# What do you find special about pigeons?



## TitanicWreck (Jun 12, 2003)

People here seem to love pigeons- i love them too- They make me smile, they're beautiful, and there is no sight as lovely as pigeons in the early morning. A question to all of you- what is it about pigeons that fascinates you so?

thanks

TCS


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

For me it is their individual personalities - some are cranky, some are sweet, some just ignore you and others will be all over you letting you know they love you. I love the way they look at me, sometimes with their head tilted to the side and sometimes they turn their head away from you but still watch you. It's hard to describe. Any which way, I adore all of them.

maggie


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi Titanicwreck,

Well your question is most interesting but yet hard to totally narrow down, at least for me

I find, that pigeons are very unique amoung birds in many ways. They are not nearly as fragile as many other birds and they almost seem "Mammal like" in that regard. They seem to be more cognitive than some others, more "solid" and engaging in some other aspects. Their overall behaviour seems to be incomparable to other avians. 

It's really hard for me to put into words why I feel pigeons are so special but they just seem very singular from many other birds. Again, the best way I can describe this is that they seem more like a mammal than a bird....to me


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

*Personally,*

I think pigeons are special because they can "*bond*" to a human. Like finding your "soul mate" in a bird. Once found, the bond is for life and never forgotten. 

One hears stories of people raising various animals, birds, etc. and then ONE day, along comes one that is *special*. Unconditional acceptance/love is a powerful force. 

Also, pigeons are not usually dependent on people. They can fly, forage for themselves and be totally independent. When, for whatever reason, one choses you, it's for life! 

What is so heartwarming, are the stories of people who completely changed their negative attitude toward these beautiful birds because of *A* special pigeon!


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## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

Definitely their different personalities...and their joy of life, seed, sun, and water...and their beauty...and their athletic abilities...and the way they go about their business...and their language, vocal and body...


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## Guest (Oct 22, 2005)

*Why I like pigeons*

I like the fact they mix well with humans, and have such a deep history with the human race. I like the diversity of personalities. I like their physical and emotional rubustness. They are loving parents. I like how they can survive in a rough and tough urban enviroment if they have to. I like watching them court.

Finally, I like to say I like the modesty of pigeons. PIgeons are actually very strong, fast, sexual, acrobatic birds, but it's like they don't have to make a big deal about it. Their feathers are beautiful without being too flashy. The sounds they make are expressive without being loud.


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

*Pigeons are*

unique fliers I have noticed. When I take mine to the end of the yard and then release him in my wooded area for his flight exercise, just watching him fly and manuever around the trees with such grace is a beautiful feat. 

I got in this thread a bit late, but I must say, that a lot of members opinions shared I must agree with. 

Pigeons are indeed UNIQUE period. And so misunderstood unfortunately.


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## Garye (Feb 20, 2005)

I like pigeons because they are just about the only bird that will boldly come up to you hoping to get food. Other birds will hover around at a safe distance from you but wait until you leave before they'll come over. Also because of their build, their plumpness makes them cute. It's funny to see their heads bob back and forth. They do have different personalities and expressions and it's interesting to see them express their feelings. You can sometimes see what they're thinking because they can be very expressive. And maybe I like them because a lot of other people don't. Some people just never give the bird a chance. To me, they're just wonderful birds.


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## Snow White (Jul 27, 2005)

*My love of pigeons....*

began with the resue of my Edie-Bird. She has brought a whole new light on pigeons for me. Growing up in Chicago, I was taught not to touch because they were "dirty" and carried disease. Now I'm sure my Mom was just concerned and was probably taught the same thing. I've had Edie-Bird for a year now and I know now what a special creature she is. She loves our family and doesn't want to leave (even though she's had lots of opportunity). Her cage is in the kitchen so she has contact with everyone. She is nosey and wants to see everything going on. She coos all the time to talk to you, loves her showers with me on Saturday mornings and walking in the yard etc. She came to me at a time when I needed her most.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

TitanicWreck said:


> A question to all of you- what is it about pigeons that fascinates you so?
> 
> TCS


Hi there,

My interest was generated when my dad bought some homing pigeons for my sister when I was just 10. My dad took them everywhere and we did training tosses, at the beach, the mountains, and everywhere we went. They were such "lean mean flying machines". Their magic flight, is what fascinates me about them. They own the sky, and watching them fly over my head and hear the soft whisper of their flight is like poetry to me.

When my sister didn't want them anymore, she lost interest in alot of hobbies, I took over, with cleaning, flying and feeding. I thoroughly enjoyed them, and spent so much time with them they would fly down to my hand after an hours flight. I spent whole summers out in the coop and had a beautiful pet pigeon named "Cooper". She was one of the babies that hatched, and I grew close to. She would pick and preen my hair.

After those wonderful years, I couldn't resist when my own children built me a coop and brought me four 6 week old homing pigeons for my birthday, 4 years ago SURPRISE!, and boy, it was...and is. That was the beginning, and now the coop and aviary have taken over the yard, and we have 48 pigeons!


