# The neverending dilemma: to release or not?



## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

Hi there! You may have seen my posts on the emergency subforums.
Now I need some (more) advice... on releasing the birds.

I have several options... The one I liked the most was releasing the two birds together. First pigeon is a bit older, but I guess she can wait for the other pij.

But then, I realized she may be too tame. I mean, she eats out of my hand (tried today), and she finds no problem in perching on humans. How can I consider if she's too tame or not? Where is the line from where you can't go back? Can this be corrected? I'm wondering because I saw it in the sticky, on the imprinted thing, but I don't know if it can be changed. They get imprinted so easily ):.

Now I'm leaving both birds in the garden for as long as possible, during the day. They get to be around sparrows and doves, but I've had no luck with pigeons so far.

The other bird seems more "normal" - tries to mimic the other (older) pigeon, is nervous around people and doesn't like to be touched. She rushes back to her cage, but altgirl35 told me it may be because he's a nervous bird. When he sees the other pigeon outside (I always take them out in the same order), he flies to the window and tries to go outside. He wants to be around her.

On the other side, I haven't seen that behavior in the other bird. It's like she doesn't care about people or pigeons either.

What do you think?

Some piccies of how she looks now:
Hi there!
Flying. (Sorry for the out-of-focus pic. Nikon doesn't AF as quick as Canon xD)


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

where do you live? in a city or rual? I think it could go either way...you can keep the tame bird as a pet and the other can keep it company, or soft release them both in a large flock of ferals would be best...if you can, but in the city it may be problematic if the tame one does get closer than normal to humans.


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## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

I live in a city. I'm most concerned about kids... they chase birds (and that drives me mad!) and I'm worried they'd do the same with mine. I've grown very fond of them and it'd be horrible to know something bad could happen because of me!
Do you think I could build a cage for her/them? Could they be outside in a small aviary / big cage (no predators, of course)?
My mom was a no-no about the birds inside, but she didn't seem to disagree with the idea of them outside. I'd take her/them in for exercise of course...
I want to see how they evolve before deciding, though. But I want to consider all the posibilities.

EEK!
I just turned around, and there is a cat watching my birds from the window! No birds outside at night is a rule now. The other night one killed a pijjie that was learning to fly ):. I get them inside before the sun starts to set down. With daylight they don't approach (I have dogs, one bird-friendly stays with them), but at night... you know.


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## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

I think I'm going to release them and hope that, if they are indeed too tame, and somebody picks them up, they'll call me ):. I'll post a small note in the protectionist blog so if somebody sees somebody grabbing them, they can check.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Pawbla said:


> I think I'm going to release them and hope that, if they are indeed too tame, and somebody picks them up, they'll call me ):. I'll post a small note in the protectionist blog so if somebody sees somebody grabbing them, they can check.


"they can check" I have no idea what you are saying


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## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

They can check if they're my pigeons. And of course, they should call me xD.

By the way, how do I introduce new foods in their diet? I can't get them to eat crumbs, which is the most common bird diet here. They like the pellets, the small seeds and sometimes whole corn. But no crumbs.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

I suppose they will eat anything when hungry enough, which they will be in the wild.


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## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

Ah, ok :3. Thanks!


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## PigeonQueen (Aug 13, 2006)

I would go for your first idea of building an outside aviary. Especially if one piggie is very nervous and feels secure in a cage environment.

I also think it is a good idea because I feed and monitor daily in a busy environment (big town|) and I can tell you Pigeons are terrorised by all sorts of weird people. They have to be street wise to survive.

This is just my opinion. At least you know they will be in a safe environment
and in caring hands.

Best wishes Jayne


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## yearsexperience (Nov 21, 2009)

If you let them fly, let them fly together. Area is a factor too. If you do live in a city i recomend you wait a little longer before letting them take flight because from the pictures the birds look young yet. But if you live in the country or a small town, go for it and let them fly. The only thing is that when you let them fly, let them both go at the same time so they follow eachother. That way one wont fly away. One sign to know that they are "scoping" out the area they live around is when they fly to a higher place such as the roof and just walk around and eye things. Then once they fly they should fly around your house in circles and stay around the area. I hope these will help you out before you let them fly if not yet done so.


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## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

I was planning on releasing them next month, actually.

Maybe (just maybe) I can release them in my area AND make an aviary. If they feel nervous or something, they can get inside it. It'd always be open.

