# Funny Things Your Pigeons Did



## LovesPijjies (May 21, 2010)

I had one very very tame pigeon that I am sure thought he was human as I had raised him since he must have been only a few days old, with his eyes closed.

Everything i did, he copied.

Sometimes it was funny and sometimes it was dangerous.

He always wanted to have a bath with me, so I let him, then ran some clean water and had a bath by myself, lol.During this time with the bathroom door closed he would be scratching at the door and making a low noise so I would know he wanted to come in.

He would sit on my hand while I made my face up, looking at the products I was using, then at the mirror, then at me.One time before I could stop him he dunked his beak in the tube of lipstick after I had used it and was still holding it, then looked at me with red all over his beak.He looked so pleased with himself that he had copied me!He would also try to preen my hair by pulling at it with his beak.

Another time he came into the kitchen while I was boiling water in a large pan without a lid, and unknown to me sat on the pan handle, maybe trying to copy me cooking? Anyway I turned round and was so shocked to think he could have hurt himself like that, he had no sense of danger whatsoever.

If I took tins out of the cupbaord, he would go into the cupboard and inspect the tins.If I took something out of the fridge, he would go into the fridge and try to pull things with his beak.I think he thought he was helping.

When I watched tv he would sit on my lap facing the tv, I don't know if he could watch it the same way we do.If i had a newspaper spread out on the table he would come and walk up and down on it, like a cat does, for attention.When I played the piano he would walk up and down on the keyboard, but he was too light to produce any sound.

He could understand a few words, he would come if i called his name, and he understood icecream, if i said that he would start going crazy wanting some and going to the freezer and back untill i got some.


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## birds+me=happy (May 21, 2009)

Wow. I would love to be there to see that. lol


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## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

What a sweet pigeon! They are so observant!


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## doveone52 (Aug 3, 2009)

What sweet memories! Did you ever TELL him he was a pigeon?


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## sreeshs (Aug 16, 2009)

You are one lucky person


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## LovesPijjies (May 21, 2010)

Yes, I do miss that pigeon, I really hope at least one of my new ones will turn out to be that tame and amusing.

I'm really not sure what that pigeon thought of the human/pigeon interaction, I remember when he was old enough, me flapping my arms and trying to teach him to fly while he just looked at me as if I was quite mad.Next I tried throwing him into the air which only made him land on the nearest object he could reach without flying.In fact all the time I had him he only ever flew when he needed to reach something up or down (more like jumping with wings spread than flying), he never flew for fun, which my new ones Chocolate and Vanilla are doing.That pigeon (who was called Pigeon, yes a very original name!) usually walked to get anywhere and I wonder if its because he never observed me flying, so didn't think of flying?


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## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

Although healthy birds that are feeling good will hover and fly for fun, I've also noticed my birds are more likely to putter around on their little pigeon toes whenever possible.


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## atti (Nov 8, 2009)

So funny, and I can relate. Both Rocky and Jada have joined me in the bathtub recently. Luckily neither one pooped while they shared the tub with me. It was a little unnerving when Rocky did it since he can be so aggressive and I was feeling a bit exposed. But he behaved.

I also have a cat who is above covering his business in the litter box. Last night I walked into the bathroom and saw a poop storm! There was cat poop everywhere- on the floor, toilet lid, sink, counters, bottom of the tub- and there was Rocky, looking miserable, perched on the shower rod. Until he flew to my head! 

I had my priorities straight. First I washed and dried Rocky's toes, then I cleaned the bathroom, and finally rinsed my hair.

Living with pigeons is always an adventure.


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## Lonelybadger (May 1, 2010)

*Their powers of observation are unnerving.*

They really do watch everything we do. It gets to the stage that I become very self-conscious! I was "accompanied" to the shower yesterday. I felt like Homer of Assisi: "Five minutes, guys, please!"

I'm sure everyone with a computer and a loose pigeon has had feathery students as a result. The first pigeon I raised got to my keyboard when I went to make a coffee. She created a whole new file, filled with arcane gibberish, and moved another one. (And she worked out how to turn the stereo on and off with the remote). 

Last night "Corny" did a furtive Google search for ""QWqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqswds".


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## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

I guess we shouldn't worry until we find them on a "humans.biz/forums" web site!


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

TerriB said:


> I guess we shouldn't worry until we find them on a "humans.biz/forums" web site!



Don't laugh...wouldn't put it past 'em!! 

Love and Hugs

Shi


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## LovesPijjies (May 21, 2010)

There was a programme on tv the other day in which scientists had taught a raven how to use a basic computer, they showed him pictures on a screen and he had to touch them with his beak and then he got a treat. I wsn't sure what they were testing him on, or how the particular picture was "right", but he got a treat every time.


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## Lonelybadger (May 1, 2010)

*They're unnervingly clever.*

Keio University in Japan has done studies with pigeons which show that they're better at recognising themselves on video than three-year old kids, and with a longer delay. And they can be taught to discriminate between "good" and "bad" (ie. neat/coherent vs. messy... I'm not sure how a pigeon would rate a de Kooning) artwork, and they can tell pastel drawings apart from watercolours. (They do need bright colours for this- with black and white or grey art they lose the plot). I think I read somewhere that they can count better than small kids as well.

Ravens are scarily smart. And a recent experiment with magpies shows that they can make/use tools to make/use other tools to get a reward. No other non-human animal, including primates, has been seen to do this. (They had to retrieve a short stick from a tube, to retrieve a longer stick from another tube, with which they then reached the treat).

Be good to your pigeon. One day soon they will be our overlords....


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## StanelyPidge09 (May 22, 2009)

Oh my goodness, I loved this post! 

I couldn't agree more; they are so incredibly curious and intuitive. Stanley, my pidge, follows me everywhere watching what I am doing and inspecting everything. It cracks me up. If I go up the stairs he even jumps up the stairs one at a time after me! He has to "taste" (its more of a peck) everything I eat and he will go and eat or drink if he sees me doing the same. 

PS. I am also glad to hear that I am not the only one who has to share their shower with a pigeon every night


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