# looking for advice on pigeon release



## Subipe (Feb 25, 2010)

Hi,

I am looking for some advice on releasing a feral pigeon. 
Last weekend I found a young bird, that had fallen out of its nest, probably because it tried to fly while still too young. I picked it up and took it home, as there was no way that I would be able to get it back into its nest again. The colony where it came from is situated under an underpass of a 4 lane highway. 
It is doing really well, and eats and drinks on its own, even though it still says 'piep' instead of normal 'rucoo', and still has some yellow down sticking out from its feathers. Not all its feathers have come through the whole way, and I decided to keep it for a little while, to give it a safe place to grow all its feathers. After that, it should be able to fly, and make it on its own. 

I have taken care to handle it as little as possible (easy since it eats on its own), so it does not get domesticated and I should be able to release it when it is ready. 

Now my question is: what would be the best place to release it? My options are: 
1) its original colony. Usually releasing an animal where it came from is the best option, as familiarity with the area and other known individuals = best survival chance. However, given the location of this colony (right over a busy 4 lane highway), I am reluctant to put the bird back there because of the obvious danger. A lot of pigeons are not as lucky as this one, and there are often dead birds hit by cars. 
2) another feral pigeon colony, in a much safer place (I do have one available). However, will the resident birds accept a newcomer? Or, given the strong homing instinct of pigeons, will this little one try to fly back to its own colony again, or even back to my house (I have had it for almost a week now) - both are a bit of a distance away, and a young bird might not make it that far. 
3) my own house. This would allow me to keep an eye on it if it stays around, and perhaps feed it a while to get it started. However, I do have two bird-chasing-dogs in my backyard. It also will not have any other pigeons around to teach it, and again with the homing instinct - will it try to fly back to its own colony anyway?

Does anybody have any ideas/experience with this? Does anybody have any advice?

Linda


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Hi Linda. Thank you for saving the baby's life.

Go here, and tell us how old you think he/she is:

http://speedpigeon.com/baby_racing_pigeon.htm


A found baby should not be released until at LEAST 9 weeks old. Also, if it is winter and it is cold in winter where you are (i.e. below 50 degrees or so)...it's also not a great idea to release a baby in the dead of winter.

If he/she already eats on her own, that is great. If you have a good sized, healthy-looking feral flock near you which is in a decent location (i.e. no dramatic dangers from vehicles, people or hawks, & good food and water sources)...I always vote for that.

Based upon what you have written....I wouldn't put the pigeon back with its flock at the freeway...it doesn't seem like a great place.

NOW...do please read up on *'soft release'*...because you cannot just take care of the pigeon and then take her in a carrier into a flock area and open the door and let her go. It would end very badly.

Soft Release is an acclimation process which you must do with the baby when they reach about 7 weeks of age. You only need do it about 15 minutes/day for about a week...you can even skip or miss a day here and there. PM me if you would like a full description.

When I first came here folks told me releasing at 6-7 weeks was OK. But...over time and over many releases I have come to agree with the folks who think it too young. The youngster will have enough challenges ahead of him/her....the more robust and mature they are, the better their chances. I never soft release now before 8+ weeks.

Again, thanks for saving your pal. It'd be great to see a photo !!!!


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## Subipe (Feb 25, 2010)

Thank you for your reply Jaye, really much appreciated! I have looked at the link you send me, and I think when I picked the little bird up last week it would have been 24 days old. It looks around 30 days old now, but it is just a guess! Hard to estimate... I will try to post a photo soon. 

I have put the bird in a large airline-dog-carrier (german shepherd size) out on the back deck. I am in Australia (Canberra), so no winter here. The summer is pretty mild, so I do not think it will be too hot. I do take care that it is not in the full sun. I had it in the garage before, but I think outside (where it can see other birds) is better. It might prompt it to exercise its wings a bit more. 

I tried to let it fly in the garage to see how it was progressing, but it does not seem to be able to get any higher than about 20 cm off the ground, which is similar to when I got it. The last of its feathers are still growing underneath its wings as well - they have not finished coming all the way through. 

I have a question about its eating as well. I got it bird seed mix, but it only seems to eat the little seeds out of it - it ignores the grain or corn. It also seems to eat WAY less than when I first got it. I am concerned it might not be getting enough, especially since the breastbone is sticking out a bit - its does not seem to have a lot of reserves. I have started hand-feeding peas and corn at night, so it goes to sleep with a full gizzard (croup? - not sure what the right name is for that organ where seeds go to first). I give it about 20 peas/corn bits at night and a bit of water. 
Is this the right thing to do? Should I be feeding it more? Or is me feeding it bad - if it might not be that hungry because of me feeding it, it might eat less by itself... And getting it self-sufficient is really my aim.. 

Otherwise the little bird seems to be doing fine - seems healthy, and full of energy when I try to catch it out of the cage. 

I took a look at the soft-release info elsewhere on the site - I do not have a wire cage though.. Is there any other way of doing it?
Or is there perhaps a more experienced pigeon-friendly-rehab person somewhere in/close to Canberra, Australia?


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## Subipe (Feb 25, 2010)

Here is a photo. Not the best one, but you can see the bird anyway. I will try again a bit later - it is a bit dark outside at the moment.


