# Tips for socialising a weird pigeon?



## witchmark (Jul 7, 2017)

I'm fostering a pigeon for a shelter I work for until he gains weight. Since he's a fancy- some kind of Capuchin- I'm also trying to socialise him since right now, but I'm nervous about adopting him out because he seems stressy. He's incredibly easy to handle, but since all he does when he's out/when he notices you watching him is stand still and stare at you, I feel like he might be scared stiff, literally, when he's being handled, which makes him seem easy to handle. I try to handle him as little as possible except when I need to clean his cage, weigh him, or have my boyfriend (a vet) make sure he's eating or check out his blind eye, all of which I try to do in one go. 

But since he's a fancy and is unreleasable, it's pretty important that he learn to be a little friendlier for placement purposes. He's no good for breeding either since we think his blind eye is congenital, and if he's a Capuchin (he's white & has a cowl), he also misses some of the marks for a good member of his breed (e.g., he has toe feathers). So if anyone has any tips on getting this guy out of his shell, I'd greatly appreciate them!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Well your avoiding handling him or bothering him isn't going to get him more used to people. Being around him, gently talking to him, will do more to get him used to people.
why do you think his blind eye is congenital? Are you sure he is blind in that eye?
Most pigeon love safflower seeds or chopped unsalted peanuts. Mix some into his feed so he will eventually try some. When he does, he will love them. Eventually you can try offering him some. Then you can work toward offering it in your hand.


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## witchmark (Jul 7, 2017)

Weirdly enough I didn't think of that. My mom was a wildlife rehabber so I'm really only used to wild birds in any capacity. I just feel so bad when I get near him & he freezes up.  

Re: the eye, he definitely can't see out of it. He does all sorts of neck acrobatics to see things on that side of him, which is why we checked in the first place. He also won't notice you if you approach via that side. It might not be congenital, but since the eye itself looks relatively normal otherwise & appears to have sustained no damage, well... we still haven't checked it with a light scope though. 

The seed he's getting now has sunflower seeds in it but I'll try your suggestion with the nuts.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I didn't say sunflower seeds. I said safflower seed. Most pigeons love them. And chopped unsalted peanuts, most birds love. Are you giving him a wild bird mix? A pigeon/dove mix would be better.
He isn't acting wierd. He is acting normally for a pigeon who doesn't know you. He may have been handled roughly, or not handled at all where he was before, so not used to it. To him you are probably a predator, so winning him over with treats they love often helps to break the ice.


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## FredaH (Apr 5, 2016)

I agree with Jay regarding handling him and simply being around him, he'll get used to you eventually and see you mean him no harm. Be confident with him and don't worry how he reacts because it's natural for him to be wary of people he doesn't know. I have six that I've hand reared and they trust me, of course, but when another family member goes up to them they eye them up and down and know they're strangers.
Is the bird with other birds? because having others around usually gives them more confidence and is more natural to them.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Then too, he may never be very tame. Some never are. It's funny I have a Capuchine just like that. Or he was when I got him 9 years ago. He was odd in that most birds aren't friendly when they first get here, and some remain downright unfriendly for quite a while. But Basil, our Capuchine was the same way. He would just freeze in place, and lean back a little. Even if I brought my hand closer to him with a treat, he wouldn't move. Just like he was frozen in that position, and stare at me with those eyes. Most others would either back away or peck at me. Not Basil. So I didn't push him, I never do. I would just put the treats on his shelf and walk away. He would take them then. It's now been 9 years, and he still isn't friendly, but will take the treats from my hand sometimes. Sometimes not. His mate will come for the treats much more readily, and I think that has helped to break the ice. But he doesn't do that thing where he would just freeze, as though horrified anymore. It took a long time for him to not do that, but it has been so long now since he did it, that I almost forgot. I just remembered it though, so now I understand what the poster means, and why they think he is weird. 

Sometimes a lot depends on how he has been handled in the past. Hard to change that. They have very good memories.


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## FredaH (Apr 5, 2016)

When my girls are egg sitting they won't poop in their cages overnight so the first thing I do each morning is let them out on their own to poop, afterwards they'll fly straight back to their nests. I've had Olive for six months now and I have to physically take her off the nest for her poop as she won't leave it when I first go in. She grunts in protest but flies straight back once poop is done and if I'm cleaning out the cage willl come in and puff herself up then walk past me with the odd wing slap - she's not so scared that she'd desert her eggs because of me. And she'll tell me I shouldn't be in her cage too. She's adorable.


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