When they fly in my room, they go following each other. Esp. the overo (is it the name for the color? I know there's an "overo" patter in pijs and it matches the horse overo pattern ) to the other one. By the way, which are the names of the colors? So I can make a website maybe (and start applying the CSS I'm learning xD) and start adding my rescues. I'm waiting for the bands spirit wings sent me, so maybe I can take them around the city and ask for something similar. My boyfriend says he has seen something like that holding wires.

Though, I have a question on area releasing. I have two options:
x ) Downtown.
Pros: Flock of pigeons. Easier to see if they do anything to them. Not many chimangos (although there are some).
Cons: Mean people. Dogs. Cars. Crowded places. Crazy people.

x ) My garden.
Pros: They know the area. They can come to my front yard (where they usually are every day) for food and (if I build the aviary) shelter. Easier to come across them (myself) if they're in trouble. Less mean people and kids.
Cons: Cats. Dogs. My own dog (but is in the backyard) kills birds. Difficult to find is something bad happens to them. Chimangos in the park nearby.


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Pawbla....I understand exactly how you are feeling. I felt that way about my first soft release...and second...and third...fourth...fifth. It never becomes easier.

However, here is the thing about releasing: you can never guarantee that you can really ever "check up on them" again. When you release, the moment they lift off....they are now back in the feral world. If we are lucky we can still monitor their well-being from time to time. But oftentimes not.

It would be wonderful if we released our friends and they always occasionally stopped by to see us again...their way of saying "hi, mom...I'm doing OK !" But ferals don't operate in that way.

The best any of us can do is heal them, acclimate them to other ferals using a 'soft release' method, and (when and if they show the proper signs of being ready for release) let them go free.

Once free, it is 99% up to them to make it in the world. We can no longer be their keepers, their protectors.

But we will have given them a great gift ~ the gift of a second chance. How many beings, large or small, ever get _that_?

So, in answer to your Q, I assume you have read the 'sticky' here somewhere called "to release or not to release". It has some good info. If you determine from the sticky that one (or both) of yours is bonded, then don't try to release.

...if you choose soft release, you must find a good, healthy-looking flock somewhere which seems to have good food and water sources and is in a relatively safe place.

If there is no flock at your garden or very close by, then it isn't a good place to soft release.


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## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

I can't do a soft release with the only flock I've seen because it's right on the downtown. I haven't seen any other flock. Pigeons are rarely seen in flocks here. Mostly in pairs or "flocks" of three or four.
I thought that maybe (I don't know how pigeons exactly operate, but some birds are like that) they stayed in an area. If they stayed in an area it'd be easy to see them because they'd be banded. Banded birds are definitely not common here. And in a group of one or two hundred of protectionists, in a city, if I left them in the downtown there are good chances that I (or somebody else) can see them again.
And for coming back, my home (among other houses) is one of the feeding "spots" for birds. But sparrows are my fans here, not usually pijjies .
I'm not sure if she's bonded. I've read it but it's like half and half.
I can't do a soft release without a flock, then? How can I release them? Is there any other way?


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## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

Also, I suggested the aviary because maybe they'd want to shelter. When I release them into my room, they like to com down and sit on their cages every once in a while. Not sure why, but that's why I thought they may like it .


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## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

I don't think they're releasable x.x. They use me as a landing surface when I'm cleaning their cages, and when they see my bag of food, they fly to my hands, my head, the bag, or anything near it. They would be good in Plaza de Mayo (there are lots of pijjies and they fly to the people to get food, they perch on them and everything. I've been there and it's amazing! You get covered in pigeons xD! There are some guys selling whole corn and that's the thing they identify mostly as food), but it's actually in another city, in the capital (it's kinda far from here, like a 6 hour trip and I can't drive), and it's full of cars and sometimes there are manifestations that end up with guns so I'm not totally for it.
I'm going to make sure they go to a good home if my mother insists in not keeping them. You can suggest on the "loft designs" subforum the size for a small aviary or a big cage.
I guess I'm going to have to get them grit. Is is any different from the other birds grit? Because the owner of the bird pet shop here is totally anti pigeons. Every time I ask for something for pijjies, he says "no... nothing!". That's a lie. The other time I went and there was some other guy in the place, he showed me some stuff I could give the birds as food, because he didn't have a special pigeon food. And when I went to ask for the insecticide for them, the owner was there; I saw the insecticide on the shelves, and he said "no, we don't have anything for pigeons". e.e!! It makes me so mad! It's a shame the other shop is so far from my house. And it closes at midday the day I mostly go out (today). Since it's far away I never there before it closes. But I'll have to go on monday or something.
Thanks for your help!


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