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## Bella_F (Nov 29, 2008)

Hi Linda,
I just got back from holidays; I used to live in Canberra so I can kind of picture the environment you live in. Luckily its summer there; its a good season for a soft release. How is your little pigeon going? She looks beautiful & healthy in your picture, though a little young for total independence perhaps. I agree that she needs a soft release, and preferably from your home. But its difficult, I realize.

I had a similar situation a couple of years ago, though it was with an orphan crow rather than a pigeon. It couldn't fly properly due to stress fractures on his feathers, which kept making them break off. And there were no crows in the area to raise it & help it learn how to be a crow. Nor could I catch her. So i fed her for several months in a tree in the park across the road from me, until her feathers grew and she was flying. It took 6 months, Doh! But she was worth it.

Feeding her attracted other crows, in fact a whole flock of crows. And she became part of this flock and bonded to an adult male. It took about 3-4 weeks for the food to attract other crows. 

So I am wondering if you could try attracting some pigeons to your place by putting out seed in a feeder (perhaps in the front, away from your dogs?), and then she could be close to you, and join the group when she's older? To me, this seems the best idea for a soft release, since her homing instinct could be your place now, as she's very young and knows there is food there?

Anyway good luck with her. She's lovely!


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

That's a hecka story, Bella. Kudos to you for seeing your Crow friend thru thick and thin !

Linda, you guessed about right...4 weeks old or so. Still a tad too young to be flying on her/his own yet...but getting close.

I suggest you continue with the Garage Practice Flights. This is how a baby learns to fly. Little jumps and quick flights from spot to spot. You can even hold him at about waist-level and give him a gentle toss from that height...see what he does. This is what I do with resuced fledglings. It takes some time for them to gain flapping confidence. Just keep the 'toss' away from immediate objects within about 5 feet of you.

You are also correct...a protruding breast/keel bone indicates underweight. Kep in mind, though, when babies fledge naturally...they always look kinda scrawny for the first few weeks.

I believe the peas and corn supplements are good. It should help. If you had any desire to, you could do one more supplemental feeding each day, maybe another 10 peas at a different time of day. Also, just to make sure ...you may wanna get some Ivermectin wormer and give the bird some of that. Just to cover the bases that she isn't skinny due to worms. Very easy to dose, and you only do 2 doses several days apart.

Not strange that he prefers certain seed to others.

I still say go with the established flock in the safer location. I don't believe the homing instinct would lead him/her back to your house. I have not had that experience a whole lot (Pigeons continually returning to me after I soft release).
It MAY lead him to go back to his original flock. Or it may not. 
Can you safely feed the safer flock for about 10 minutes/day for about 1 week ? If so...that is the place you wanna do the Soft Release acclimation...and that is the place you wanna release him/her. But no release until 8-9 weeks old (although you could do 10-14 days of Soft Release acclimation if you wanted to...so you could start that process as early as 6-1/2 weeks or so.
8-9 weeks allows for a more robust, more mature adolescent. And the daily acclimation regimen allows the flock to become familiar with this newcomer.

All in all, you have got things under control and have made great decisions so far !!!


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## Bella_F (Nov 29, 2008)

Jaye said:


> I still say go with the established flock in the safer location. I don't believe the homing instinct would lead him/her back to your house. I have not had that experience a whole lot (Pigeons continually returning to me after I soft release).
> It MAY lead him to go back to his original flock. Or it may not.
> Can you safely feed the safer flock for about 10 minutes/day for about 1 week ?


Thats a great idea Jaye. So long as she gets the regular daily food for a bit, she'd probably learn fast from the other pigeons. 

Its interesting hearing that your rescues don't keep returning to your home. It makes sense that they wouldn't. Its different for me for some reason...maybe because I have feeders out? There mustn't be a whole lot of food around my area, because all my rescued birds are the first ones to arrive in the morning. The crow too, lol. Its rewarding seeing them, and knowing that they made it, went on to thrive and find mates etc.


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## Subipe (Feb 25, 2010)

Well done with the crow Bella! That is really good! Glad to hear she is still going strong too!

I had the pigeon in the garage again today, and it is flying a lot better already 
It can now fly up to the beams in the roof of the garage, and seems to have a lot more control over where it is flying to, although the landings seem to still be a bit of a problem. It looks really funny, but poor birdie! I guess it just needs to develop some more coordination there...

I am still a little bit concerned about its weight, and was wondering, do any of you know how much a bird about that age (4-5 weeks) should weigh? The worming is a good idea. I also noticed it had quite a high number of mites, and treated it for that. They might have had something to do with it?

I will certainly keep it for a while longer, if that is better. Perhaps get a bit more weight on it. 
I can feed the established flock of pigeons for a while, before and after release, that is not a problem. People disagreeing with me is probably my main concern - feral pigeons are not popular in Canberra. But all in all this particular flock should be safe enough. I can take the pigeon out there a couple of times (without releasing it yet), but do not have a wire cage or anything for Soft Release and habituation to the pigeons there. A cat carrier is probably the best I can do at this stage, or perhaps a milk-crate. Somebody suggested tying a string to one of its legs so it has plenty of freedom to meet the other pigeons but cannot get away - but I think that is just cruel.


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Subipe said:


> Somebody suggested tying a string to one of its legs so it has plenty of freedom to meet the other pigeons but cannot get away - but I think that is just cruel.


 definately not a good idea, If it did try to fly it would injure the leg and itself by crashing to the ground when the string reached its taught length.

