# A Hood for a Pigeon



## birdofthegauntlet (Jul 10, 2012)

My pet pigeon Schubert, an old Old Dutch Capuchine, is trained as a 'bird of the gauntlet' and is an educational bird as well. He and I are always putting on a show for someone- I will ask him to fly or come to me or go to his perch and his spectators are always surprised by his beauty and that he is a pigeon and not a small bald eagle or vulture. 

He is trained like a raptor except that of course he doesn't go after rabbits and will not attack you if he gets ticked. He wears the jesses, anklets, bells and bewits, leash for the leg, and when he is not performing, a hood. 

Pigeons are prey animals so they are naturally a bit nervous around new people and new places. I would never, ever put the enjoyment of other people before his health, so to keep him relaxed while they pet or hold him and when he is in unfamiliar places I made him a hood. As we all know, birds are calmer when they can't see.

This is not my first hood, I've made them before, but they're getting better.
This one is made out of synthetic leather, very light, nice and soft on the inside. The piping, topknot, and braces are made out of ribbon instead of leather so they aren't too heavy, but I did make a leather brace just'n case as seen in the first pic. 
I painted a few designs on it too 























Schubert adjusted quickly and does not mind it now. It takes them a while to get used to the new weight on their head but after they adjust to it and get used to being hooded they usually forget it is there. It always helps if you start when they are younger, but Schubert was a year old before I started hooding him and he does just fine. 

If you've got a bird like Schubert/would like to train one, and want to learn how to make a hood for him/her, go to this site I posted below. A pidge will usually have a head size around 32 mm (at least that is what Schubert wears), so use around that for your pattern size. 

http://www.squidoo.com/Making-a-Falconry-Hood

Thanks!


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## polo963 (Feb 25, 2011)

thts pretty cool!


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

It probalby looks cool for the show, but I would think with repetition he would get used to new places and people without being blinded.

Im sure he is not going to go after the wrong prey if he does not have the hood..lol..

you have great skills as an artist.


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## birdofthegauntlet (Jul 10, 2012)

I hood him because I do not want him to bate when he is around other people, that is embarressing if you are a pigeoneer or a falconer... Pigeons aren't dumb, they won't fly if the can't see where they're going!
The other reason is that he is protective of me and sometimes he gets aggitated at other people when they pet him. He hasn't bitten anyone yet (except for me!) but I do not want to take chances. When he has his hood on he can't tell the difference if it is me or somebody else, even if he did try to peck I believe he would miss!

Anyway, I would never forgive myself if Schubes got scared in an unusual place, flew off and couldn't find me, so I believe he will be wearing a hood when he's not at home, for his own safety. 

If you liked the hood, go check out my other (and more extravagant) artwork on my homepage. Thanks!


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

bate? pigeoneer?.. are you in the military?

I can see how it may make things easier for you if he is hooded, but I find it a bit strange for a pigeon.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

I don't think he's in the military. He's 13.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Charis said:


> I don't think he's in the military. He's 13.


She looks like a high school student from the profile.. sorry, did not know you knew this 13 year old boy.

(pigoneer is a military term for the keepers in the War.)


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## birdofthegauntlet (Jul 10, 2012)

Yes I know what pigeoneer means historically but around here we use that term for any pigeon fancier. "Go stop by the _pigeoneer_'s house and help him clock in his racebirds." "There are lots of _pigeoneers_ in this area who linebreed."
Yes I know a hood is unusual for a pigeon because no one has ever really tried it before, but in my opinion more people should hood their pigeons because they are extremely visually-oriented and too much frightening input can stress them horribly.

"Bate" is when a bird is frightened or eager and pulls at its leash. Wings and talons hurt when they smack and it is always embarassing to have an uncontrolled bird on your hands while you're in front of other people. If the bird gains momentum it can injure their legs. Pigeons can be just as bad about bating as raptors but the habit is much easier to correct in pigeons. They're much more placid and controllable than raptors. We must remember that Raps are wild animals, pigeons are about as domestic as an animal can get.

"Bailey" is a unisex name but in this case it is referring to a female


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

birdofthegauntlet said:


> Yes I know what pigeoneer means historically but around here we use that term for any pigeon fancier. "Go stop by the _pigeoneer_'s house and help him clock in his racebirds." "There are lots of _pigeoneers_ in this area who linebreed."
> Yes I know a hood is unusual for a pigeon because no one has ever really tried it before, but in my opinion more people should hood their pigeons because they are extremely visually-oriented and too much frightening input can stress them horribly.
> 
> "Bate" is when a bird is frightened or eager and pulls at its leash. Wings and talons hurt when they smack and it is always embarassing to have an uncontrolled bird on your hands while you're in front of other people. If the bird gains momentum it can injure their legs. Pigeons can be just as bad about bating as raptors but the habit is much easier to correct in pigeons. They're much more placid and controllable than raptors. We must remember that Raps are wild animals, pigeons are about as domestic as an animal can get.
> ...


Good to know...lol.. are you sure you are in high school? you sound too mature....lol..


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

Pretty hood  And the way someone sounds on the internet doesn't mean they aren't young  Someone thought I was in my 30's before they met me and found out I was 15.


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

MaryOfExeter said:


> Pretty hood  And the way someone sounds on the internet doesn't mean they aren't young  Someone thought I was in my 30's before they met me and found out I was 15.


