new rescue in to the vet all I need to know is what pet store the bird was origianlly purchased from to know how long I can expect to have that bird alive and what it will end dying from. It's so sad, that is why I am so happy with the piegons - I have had them for 3 years and not had one die!









After I started the bird rescue, my first actual rescue died within a year of cancer. My first larger bird a Quaker was 5 when he died, he just leaned over the perch and died. He had never had a sick day in those 5 years, blood work always came back great and had never been around other peoples birds. 

I had had a really bad day at the vets (another bird died in the office) and I asked him if he ever wanted to just throw in the towl and walk away sometimes and he said almost every day. The things I deal with he does too but on a more grand scale (one reason I don't want to be a vet, I couldn't handle it) than I already do.

Sorry it was long, I seem to have my mothers gift for being wordy!


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## dano7 (Feb 10, 2004)

Hi Christina,

I don't have any experience with pet birds, but I have read about the issues you mention such as breeding practices which can seriously impact the health and life expectancy of these birds. 

I understand a high quality breeder that takes the time and trouble to provide propper nutrition and socialization will produce birds consistenly capable of long lives - cockatiels into the 20's and Amazons up to 100 years. Most pet birds don't enjoy the care of a top-notch breeder or they are wild, stressed, mistreated birds.

What do you think is a good nutrition package for a cockatiel?


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## Christina Coughlin (Dec 29, 2002)

You will think I am nuts!

Cockatiels and Budgies should have limmited amounts of pellets, only feed as a treat or supplement. Other wise its good quality, clean, plain seed and all the human quality foods of any and every kind, high in vit. E and A. A lack of Vitamin E does not show up in blood work and after they die you have only so much time to catch it on a necropsy so you don't know till you are comparing symptoms and they are already gone and the vet just says "I don't know, she's just dead". 

And always feed beets! They have been proven to reduce fatty tumors and liver problems, but NO PEANUTS. I learned that in peaople they have been seen to feed tumors so we don't want to go there!

Oddly enough they seem to do better with less pellets than other larger species. I believe it all has to do with their natural wild diet.


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## FeatherBrain (Apr 5, 2004)

I sure hope all our birds on this forum have happy , healthy, long lives....
I have no idea how old my Gypsy is...She was already an adult when I got her..
Also, spking of parrots...I have two baby Indian Ringnecks that are a month old now..I handfed them since the 2ndweek. Nice to know fellow parrot owners! D'u ppl know any good Parrot Forums? The one Im on now isnt that friendly....(I have seen many forums so far, but this one has the most knowledgeable, caring ppl in the world..)
Btw, Jason n Emily, I was born in 1987 too!!


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## Christina Coughlin (Dec 29, 2002)

Check the Companion Parrot Quarterly website, there might be something there for you or at least some ideas of where you can go. To be honest I haven't been on a Parrot forum in a while as I got tired of the same old stuff. I don't have that going here, I like the change and I have been thinking of trying again lately. I'll ask my mom and find out if she knows of any.


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## flyingduster (Mar 16, 2004)

I know of a cockatiel that was 32 when I last checked, and looking like a 2 year old! hehe. http://community.webshots.com/photo/27924832/28204973AOrLMGDMjg 
That was a year or so ago now though, dunno if he's still around or what. He was defiantly 32 as well, as had only had two owners or something. That pic was taken when he was about 31 I think. not sure....


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## Christina Coughlin (Dec 29, 2002)

WOW! One time I got a call from a local breeder that she had a Blue crown Conure that was very old and she was of no use anymore but didn't want to just put her down. This hen was in BAD shape when we got there, but I was dumb and thought with her age that it was just stress. Not the case. Poor girl was a wild caught, while that in itself says she was pretty old. We picked her up friday evening and she was taken in a box for her vet apointment for a necropsy. She had PDD! I was so upset. It is so bad and here our other birds may have been exposed to it though she was in another room.

This was a few years ago and it has not shown up in the rest of the flock, so our prayers were truely answered here. It is so scarry, we think it was a set up by someone that doesn't like the fact that we know so much about the breeders in our area, our vet thought so too.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

How low can people get. Poor bird.

Is that like sending out germ warfare to your flock? 

Thank God your birds didn't get it.

Treesa


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## Christina Coughlin (Dec 29, 2002)

Yes it is. It may have been nicer to get a mail bomb than to here that news. That was the worst I think when it comes to necropsy results but knowing that she was better off dead helped I guess. 

PDD is so bad. They basicly stop digesting their food and slowly die but sometimes it takes years before you would ever know if a bird had it. People who care about the poor suffering bird generally put them down shortly after all tests have confirmed that they do have the disease.


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