Just an idea, but do you have a large laundry basket ? something like this type










you could cover top with a thin piece of net type cloth.

or even a couple of them from your general store, just invert one & taped together at a few points.
Cheaper than a cage, and you would probably find a use for them in the garage afterwards LOL


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

The laundry basket thing is an interesting idea. It works well as a sick-ward....it only works so-so as a Soft Release enclosure, though.

The leash is definitely NOT...unless you wanna keep a disabled pigeon as a companion bird for the rest of its life.

Good news on the flying. Yes, they are comically poor flyers to begin with...but it's cute as hell and they do get better fast. One thing to keep in mind is...she/he is gonna get more evasive, so you may wanna set things up so she/he doesn't figure out that there's a location in the garage where you cannot catch him.

Bella...I usually acclimate/release my baby patients to a flock which is NOT my house/neighborhood flock...but one some distance away; or back to their original location if a healthy and relatively safe flock is present. So they are acclimating to that partiicular flock and have generally not seen the outside of my building too much other than the view out my windows. I believe this is why they do not home back here.

You absolutely, positively need to buy it some sort of enclosure which it can clearly see thru. A small cage, even just a cheap-o hamster cage or such, maybe 18x24 inches minimum...is all you need and I cannot imagine they'd cost much. You really want to have the baby see the flock 360 view, and you want the flock to see the baby in the cage...sometimes, intrepid Ferals will actually jump on the cage and want to get in because they see food in the bottom ! You actually wanna wire the cage door shut when you go there, and wanna wire the top part (bars) to the bottom part (base) even though there may be some slots or clips for doing this already - you want extra.

People will stare, some might be jerks but more will just be interested and some will be concerned that you appear to be trapping pigeons ! You just tell them you are acclimating an orphan to the flock. It all makes for interesting conversation.

There really is no way around it. You have done so well, and put so much effort into helping your pal...you just need to go the whole nine yards and do the soft release with a cage. If you skimp on it and the baby has only limited visual access to what is going on around him...you really chance an improper acclimation and that would be detrimental to him/her.


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## Bella_F (Nov 29, 2008)

Thats great info Quazar and Jaye. 

The last release I did was from a largish guinea pig cage, and I wasn't really intending to release him, as he was still badly underweight, though flying well, pooping well, and eating well. I was really only intending to see how he and the other pigeons got on eating together & get him accustomed to the other pigeons again. I had put some seed in the cage as well as around the cage to attract some of the flock.

He went kind of nuts when the other pigeons came near and started eating- he wanted to be with them so badly and was climbing the sides of the cage trying to get out. I thought he might hurt himself. And the other pigeons were fine with him there. They didn't pay much attention to him really since they were gobbling up food. 

So because it was very hot summer weather and I knew I could continue to provide food to him (which is all I was doing for him in captivity anyway), I let him go. He was SO happy! He ate heaps then had a long bath in the bird bath, then flew onto the roof for a while. That night he flew away with the others.

I was pretty worried about his weight. I think he was around 200 grams at release, which is close to emaciation. But he's been here every day for about a month and he's doing great. He was one of those birds that really picked up in the company of other pigeons, whereas in captivity he not thriving. If i knew how to tube feed, I might have done that for a while to beef him up a bit, but I was too scared to practice on him and risk killing him .

Also I honestly think pigeons are pretty used to strangers in their flock, as I'm always seeing new ones around in my own flock myself...new babies, new couples who have just figured out there is food in the area, sick ones who need a bit of help etc. They seem to accept one another and take comfort in the fact that there are just other pigeons around.

Anyway good luck! The baby sounds like she's getting good at flying!


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## Subipe (Feb 25, 2010)

I just weighed the bird, and it is about 375 grams. It still feels a bit on the thin side, although I do not think it is emaciated or anything. But still doing well. It is in a cage outside of my bedroom window, on the back deck, and I can hear it doing its wing exercises every morning for quite some time after it gets light . I think it will get stronger soon now, with all the flapping it is doing! It might help that I have a family of crested pigeons in my yard every morning at the moment (before dogs go outside in the morning) - they might really motivate the little feral one to get out there. If the crested pigeons formed flocks I might consider letting the feral one go with them (if everybody accepts each other and gets along, who cares if they are a different species, as long as they look out for each other and have a similar diet?) But unfortunately the crested ones only form temporary family groups or otherwise seem to be mainly solitary or couples - so it would not really work out. 
I also wormed it, that might help as well. 

I will see if I can dig up an old hamster or rabbit cage from somewhere for soft release - I do not think they would be too expensive. 

I was wondering though, Bella, you mentioned that you used to be in Canberra? Are you still somewhere in the area, or have you moved somewhere else completely?


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## Bella_F (Nov 29, 2008)

Dear Subpipe,

I'd love to help you with the release, but I live in QLD now unfortunately.

We have crested pigeons up here too (aren't they gorgeous?). They eat with the feral pigeons & I'm sure your baby takes comfort in their presence and sounds. But like you said, they tend to form temporary family groups or be solitary/ in pairs. Also ,their diet is a bit different to the rock pigeons in that they prefer native fruits and seeds . Its still great that they are around though.

I'm glad to hear that you baby is doing well; you're doing a great job caring for him!