Thats true......
can work the other way as well


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## birdofthegauntlet (Jul 10, 2012)

Yep, pretty sure I'm only 13. I'm supposed to be in 8th grade but they skipped me 
I abhor text abbreviations in common speech/online and poor grammar. It has its place, maybe, but if you're trying to make yourself look respectable it's best to leave it out, lest people think you dropped out in the 4th grade. 

Also, just whipped up some matching anklets and a jess! Safer than leashes. 
























In the background you can see a few of my interests... record players (I own no CDs, I like oldies and older-than-dirt oldies), musical instruments (I taught myself to play banjo, violin, guitar, and the 30lb piano accordion, and I must be alright because people are always asking me to play for festivals, jams, fairs, hoedowns, barn dances, funerals. Quite a few times I've been out busking in historical Desoto and storeowners ask me to play in front of their shops to "attract customers!"). Ha ha! I suppose I'm a bit of an unusual 13 year old.


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## Armanitvrs (Apr 29, 2012)

Alright, alright, I think your making them feel bad, lol


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

birdofthegauntlet said:


> Yep, pretty sure I'm only 13. I'm supposed to be in 8th grade but they skipped me
> I abhor text abbreviations in common speech/online and poor grammar. It has its place, maybe, but if you're trying to make yourself look respectable it's best to leave it out, lest people think you dropped out in the 4th grade.
> 
> Also, just whipped up some matching anklets and a jess! Safer than leashes.
> ...




Well you are a very special and talented kid that is for sure! I thought you were a 20 something year old lady...lol.. good luck with you're projects, I have no doubt you will go far.


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## FrillbackLover (Mar 18, 2011)

Thank you for the pictures! Yes, they seem much better for the bird when on two legs rather than on one. What material is the anklets made out of?


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Actually, birdofthegauntlet , putting anything on a pigeon's ankle, put the bird at risk of a break. A bird of prey has much thicker legs.


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## Armanitvrs (Apr 29, 2012)

yea, it's not just that their thicker, but well developed for grabbing and holding prey. A well trained bird shouldn't be bating too much though. And either way, the pigeon's much safer with one on than not having one at all, especially with it on both legs.


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## birdofthegauntlet (Jul 10, 2012)

Schubert is not an idiot, like some raptors are when they just think they can fly out into the great beyond while they have their jesses on... he does not bate like a bird of prey will, if he gets frightened by something he sees, he might jump but with fly back onto my glove. Hence why I also have a hood. 
Leashes for one leg are dangerous because if they get scared and fly, all the shock goes to one leg and that is when a break happens. It is not so dangerous for a bird of prey. Jesses are safer, there is not much of a fracture risk, unless that bird is going like 50 miles an hour. Jesses balance shock and throw the bird off before they have a chance of gaining much momentum. The pigeon metatarsus is not industrialized like that of a raptor but it is still fairly well-developed, compare to the feet of terns or swifts. 
Also notice this. When a raptor takes off it dives and in a few seconds it is at top speed. When a pigeon takes off it starts very slowly with a lot of flapping. The pigeon is not going to just blast off while its legs are tethered, as a raptor might try. 

Having experience with both, it's my belief that although raptors are extremely intelligent, cunning animals, pigeons are tamer (!), easier to train and have a lot more sense.


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## Armanitvrs (Apr 29, 2012)

WHAT! You've raised raptors?


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## birdofthegauntlet (Jul 10, 2012)

Armanitvrs said:


> WHAT! You've raised raptors?


No, I haven't raised raptors (you have to be at least 14 to just start apprenticeship!), but I have spent quite a bit of time with them at the local World Bird Sanctuary, volunteering and stuff. Raptors are magnificent birds but I don't believe they are for me. They do not really "think", if you know what I mean. They are creatures of brute instinct and impulse. They do not love the falconer whatsoever or regard him or her with much more than a blank stare every once in a while. 
Pigeons, on the contrary, I do not think are so impulsive. They are very eager to interact with humans and sometimes to learn from them too. They are not wild animals like raptors are. If you raise one by hand they will share a very intimate bond with you, one that is not present in the raptor. I guess the pigeon is just Man's bird, his first bird.


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## Armanitvrs (Apr 29, 2012)

Oh, I always thought that because they were monogamous that they would form quite a bond with the falconer. Anyway, that's cool.


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## birdofthegauntlet (Jul 10, 2012)

Shoot. A hawk or falcon could fly away from you at any second, just because. And don't ask me, ask a falconer! They'll tell you all about times when they or somebody else have had a bird just decide to go for a joy ride and never come back. Mind you, raptors are *expensive* birds! I've never seen any really strong bonds between falcon and falconer. (There might be, but I'm just saying. Tick one off and you might loose an eye, seriously.) 
I guess it makes some people happy but it sounds like too much on the human's part, and not enough back, except for a few dead animals. Costs too much money, too much work, and too much time for so little in return. 

Pigeons are a different story, as we know. Reluctant to leave home/master, and will always return if they're separated. Cheap. Loyal. Fun. That's what I call a quality companion animal.


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## Armanitvrs (Apr 29, 2012)

Falcons vs. Pigeons, and the pigeons win........ who would have thought.


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