# Pigeons purchased at Chinatown food market released in park



## SerendipityCA (May 2, 2008)

Well of all things, I was sitting outside my usual cafe with my dog (this is where I met my feral pigeons that I feed), and a family of tourists sat down next to me and I heard "feed the pigeons" and pricked up my ears. Not sure whether they were friend or foe, I was circumspect, but it turns out the daughter of the family (maybe 15-17 years old) had purchased two white pigeons from a guy on the sidewalk in Chinatown who was selling them for food, for $6 total, and had taken them to a nearby park - one large city block, no fences, surrounded by benches, lots of dog people, homeless people, traffic, old ladies doing Tai Chi, yada yada. They had taken the birds out of the crate. She thought they had been painted with faint pink marks to identify them. (She showed me photos on their cell phone.)

One had black spots on his back, the other was all white. She said the all-white one just sat in her hands and she petted it. The other one flew off to join the flock. She gave the all-white one to a man who was sitting on the bench, who was feeding the pigeons, and he said he'd take care of it. Whatever that means.

I took her email address and said I would go to the park and see if I could spot them. I did, and I couldn't. There was one white bird but he had no pink on him and he had a lot of grey on his tail feathers and wings, so going from memory I don't think he was the spotted one.

Anyway, I am wondering whether these birds were bred in captivity, and if so, what would their chances of survival in the park be? IOW is it a good idea to rescue animals from live food markets like this and then release them?


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Releasing pigeons is always "iffy". My opinion is though that I would rather they have a chance in the wild than be on someone's dinner plate. A soft release, where you acclimatize them to the release site for a week or more always helps, but it doesn't sound like this was feasible for these birds.

I hope the man will take care of the white pigeon.


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## cindyv11 (Jul 26, 2008)

The birds will probably be fine. The flocks of wild pigeons living at my house never stray too far and the flock size stays stable. Once in a stray shows up. I assume they were someone’s pet because it is clear to see they are not use to being free in the wild. Some of the pigeons have been King pigeons, white pigeons (one white one has these cute little black marks by the sides of his beak that look like a mustache), Fantails, Fantail look a likes (without the fan tail) with feathers covering their feet, Rollers, Racing Pigeons, and this odd little small speckled pigeon with big bulging eyes and the tiniest little beak I ever saw on a pigeon. Some of them do not even know how to land after being in the air. They seem to watch my pigeons and catch on in a day or two.


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

They'll probably be fine there, especially if people like that man feed them regularly. This is how so many pigeons and other game birds end up at the shelters in SF, by well-meaning people like this kind girl. Which I'm not saying is bad at all; of course it's better than the alternative and gives them a chance. Hopefully if that white one is very tame, someone will realize and take care of it. If you have time, I would check in there and see if you can't find the man feeding them; most people like that do so on a regular basis and know all the birds in "their" flock.


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Hi Seren...greetings from another SF'er !

Which park ?

It's a tough call, actually. A domestic-bred pidgie, particularly ones which are (reprehensibly) bred for food...probably has not developed many survival skills. 

Their navigation is undeveloped....and their ability to recognize the food which ferals consume is also questionable.

Is it a GOOD IDEA ? Well, I say...rescuing any animal from the food or science industry is a good idea. So, I say "yes", in concept !

While I applaud the girls intent, 110%....a much better way to do it would have been:

Keep the birds confined for a week or so in a cage/box, try feeding 'em some seed and then other scraps like crunched up ceral, toast, maybe some peas or corn kernels.....and on a daily basis bring them to an area where there are ferals. Feed the ferals, so the ferals come up to the cage/carrier, and the newbies can see how ferals forage. Then (nicely, occasionally) spook the wild flock with a handclap... or cough...so the newbies can understand the idea of "flee/flight". This is really important.

This is a very abbreviated version of the "soft release" which LadyT mentioned above....

The way this was done, it just puts 100% reliance on the birds' innate instincts (was that redundant ?)...which, in these birds bred for what they were bred for....is really asking quite a lot. It's like asking an escaped handraised companion Parrot or Finch or Canary to make it in the wild. It takes a lot. They need some luck. 

One hopes they can just stick with the flocks and learn and make it.

But it was not an optimal method....

MaryJane's possibility is one which may actually be better in my eyes. Should they end up struggling, I hope someone somehow notices them to be different ....and perhaps takes them to ACC.

(Then one of us here will be getting another call from Elizabethy !!!)


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

It was a nice gesture on the part of the family and certainly bought the birds
some more time. They were probably raised in captivity and will hopefully have
the time to 'learn the ropes' from the ferals. Kings aren't known for being the
best fliers so I wish them well. It's great if the feral flock is being fed regularly,
though the anti-feeding pigeons law in SF is fairly well enforced.

fp


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## SerendipityCA (May 2, 2008)

They were released in Washington Square Park. I hope they make it. I emailed her to send me the photos from her mom's iPhone so that I could recognize the pidgies when I go, if they're there. I also sent her the link to this forum so she can learn, for next time.

I'll go back and check for them on Monday.

I didn't know the anti-feeding laws were enforced. I'll try to be more covert (I'm already feeding around the corner from heavily pedestrian streets, and keeping on the lookout for cops or unfriendly muggles, so far so good. The cafe owner knows that I NEVER feed outside the cafe anymore, so she's cool, but she says they go in at closing time and look for crumbs, and the patrons get annoyed if she doesn't hustle them out right away.)


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

SerendipityCA said:


> They were released in Washington Square Park. I hope they make it. I emailed her to send me the photos from her mom's iPhone so that I could recognize the pidgies when I go, if they're there. I also sent her the link to this forum so she can learn, for next time.
> 
> I'll go back and check for them on Monday.
> 
> I didn't know the anti-feeding laws were enforced. I'll try to be more covert (I'm already feeding around the corner from heavily pedestrian streets, and keeping on the lookout for cops or unfriendly muggles, so far so good. The cafe owner knows that I NEVER feed outside the cafe anymore, so she's cool, but she says they go in at closing time and look for crumbs, and the patrons get annoyed if she doesn't hustle them out right away.)


They may ignore some of the seniors who feed, but in general, yes, the
no-feeding ordinance is observed there and tickets are issued so be cautious.

fp


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