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## Subipe (Feb 25, 2010)

Hi guys, 

I thought I would give you a bit of an update on this little pigeon. Since my last post I have ordered a soft-release cage online (was cheap), and I was waiting for it to be delivered, but this took much longer than expected. In the meantime I continued giving the pigeon flying time (now in my bathroom, as it is easier to catch it there than in my garage), and tried to get it to clean itself. It was clear though that this little bird was VERY ready for release. 

Then, one morning, when I opened the cage to top up its food and water, the birdie launched itself at the cage door, and managed to escape. I felt terrible. She was not integrated with other pigeons or anything, and did not know the area. I tried catching it again, but this of course did not work, as she could fly very well. So I went for the second best option, and established a feeding and water place for the pigeon on my roof (safest place I have for a birdie). She sat on my roof for a long time, and then took off. In the following days, I saw her every now and again, and she seemed to be surviving ok. I do not think she ever got the food and water on the roof, but the crested pigeons and sparrows were certainly happy with it . This happened about 1.5 - 2 weeks ago. After a couple of days I did not see her anymore. 

It has been relatively dry here the past 2 weeks. Only the last 2 days or so has it started raining again, and yesterday it was really pouring down rain. Yesterday evening (late) I was letting the dogs go outside for a bit, when I realized that the little pigeon was sitting on my back deck, on a chair. It is definitely the same pigeon, no mistaking it. It was completely drenched with rain, and I could easily catch it. When I weighed it, it has lost about 70 grams since its escape, it is quite thin. So I put it back in its cage, and will feed her up a bit before this time I will do the right thing, and integrate her with the flock of ferals. I have received the release cage in the meantime, so I can start soon, but I might give her a day or two to settle down. At the moment all she does is sleep - will keep an eye on her that she has not picked up any disease or anything. It might just be relief on the pigeons part that she is back in what she must remember as being a safe environment, catching up on some sleep? I do not know.

I am quite happy that she is back though, so at least now I can do the right thing. I felt SO bad when she had escaped, as it is just not the best place for feral pigeons in my area. Especially not pigeons unsocialized to their own kind. But I do feel sorry that things did not work out better for her out there. I just hope that if I release her with the ferals, she will do better. It was good that she came back 'home' when things got bad for her, but when I release her with the ferals, she might not remember how to get here (they are some distance away)..


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

*Wow*...believe me....I know EXACTLY how you had been feeling because this has happened to me as well (in my instance, the Pigeon still had a CAST on his leg !

Amazingly...he also came back by himself after about a week ! (They are smart, these little buggers).

Yes, sounds like she had a fairly rough time of it...it was probably the foraging thing which she wasn't getting...so she wasn't eating. Or it could be that, given she was so used to the good food you were giving her, she didn't recognize that that 2-day old piece of pizza on the ground was food. Or it could be she just couldn't or wouldn't join in on a flock, where she could observe such things....

Anyway...I also know how ecstatic you must be right now. Do keep her warm and feed her up. Also might wanna start throwing in some people-food of the sort which a Pigeon would find on the street (crunched up cereal, specks of bread, etc). Keep an eye out for illness.

If she really is sleeping a lot, she is likely ill. BUT, she may also just be dehydrated, so I would offer water and if she doesn't drink, go to an aggressive hydration via syringe with Pedialyte (if you have it there) or other infant (human) hydrating solution for a few days.

Also keep an eye for Canker in the mouth...for stringy poops with little or no 'white' in it (coccidiosis)...or no weight gain despite eating lots (worms).

Whew !!!!!! Keep it up. 

Figuring she's about 10 weeks old now and you are gonna help her recover for about a week, then start the Soft Release (takes another week)...so she'd be released at about 12-13 weeks old...that's a BETTER age for release because they are beginning to segue into sexual maturity, so they are more able to stand up for themselves as well as be accepted into a flock.


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## Subipe (Feb 25, 2010)

thanks Jaye. Yes, I felt HORRIBLE when she had escaped.. And of course also very, very stupid that it could have happened. 

Very happy that she did come back. She seems to be recovering well. Like I indicated, she slept heaps at first, but now she seems to be fairly back to normal. She is even back to doing her wing exercises again each morning, and she is very interested in food. I did check her beak, but that all seems clear, and she is not showing any signs of illness. I might worm her again just to be sure. 
She does seem to have a problem with not recognizing a lot of food items as being edible. I finally managed to find proper pigeon food (I was feeding her on wild bird mix before - pigeons are not popular or common here as pets and it is amazing how hard it is to find 'real' pigeon mix), but she does not recognize most of the seeds in it as 'food'. Even with the wild bird mix she only eats about half of the seed types. Not sure how to teach her to eat it - she is too wild to take any directions from me, and I do not want her to become tame either.. I just hope that once she is integrated with the wild flock that they will be able to teach her what is edible out there and what is not. 

First trip to the wild flock is scheduled for tomorrow morning


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## Subipe (Feb 25, 2010)

Mmmm, seems there are some additional issues with soft releasing this birdie... The feral flock is not playing ball. They are wild pigeons, not used to being fed at all, and when they see me coming with the little pigeon, they just take off. I take the little pigeon to their roosting site - they live under an underpass of a bike path with a quiet back road. Usually they just hang out around the place, but they disappear when I put the little pigeon there in her soft release cage. 
Not sure what to do. I tried getting the flock used to me putting some food out for them, but they are not taking it. I am not sure I really want them getting used to being fed by humans either, just seems to introduce additional hazards for them (people here are not that crazy about pigeons, and Australians seem to LOVE poisoning living things). 

