# Neat old pigeon story



## jbangelfish (Mar 22, 2008)

When I was a kid, growing up on a small farm, I had a small group of pigeons that I would let out to fly every day. They all flew as a group and I remember admiring their abilty to fly so close to each other and manage to stay together. This was a group of feral and mixed breed pigeons that I began collecting in 1961.

Ever so often, a stray would show up and join my flock. Usually, it was a lost homing pigeon and they would rarely come to my coop unless they were really lost and probably hungry. Not one banded homer ever stayed more than a day.

One day a white pigeon with a few black tail feathers showed up with my birds and wound up staying and mating up with one of mine. I was delighted to have this newcomer as I thought it was a beautiful little bird. It turned out to be a hen and had young with one of my own young birds from my original Pidgey.

After she had been in my flock for a few months and had young with one of my birds, just as she appeared, she disappeared. She had been gone for over 3 months and her mate (Blacky) had already mated up with another and had eggs with her.

One day, (over 3 months after the disappearance of the white hen) as I went out to the back yard to release my birds for their flight, I noticed a little white pigeon in the field behind my house. I wondered if that could be my little white hen.

I released my pigeons and as soon as they got up 100 feet or so, Blacky dove down to the little white bird and sure enough, it was his lost mate. They seemed so happy to see each other and began courting and acting as mated pairs do. It was a very heart-warming sight. He then abandoned his new mate and was back with the little white hen.

I am sharing this story because it is amazing to me that these little birds have amazing memory and there seems to be alot more going on in their little heads than people would believe. I'll never forget that experience.

Bill


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Wonderful story. I find pigeons to be quite smart. Calling someone a bird brain is quite the compliment.


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## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

Bill, thanks for sharing your experience! I bet Blacky was really glad to see the white hen again.


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

Great story. What a nice reunion. I just feel sorry for Blacky's new mate, hope she found someone else and didn't suffer too much.

Reti


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## jbangelfish (Mar 22, 2008)

*Yes, she did.*

Pigeons are remarkably resiliant creatures (as most animals are) and will do whatever it takes to survive. It is just a true story of something we can't hope to understand and that is what goes on in the head of a bird. It appears to be alot more than what people will give them credit for.

Bill


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## Guest (Apr 5, 2008)

storys like that are almost human like as with having that first love that we never really forget  mmm memories....


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