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## KIPPY (Dec 18, 2003)

What amazes me about the ferals in my backyard? The ones who knock on my sliding patio door to get my attention, for me to go out and feed them. It's actually kinda creepy.


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## TitanicWreck (Jun 12, 2003)

Pigeons are deifinatly social creatures- if raised in isolation without contact with others, a pigeon would surely die from lonliness..
Im amazed at how pigeons seem to enjoy being around humans-its not just a case of looking for food- Ill see people rushing to work in the the middle of the city, and pigeons walking at thier feet...
Ive seen people sunbathing on the Boston common, and pigeons sitting nearby. Some people watch the pigeons- I am **convinced** pigeons watch people, and they might be fascianted by us...I really think they like us...In a way they remind of dogs with wings- loyal creatures, each with its own personality, and with a complex set of emotions...

My interest in pigeons began in 1978, when i was 10- i found a feral pigeon hobbling along that had a case of bumblefoot- he looked hurt, so I carried him home- there was a severe rain storm, so I put him on our porch, where he rested for hours...Some time later after the rain stopped he was gone- presumably he flew away..


TCS


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## dnrslucky1 (Oct 13, 2005)

I prob should't be answering this as I am new into pigeons, only 2 weeks! But I can say my little baby allready knows my voice and face from anyone else! He or she is totally devoted to me right now. Has totally captured my heart, why? I could not tell you! In my imagination I can see him free flying, happy and beautifull, but still coming home where his heart is!


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

Hello Denise,

You have bonded very well with your baby pigeon "Squidget" and it knows that you were there in its time of need. It will be devoted to you. It is returning the love you have given it.


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## TitanicWreck (Jun 12, 2003)

dnrslucky1 said:


> I prob should't be answering this as I am new into pigeons, only 2 weeks! But I can say my little baby allready knows my voice and face from anyone else! He or she is totally devoted to me right now. Has totally captured my heart, why? I could not tell you! In my imagination I can see him free flying, happy and beautifull, but still coming home where his heart is!




this makes me wonder if baby pigeons can 'imprint' on humans the same way baby ducks and geese can- I wonder then if its twice as challenging to gain the trust of an adult feral pigeon that has had no previous close contact with humans..


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## dnrslucky1 (Oct 13, 2005)

Thank You Victor! You are a very kind and attentive person! I will be giving my little squidget everything I can!
Denise


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

I believe baby pigeons are easier to imprint but we have had some adult pigeons that, once they know they can trust you, will be just as gentle and sweet as the babies.

Maggie


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## TitanicWreck (Jun 12, 2003)

Plus they are so adorable...

I still wonder, when I see a group of pigeons watching me, following me (and other people) with thier eyes as we walk by, what do you suppose they are thinking?
To them, humans may seem 'pigeon like' creatures. Im sure there are some pigeons fascinated be people, some indifferent, some frightened by, and some pigeons find humans disgusting to look at....
In many ways pigeons and humans are similar....
Today i brought a TEN pound bag of small sunflower type seeds to feed the ferals, and man, they sucked those seeds down like candy- When Im around, no pigeon can fly home with an empty stomach...


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## TitanicWreck (Jun 12, 2003)

If a pigeon has bonded with you, and lets say you are away on holiday for a time- how do they react upon your return? With excitement? With indifference? With anger?
Pigeons really don't have tails to wag, so i suppoose they just dance and bob thier heads up and down when happy to see you....
Unless they were angered by your absense, in which case they might try to ignore you?


TCS


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

*EXCELLENT Question*

TitanicWreck! I have wondering the same thing.

I'm VERY concerned about leaving Mr. Squeaks for whole days in someone else's care because he considers me his mate. When I have visitors and hold him, he seems nervous around "strangers." My cats, wouldn't like me being away either but Squeaks seems more "fragile" in this respect.

Anyone have comments on this question, ESPECIALLY with a male bird bonding/mated to a female human?? Also, now that I'm on "permanent vacation," I'm around a lot more. Squeaks is a spoiled bird!


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

I suspect that Squeaks will be very posessive of you upon your return, should you have a need to leave for a few days. He will most likely keep a keen pigeon eye on you...he *will*!


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## TitanicWreck (Jun 12, 2003)

Victor said:


> I suspect that Squeaks will be very posessive of you upon your return, should you have a need to leave for a few days. He will most likely keep a keen pigeon eye on you...he *will*!




This makes me wonder how a pigeon will react to other people in the household. I read of a man who bonded with his parrot-his parrot really seemed to love him- but it clearly hated his wife, and was very jealous if she (the parrot) saw her human handler show any affection to his wife.
Are pigeons the same? If you have a pigeon that has bonded to you- and they see you giving attention to family members- or to other pigeons, do they become angry or jealous? That is certainly the case with dogs- with my family's 2 English Mastiff dogs, if we paid affection to one dog, we must show equal attention to the other dog, lest they become angry and jealous...
Perhaps pigeons are the same way?

TCS


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

I can't say that I sense jelousy over another human but another pigeon is a different story. We have two who are super tame, Simon (girl) and Onslow (male), who are mates. They are both bonded with me big-time and show no jelousy towards each other. However, we have another, Katrina, who is a dainty white helmet-type pigeon, who is almost as tame and considers me her companion. Simon and Onslow will not let Katrina near me but, if Katrina does get to me first, she will chase Simon away, but not Onslow.