Of course I can keep taking the little pigeon out to the flock, and at least let her get used to the area, but I think there will not be that much socialization happening with the other pigeons. Is that enough for soft release? Does anybody have any suggestions what else I can try?
The little pigeon does seem very exited by the smell, sight and sound of other pigeons flying past, and tries desperately to escape from the cage when that happens.


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

No...it's NOT enough for soft release. People tend to believe that simply because a rescued youngster looks like he/she 'wants' to get out of that cage, they are set to go and their instincts will kick in.

That is a devastating misunderstanding. Because, most times, if the Pigeon is let out...they are gonna be in a bad situation and not respond the way they should (this is putting it mildly).

You need a Flock which is used to human feedings...the kind which will come and forage at the feet of someone feeding them while sitting on a bench, or whatever. 
You are correct, "underpass" flocks are often too WILY to go for that sort of feeding.

Public park...outdoor mall....places like these might be better suited.

You also want to determine a relatively 'safe' place....one with a water source, not bad vehicular traffic, few if any hawks, and no nasty humans.

It takes some time to scope around, sometimes.


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## goga82 (Aug 17, 2009)

so far i released at least 10 ferals..few were couples and few were released on their own.
how i do it.. well. i spend a lot of time with them outside.. pigeons as pigeons faitfull as dogs never leave my sight unless i leave theirs.
days would go by till they would get enough courage to fly on top of my buliding.. days later they would fly aound the buliding and then the neighboorhood.. 
investigating.. memoizing the area..
they come home to sleep .. but eventually they would stop after few days...
freedom tasted better than sleeping in the cage..
some would come home daily to grab a bite to eat and some would visit every other week with pigeons they picked up along the way..
4as of now i have a 2 month old pigeon that im trying to release. spring is coming and im waiting for the perfect weather..
right now she spending few hours on my window.. looking around..i know what comes next

once she's gone. i have another couple of babies i found 2 days ago...
im preparing then too 
chicago pigeons love them


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## Subipe (Feb 25, 2010)

As far as the soft release goes, I might have a problem then. There are no pigeons that I know of that are used to being fed by humans in my area... There might be one or two pigeons in the city center that live from human food, but even these guys are definitely NOT used to being fed by people - they just clean up stuff that is dropped on the street. Apart from that, the city center is about an hour drive away from me.... 
Feeding pigeons just does not happen here in Canberra (not that I know of anyway). Is there anybody in Canberra (Australia) that knows of feral pigeons that are being fed? Or who can help me with a soft release of a little rescued youngster?

Release from my house was not really a great success - see previous posts.. 

It might be time for a plan B. The feral underpass flock is in a very good situation - they live on the edge of a large parkland area, where there is always enough food for them, and they have plenty of water nearby. There are no major predators that I know off, and very little dangerous traffic (car or human). The flock is absolutely thriving. It would be really good if the little pigeon could become part of them. 
Does anybody have any advice how I can achieve this?


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

I don't mean to sound like a hard#ss here....but....

Googa...I am assuming what you are saying is you bring them outside, unrestrained, for several days until they build up the courage to take off. That's not an acclimation. Just because a healed youngster has the desire and bravery to fly does not mean they are at all suited for living in the Feral world. 

I am not suggesting they failed or this didn't work...I am saying it doesn't have a very good likelihood and runs so many risks which Soft Release addresses.....

Soft Release teaches them how to forage with the flock, how to recognize food, and MOST IMPORTANTLY...how to flee and get the h#ll outta there when the flock startles and takes off. Why the latter ? Predators and danger. This is where un-acclimated babies fail the most. This is where even wild Ferals fail. Think of a flock fleeing in one huge lot...and of the ONE Pigeon who stays on the ground (or roof) sorta looking around like "hey, where's everyone going ?". That's the Pigeon which falls victim. 

Fleeing isn't hardwired.

I have seen it because I have botched some myself, and have also seen it described here by others ~ who wondered why their released friend wasn't joining the flock but rather just staying in one location, seemingly petrified of everything around him/her. Or why she/he was getting beaten up and bullied by most everyone in the flock.....


I dunno what other advice to offer; this is a tough question you pose...because my understanding is that there aren't rehab centers in AU which re-release healed Pigeons because any surrendered Pigeon is killed, instead. You need to find a Feral flock someplace which isn't afraid of being fed by humans.

My only other suggestion would be to 'stake out' the underpass while sitting in a car (?) Put the cage down (LOCK it so no passerby can open it...maybe put a sign on it as well)...put food around the cage...go in the car (very close to the cage) and sit there for 10-15 minutes to see if the Flock comes down in your 'absence'. The only thing that is risky is that (again) someone's gonna walk by and open the cage, or take it (thus the lock and sign "wild acclimation in progress - please don't touch").

You can actually "soften up" the underpass flock a bit by leaving some food for them when you don't have your pal with you. Then leaving. In your absence they will likely come down and eat. Then over a few days they'll recognize you are the one dropping off food. Keep leaving some food, and keep leaving the scene. Then, one day, show up with the cage and the food, and start the stake out.


