# Pigeon Recovery?



## suitepotato (Jul 30, 2009)

About three years ago I found in the fall a pigeon on my doorstep and she refused to fly. I chased her about the yard but she refused. We went around in circles for an hour until dusk and so I scooped her up and took her inside to an old ferret cage when she stayed for the night.

Next morning, she refused to leave. I chased her around the yard again and she would not fly farther than ten feet. I inspected her front to back and she had not a wound on her. Nothing broken.

She stayed here ever since, becoming extremely friendly very quick to the point that she ate off our dinner plates and would sit on our shoulders and make a purring noise to seemingly beg for toast, croissants, etc. She flew across the room without a hitch and laid a succession of inert eggs in a makeshift nest and watched television every day. She seemed very domestic.

Yesterday my wife made the mistake of taking her outside where she freaked out when her mother slammed the car door. On bolting to the neighbor's house two males saw her and gave chase. She disappeared with them in pursuit quickly and this morning they reappeared on the neighbor's house where my wife confirmed that the same males were the ones I was seeing and we saw another tailing them, doing what appeared to be behaviors to get their attention.

Is there any chance to get her back? We put familiar objects within sight of her perch such as her food dish, spread seed all about, and even put out a stuffed dog she was obsessed about attacking like she was an eagle. She paid no attention and hung around with the boys. I'm thinking maybe she is trying to attract a mate and may not come home any time soon, but we realized that we miss her terribly and would like to attract her.

Any ideas?


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

Hi Suitepotato,
You did a right thing saving this pigeon three years ago, as if birds can’t fly, they become quickly victims of the predators. Do right thing again. Let your bird decide to come alone or stay free with the members of her own species. I know that you mean good for your lady pigeon, so the best for now is to keep feeding her around your house and supervise her new relationship. If she needs your help she will come back.


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## trinity (May 18, 2007)

just build a roosting nest at certain height safe from cats and other predators so that she can come back and settle in there as the new male may not adjust with you.
Atleast not very soon


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## suitepotato (Jul 30, 2009)

It wasn't the first time she was outside. That's what caused the confusion for my wife. On perhaps five other occasions she was taken outside on her shoulder and never flew farther than fifteen feet out and then right back in a circle. On two of those she saw other pigeons and paid them no mind.

Well, she's been back this morning and she was making the sort of light pecking at each other thing with a male that the web says are courting movements and so given that and the weather I can only assume she's having her summer fling and may not be coming back.

Though if I remove my attic window, they might try it out up there.


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

She met the One!  You can try and atract male too and Trinity's suggestion is good.


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## suitepotato (Jul 30, 2009)

plamenh said:


> She met the One!  You can try and atract male too and Trinity's suggestion is good.


No thanks, I'm married to a woman.



She has seen me and from her head movement indicated she recognized me, then she acted "too cool for school" and kissed up to the male and ignored her favorite stuffed animal and food bowl. The other birds around though have started a mob scene in my back yard over the seed so maybe they will see them and join in or not, but there's food and water out.

I know it is her not just because of coloring but because she does what we call Pigeon Isometrics/Yoga and stretches in a specific order, then preens, and then sits the same way every time.

Anyone else note a lack of pigeons compared to previous years? I count five regulars including her and have never seen more than three to five at a time in all the years I've been here. When I was a kid, they were a lot more plentiful.


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