We had another pigeon, Gracie, who died a couple of years ago at age 12. She loved my husband more than anything but barely tolerated me. I got all the wing whacks and fussing and he got the nibbles on his face and the cooing.

They are funny little guys.

maggie


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## NumberNine (Jul 19, 2005)

TitanicWreck said:


> What do you find special about pigeons?



Unconditional love.


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## Yo Pauly (Jan 18, 2005)

When we had pigeons on our roof, I used to get up very early on the weekends and go upstairs to the coop to let them out. When I chased them for their first morning fly, I used to get a high watching them ascend toward the heavens. My high could be compared to the one a military person might get when he/she hoists Old Glory up a flagpole first thing in the morning. To me, a flying stock of pigeons always seemed to symbolize freedom. Watching them circle nonchalantly overhead in safe, blue skies brought me an immense amount of peacefulness. For providing me with such wonderful feelings throughout the years, I owe _a lot_ to pigeons. God, protect all of them.


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

*Theories*



TitanicWreck said:


> If you have a pigeon that has bonded to you- and they see you giving attention to family members- or to other pigeons, do they become angry or jealous?
> 
> TCS


That is a very interesting question Judgeing from Tooter's actions in people settings, when we have a family get to gether for example, and he is out and about, he will try to stay very close to me or hang out near his outdoor cage. I suspect he feels secure around his "two favorite" objects of security.

He seems to be more comfortable around male figures, myself, my 8 year old grandson and he seems fond of my brother-in-law. He is very cautious around the 4 year old and is just now starting to "accept" my wife.It is odd because *she* is the one who actually found him at the foot of our steps, injured and bleeding almost two years ago and convinced me to take him to the vet. She has always wondered why he "doesn't like her" as she says, but I never accepted that,but choose to believe that they just needed time and did not understand each other. Time seems to be proving my theory correct. 

Whenever I am outdoors, and I happen to be feeding the squirrels, be will fly on my back or head to make sure that they don't take me away ...just another theory.


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

For me, most of what others have already mentioned would be my mentions also...

I have never ceased seeing them in at least occasional vividness which refreshes my appreciations and admirations of them. 

So far, in my raising orphan or wayward-young Sparrows, Mocking Birds, one Grackle for a few days, a Duck who was young but not a Baby, many Doves, and manymany Pigeons...

I have found that they all have a willingness to form meaningful, unique and detailed acquaintences and closeness ease and comforts in interacting with me, and me with them. We can each enjoy eachothers presence and company whether anyone is doing anything per-se, or not.

Adults will much more seldom tend to form the easy relationship which a hand raised Baby may, of course, but some do in fact become very easy and comfortable and happy in the friendship they can form with you.

I do not think a Baby Pigeon 'imprints' on us. That term was intended to denote a specific tendancy of some Precocial Bird species, where the Hatchling is immediately in need of recogniseing and following it's Parent(s) in order to escape possible dangers or perils...and in fact may have to do so very soon after hatching should some concern for it's safety arise.

What I believe a Baby Pigeon does 'do', is to accept their defacto Parent(s), or a succesion from one set of Parents to another, should such occur.

When we raise, or take over the raising, of a Baby Bird who became estranged from it's biological Parents, we become their Parent(s) then. And, so long as we manage to do at least some of the things more or less tolerably, so the Bird can accept them, the Bird will accept us then as their 'new' Parent.

And the Baby Pigeon ( in most cases with us ) will accept our attentions and feedings and reciprocate affections, with all the enthusiasm and energy and innocense and happiness and connection to us, that they would otherwise have accepted and interacted with their biological Parents with.

Some kinds of Birds are intended by Nature to mature physically and emotionally into an independance and seperation from their parents, sooner than others are. Normally in ost species, and in Pigeon worlds, the Younsters as they mature at some point cease to interact with their parents and move on to make theur way in the world without that acquaintance being ongoing.

However, with us, they have other options, as for the relationship being allowed to be ongoing.

Pigeons and other Birds are also flexible in how this may occur, and for it to yield into what instead becomes a friendship and closeness which is continuous with but different from their previous dependance...

All of this also means we can know them and continuously interact with them reciprocally, through all their phases of growth and into their adulthood, which is something their biological parents do not tend to do.

This allows time and history to deepen the acquaintance...

More later maybe...just hit the 'wall' of 'tired'...! Lol...off to bed...

Phil
Las Vegas


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## pigeonmania (Oct 17, 2004)

What do I like about pigeons?? Hmmmmm... I like how they fly up to you to see 'what you got to eat' or 'is it time to eat yet?' I like how they always look curious and want to know what your up to. And I also like how they let you know what it is they want!! I basically love everything about them!!! Yay for pigeons!
Stacie


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## TitanicWreck (Jun 12, 2003)

it may sound corny- but pigeons just make me happy- To see a pigeon strutting down the street always makes me smile, even if im in a foul mood...


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