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## Subipe (Feb 25, 2010)

Yeah, I have been doing something similar to what you propose Jaye. For the past 4 days I have been taking the pigeon out to the flock, leaving it under the underpass with food in and around the cage and then back off far enough so as not to disturb the flock. I have been leaving the cage there for about 30 minutes at a time, hoping the flock would come back. So far nothing... Mainly because when I put the cage down most of the pigeons just fly off - far away, they disappear, probably starting their days foraging trip.

This morning I tried to sneak in before the flock woke up, so I would not scare them off, and they would just wake up and find the cage with food around it there. The first part worked - I was there at 6 am and I did not scare the flock off when putting the cage in place. But then when I was waiting for them to wake up, it started pelting down rain (forecast had said it would be dry!). I got soaked, and the pigeon as well - the rain was going sideways.... So I abandoned the attempt for the day, deciding that getting us both dry again was probably more important for the time being. It might work on a dry day though - will have to try again after the weekend (rain forecast till after the weekend). 
It might indeed be worthwhile just feeding the flock without the little pigeon present. 

Overall I have not had much trouble from people yet, most people do not even notice the cage under the underpass, they are more concerned with me just hanging out doing nothing... Only a couple of little girls thought I was the meanest person on earth for 'trapping pigeons', their dad had to restrain them from 'rescuing' the pigeon from the 'trap' (locks might definitely be a good idea!).. Tried to explain, but they did not listen - poor kids are probably going to have nightmares about trapped pigeons for weeks...


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## Subipe (Feb 25, 2010)

Finally, it is working! 
I spent about 1.5 weeks just feeding the feral flock early in the morning - coming in before they wake up and leaving food out for them, so that they find it when they wake up. It saves them getting a fright from me walking in, and they have had some time to get used to the idea that 'magically' food appears overnight, and they only have to come down and get it. 

This morning (early, before the pigeons had woken up) I took my little pigeon with me in her release cage, scattered food all around the cage and left - keeping a distance, hiding in the lower branches of a tree to keep an eye on it all so I could 'rescue' my little pigeon if I had to.

And it worked! the ferals were a bit uncertain about the cage at first, but then there was one little black youngster who come up to the cage and started eating the food around it. And of course when one is eating they all want a share, so a large number of them came over to the release cage and ate, moving all around it. The little black youngster even tried sticking its head through the bars to get to the food on the bottom of the cage 

My little pigeon seemed a bit overwhelmed with it all... At first she just backed off from them, but at least she has the instinct that if they get a fright and fly off, she immediately tries to go with them - does not lag behind at all in trying to take off - although of course she does not get very far in that cage... Towards the end, when the food was gone, some pigeons stayed behind for a while, trying to get a good look at this newcomer, and she actually started to try to interact with them a bit more. She was preening her feathers, and even approached one. 

All in all, a good start I think, and makes me positive that this will work!


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## kulaworld (Jan 21, 2011)

WOW Linda, you are amazing! 
I have been following your post for a while because I am in the same boat with 2 young pigeons and I found your story inspirational. 
My post: http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f6/i-am-looking-for-a-rehabber-in-south-australia-50377.html
I really admire your determination, especially that you get up so early in the morning with the goal to try to find a "family" for your bird.
As I found out as well, it does involve some input of time and money to get the young ones off to hopefully a good start. 
A bit easier for me though, I got the ferals to come to my yard, at least I don't have to travel away in the morning....
Thanks for keeping us up-to-date.
I wish you and your pigeon the best of success and good luck!
Cheers


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Yes, that's excellent work and kudos to you for being creative !

Keep it up and keep us posted. Sounds like some of the 'signs' are there.

Kula...that's great that Ferals will come right to your yard..,,,


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## goga82 (Aug 17, 2009)

update update


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## Subipe (Feb 25, 2010)

The ferals are still coming down in the morning, and do not seem that worried by the release cage anymore. Although it is still the same little black youngster that starts feeding first - and this attracts the rest. The little black one now really seems to associate the cage with food - she/he immediately flies to the cage now to eat, instead of landing at a distance and walking closer  Not sure if that little bird is just hungrier than the rest, or more curious/investigating.. But I am happy it is there, because it is a great facilitator for the rest of the flock. 

My little pigeon now tries to move towards the ferals when she sees them, pressing up against the cage to get closer - instead of moving away from them like she did the first time. She is also showing some signs of starting to feed when the rest is gobbling up the seeds around her cage, which I think is pretty good. There seems to be a small group of mainly youngsters that stay behind, crowding her cage when the food is gone, and try to peer into the cage from very close range. Not sure if they are trying to find a way into the cage to get to the food lying on the bottom, or if they are trying to interact with my little birdie. Either way - I am sure it is good socialization. 

I know I have only just managed for the flock to come and socialize with my little bird, and I will certainly not let her go for a while yet, but what are the signs to look for, to know she is doing the right things, and might be ready for release? Or, alternatively, is there a recommended time that I should be taking her out for?
Oh, and the link elsewhere on this forum to the soft release description does not seem to work anymore... 

Kula, I saw your thread, good job on the cage you made! Very inventive! And great that you get the ferals in your backyard, that is really cool. I think it is really good of you to help those two little pigeons, and invest the time, energy and money to give them the best start - well done! There are not that many other people in this country that help pigeons unfortunately. 
I can understand you will miss the little guys when they do fly off with a flock - I will certainly miss my little bird. But I think it will be great too, when she finally gets to go back to being a wild pigeon.


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## Subipe (Feb 25, 2010)

Well, the little pigeon is back to 'the wild' again. I have taken her out to the flock for a period of about a month, of which she was actually out in the soft release cage for probably 16 days - the other days it rained. It is not much fun to be out there in the rain, so those days were skipped. 

But I think skipping days was not a problem, she was really ready to go. The last couple of times in the cage, she would almost panic when the flock took of for their morning flights, and she could not follow. So last Saturday I opened the cage door for her on her soft release. I had picked a weekend as there are fewer people passing the underpass, which seemed better to me for a release. She was very hesitant, and then the ferals came up and started eating, and when they tried to get into the cage they pushed the door closed, effectively locking her into the cage again . At least they did not trap one of their own in the cage, only my little pigeon.. As the ferals are not used to me, I did not want to risk approaching and scaring them off to re-open the door, so I took the little pigeon home again after the ferals had left on the morning flight.
I went back on Sunday, and opened the door a bit further this time. The little pigeon wasted no time at all this time around, and hopped out when she saw the ferals approaching for their morning feed. She kept a bit of a distance from them to start with, but soon mingled among them, and started eating with them. Then they all got a fright, and she flew up onto the ledge under the overpass where they all sleep. She was accepted there without any problems, nobody tried to push her off (as I have seen them do to each other before). When they all got down again, she again followed, and hung out with them for a while, after which she flew up onto the ledge again. The flock then left for their morning flight, and I lost sight of her. 

I went back towards dusk, but found no pigeons in distress anywhere, all the pigeons were up on their ledge, and she was presumably with them.
I will continue feeding them for a little while in the morning, to support my little pigeon, but also the flock - it would not really be fair to suddenly stop feeding them now that they are so used to it. I will gradually degrease the amount of food left out for them until they are on their own again. 

My little pigeon seemed really at home in the flock, the way she mingled with them and just made the ledge her home (where she was also accepted without any issues), I am happy it worked out this well. Of course it is no guarantee she will live a long and happy life, but at least I feel that I did everything that I could to help her. 

Thanks everybody for all the support and good advice that you have given me!


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Glad everything went well in the end, & 10/10 for your patiance and maing it work out


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Good work...and wow ! What patience !

Indeed, no guarantees....but you have given her the greatest of gifts: a second chance.

(if only we were all so lucky to be given such a gift).

And now she gets to live the life she was meant to live !

I am sure it was a bit hard for you. Everytime I release, I almost cry...even if it was a pigeon who was a true pain in the #ss ! But it is a very special and moving moment.

Thanks for all you have done for your friend !


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

what a great ending...... wish there were more people like you out there.. your a good apple..


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## Bella_F (Nov 29, 2008)

Dear Linda,

I haven't been around here much this year, but I wanted to pop in and see how you're doing. 

And wow! You did really great work there! Congrats and a huge pat on the back from me for your care and patience. Also, your observation skills are top rate which I think made a big, positive difference with the soft release. 

I really think your little one will be fine with this flock; they'll teach it watch to eat and what to do. She'll love being free too. 

My last rescue was released in December - he was the one released very underweight but he wanted out of captivity very, very badly. He is first on my deck each morning, with his mate; I think he missed her badly when he was ill or they were raising chicks together and he wanted to get back to them. Its a great feeling to help a wild bird. I hope you will visit your friend sometimes- I'll bet she will never forget you.


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## Gotanyblacker (Jan 22, 2012)

*How to do a soft release please help!*

Hey guys!

Zoe here. I would appreciate any help you could give! I found two baby pigeons one late Friday night, about five and a half weeks ago. I figure they were about 2 weeks old then. They were sitting in the middle of an undercover carpark at work, in one of the car spaces. They were huddled together like they were protecting each other and trying to keep warm. It broke my heart to see this. I managed to get hold of each and placed them on top of the concrete pilon hoping that their parents would return to them. But unfortunately, they did not for whatever the reason. I checked saturday evening and they were still alone and By Sunday morning I took them home. I figured I couldnt leave them sitting on top of the pilon and starve too death since they couldnt fly to eat something!!!

They are currently eating well as they have moved onto seeds and are able to drink water. Two and a bit weeks after I found them I took them to the vet and was told they are in a good health? We wormed them even though they seemed clear and put mite and lice spray on them which they had. I didnt see the mites but I saw the lice. Vet said if there are lice there are mites. They did have coccidiosis but not badly. Vet decided against vacc them as it was best to build immunity. One had a yeast infection and i syringe fed it for 6 days. 

They would be about 7.5 weeks old NOW methinks. On sunday they would be about 8 weeks old 

They are in a wire cage and can get to the top of it and sit on the perch. But I think it is not high enough to determine if they can fly or not. I also see the younger one flap his wings alot but it doesnt get him/her anywhere. Im not sure if they like to flap them anyway with no intention of wanting to fly?????just to strengthen their muscles? I dont know. I suspect that they must figure why try to fly if there is limited room in the cage??....its not like they are finches...if u know what i mean...The cage was bigger than average but it was not like a 500.00 cage.

Mum would be reluctant to have them flying around the house-not only because we have a male cat but also she isn't well. We live in a unit so no garage etc to test their wings out. Ive thought about hiring about a hall near me-u put a deposit down and get it bk when u have "viewed" the hall and return its key. I'm not sure if this sounds too much-but how else can we tell they can fly well????? any ideas from you guys would be great!!! I'm sure mum will think me mad for the hall idea. I mean who does that? She is already having a tough time with me not being the typical greek married woman -and here is me playing with animals! lol thats why i am so glad to have found this site. u guys are like me. I completely relate to u!!! i feel like I have found my calling lol


I feel like I have kept the birds for so long too that i may have damaged their chance in the wild now. but i was waiting for them to show me they could fly well??? Ive had them for about 5.5 weeks. I dont play with them. I only handled them when i was syringe feeding them or giving the medicine. But i change their base of their cage everyday so they must be used to my hand by now lol. And lately Ive been sitting outside their cage reading a book. Im just relaly worried i have tamed them? though they still get frightened if i make a sudden move.

Im torn between two ways to letting them go-on my ground unit balcony-where there is one or just today there were two crested pigeons trying to eat nearby-one of my birds got really excited when they came i was almost ready to let them go with them. But i feared that they were a different kind and may not be accepted into their flock? upon reading your replies here i learnt that crested pigeons dont really hang out in a flock anyway??? so to release them to them would be not good???

the vet thought it would be best to let them go on my balcony and feed them until they find food themselevs and dont come back? that way im not just dumoping them somewhere else and saying "there ya go". But im worried because we have possums, cats, magpies and crows. and im fearful they would be hurt by them if i did it on my balcony. How could i ensure they would sleep in the cage at nights too? Would i just have the cage door open? Couldnt any bird then come into it and eat the food? What if they go in and a cat follows and they get stuck in there as they are being killed? I could only check in the early evening to see if they have happen to go into the cage?

Plan b is to release them in like a national park but gardens instead. I figure people go in so if they have been tamed they could use it to their advanatge to eat from what these people may leave or throw them. there is a duck pond in these gardens and trees. They dont seem brilliantly 
'kept" though-alot of dried flowers, untidy ferns about, spider webs galore. But the duck pond seems nice. I gather there would be magpies and crows there too? hopefully no cats? Im trying to just put them in a safe place. I'm concerned they will perch themselves on tree tops with little shelter. Im used to seeing pigeons in buildings where they can be undercover. So i dont know what my little two guys would do. At this duck pond there are all sorts of birds that come out when a feed is to be had. Ive only seen two pigeons, two brown and white pigeons. I wonder if I let them go with them they would accept them? Ive heard of bird bullying before. And my birds look different from the brown and white pigeons. But its the only pigeons i have found other than our shopping mall. I couldnt relaly see me doing a soft release at my shopping mall. Its very close to my work and it would make me uncomfortable.

Could someone please explain how to do a soft release step by step????

like really step by step? Ive read a couple before and I still dont get it. im pretty daft-but most of all i want to get it right.

Please help. Sorry for the carry on. Ive had alot to say for 5.5 weeks and havent posted until now.

Thanks guys, hear form you soon.

Me


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## jondove (Nov 17, 2011)

Gotanyblacker said:


> They are in a wire cage and can get to the top of it and sit on the perch. But I think it is not high enough to determine if they can fly or not.


They learn to fly without anyone teaching them, that happens when they are around 5-6 weeks old. But in order to learn, they *need some exercise out of the cage*!



Gotanyblacker said:


> Could someone please explain how to do a soft release step by step????


I read some instructions on how to do that on another site. Since it's not in English I'll try to translate it.



First you need to decide from what window/balcony you want to release the birds. You should feed a flock of ferals at that window sill, at the same time every day, towards the *evening*. Also, move your birds near that window, so that they can see outside. They must remember the surroundings so that they will be able to find their way back home. 

Your pigeons should live like that, with a view to the outside, for at least one month. Then, one *morning*, preferably in late spring or summer, open the window so that they could fly out. Don't drive them away, just open the window.

They say you shouldn't feed them before letting them fly out, so that they will be more likely to return for food, but some people still feed them to give them a better chance in case they can't find the way back.

In the beginning they will just sit on the window sill, then they may venture to a nearby tree or balcony. Then they should return. Close the window. That's enough for the first day. 

In the second day give them more freedom, let them get acquainted with the ferals outside. When they return, again close the window. Then, they will fly away with their new friends more and more each day. This is when your feeding the feral flock in the evenings comes into play, your little birds will surely find their way home with the help of the flock. 

At some point they won't want to come back inside, they'll eat with the flock and fly away to sleep with them too.

[_This is if you wanted them to come back inside for a longer time, which you may not, but I'm translating this part anyway_] When they fly at the widow, speak to them, call their names (if they have names which they recognize when called), let them fly inside. Have a bowl with their favorite food inside, always in the same place. In this case you should not feed the ferals treats like sunflower seeds, almonds and so on. Otherwise your birds will have no motivation to fly inside.


If your birds are not very tame, they may fly away to sleep with the flock sooner, rather than later. Anyway, the idea is to integrate them in a flock and to feed them for as long as they come back to your window/balcony.


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