# Talk to your pigeon, pigeon answers back



## rallow (Dec 23, 2005)

Though our pet pigeon Lucy Liu spends much or her time either flying or walking about our apartment, she actually lives in a in a cage that sits on a table about 3 feet from my favorite chair. Since her favorite perch faces my chair, I will often look at her and talk to her, to which she always responds by cooing and/or clucking. I would like to know if any other members have a pet pigeon who responds when spoken to. Thanks.


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Rallow, 

Oh yes...

And the ones with whom I have had the most interaction, usually we work out the best comunications, or the most detailed...

One of mine, who free roved in here, when I would ask him "Are you thirsty?" if he was not he would just look at me..but if he was interested in a drink of Water, he would stop, lower his head, and imitate drinking, then look at me. Where, I would go get him a drink of Water then.

I think overall, they can know an aweful lot of what we are saying...but only ocassionally do they feel that any of it is interesting to them...or interesting to where all is simple enough for us to understand them.

Lol...

Phil
Las Vegas


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## Camrron (Dec 19, 2005)

Oh definately yes. 

I talk to my little guy constantly. He doesn't have the gift of speech that we humans think of as intelligent but if I keep quiet and just pay attention he does communicate to me in other ways. Head tilting, dipping, cooing, turning circles on his roost and those charming helicopter flights around me. I think it is all about body language for the birds, not so much the actual talking... 

I try to give him encouragement when he takes short flights around the apartment. Like clapping and cheering and talking to him. He really responds well to this and often continues flapping around the room in response. If my neighbors were listening in though all they would hear is a one way human type conversation coming from me... they might just wonder about me! 

Cameron


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

*I'm Home!*

On four of my weeknights I get home after midnight, and when I come in thru the back door, Tooters room is in the bedroom adjacent to the kitchen, and many times after I say "Honey I'M HOME!" of course informing my wife I am home if she is up, and he will coo-coo-rook-coooo roooo up a storm until I go in and say good night to him while he is struting back and forth on his perch.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Hi again,

I love the picture!

Oh you bet I do! I usually talk to them and ask each and everyone of them how they are (all 48) and they let me know. I try to be considerate of each and everyone of their feelings.

They may complain about one or another of my birds, or ask for more food, and especially they ask me for peanuts.

I learned a long time ago from the Pet Psychic that animals and birds understand us, and they need to be talked to and told of what important events are coming up in their lives,and such.... just because they don't speak our language doesn't mean they don't understand.

Thanks for sharing with us.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Victor said:


> On four of my weeknights I get home after midnight, and when I come in thru the back door, Tooters room is in the bedroom adjacent to the kitchen, and many times after I say "Honey I'M HOME!" of course informing my wife I am home if she is up, and he will coo-coo-rook-coooo roooo up a storm until I go in and say good night to him while he is struting back and forth on his perch.




Victor,

What a wonderful way to be welcomed home, especially at that hour when no one else is stirring. Tooter sounds like a real sweety!


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

pdpbison said:


> Oh yes...
> 
> And the ones with whom I have had the most interaction, usually we work out the best comunications, or the most detailed...
> 
> ...



LOL Very true, Phil, they usually don't say anything if they don't have anything to complain about or don't need anything! That is why I mostly hear them ask for peanuts!


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## rallow (Dec 23, 2005)

For Phil Pdpbison,
Does your free rover like Chinese girls? If so I can introduce him to Lucy Liu and maybe their offspring will turn out to be even better communicators!


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Rallow, 

Nice idea...!

But alas, he is no longer with us.

But it would be an interesting experiment to only allow to pair and mate, those Pigeons who are the best communicators, and, in time, to see how far such a thing could go...

Many times too, with recovering ferals here, usually with them some weeks in cages in my Office before I let them free rove pending release...in interacting with them sort of minimally, I will draw two simple images side-by-side on a sheet of paper. One, the likeness of a Pigeon, and one, the likeness of a person. I will then show it to them, holding it close to the cage, and, I will point to the person-image, then to myself...and, point to the Pigeon image, then to them.

They become sometimes very pensive and interested with this, and will look intently at the little drawing, then look at me, and look at the drawing...

If I set the drawing down near them and walk away, I can see them continueing to study it off and on by themselves.

Dogs never seem to have any interest whatever so far as I recall, in such things...! Lol...


Phil
Las Vegas


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## rallow (Dec 23, 2005)

Lucy Liu doesn't vocalize when she hears us come home, what she does is jump hard from her perch to her cage floor repeatedly making a loud noise until someone goes and talks to her. Only at night when she is sitting quietly in her cage, and I am sitting next to her in my favorite chair can I strike up a conversation.


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## andinla (Mar 11, 2003)

*Hi my pigeon coo's when*

I coo to him back and fourth we talk, he also bob's his head down and then I bob mine down I have no idea what the bobbing is all about but he seems to enjoy it. He also coo's and circles when I put him back into his cage. I guess I did pretty well learning the pigeon talk (cooing) because he does respond to it. 

Andi


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## Brownieluv (Dec 12, 2005)

*Yes! Yes! Yes!*



rallow said:


> Though our pet pigeon Lucy Liu spends much or her time either flying or walking about our apartment, she actually lives in a in a cage that sits on a table about 3 feet from my favorite chair. Since her favorite perch faces my chair, I will often look at her and talk to her, to which she always responds by cooing and/or clucking. I would like to know if any other members have a pet pigeon who responds when spoken to. Thanks.


Can't believe I found this thread. I've had Brownie several weeks now. Only heard him vocalize a few times. I talked to him lots but no response.

A few days ago my boyfriend tried cooing and talking "bird talk" to him. Amazing response! He talks to us all the time now, and suddenly is much more affectionate. I mimic the sounds he makes, as well as inventing a few of my own.

For the first time ever he voluntarily jumped into my hand with no food as an enticement. (I fed him by hand for about six months when he was an "outdoor" bird, but since adopting him, even that's been hard to persuade him to do.)

Glad I found this thread, first time I've been in any forum other than pet pigeons. Congratulations on your talkative friend. Isn't it great?


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## Pikachu23739 (Jan 6, 2006)

*that is so cute and great or awesome*


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

*I'm an echo*

to much of what has been said about communicating with our pigeons. Slowly I'm learning what Mr. Squeaks means or wants by what he does or the sounds he makes. 

-Low moaning means "I want attention, pleeeaseee - scratch my neck and talk to me"
-Low moans escalating into LOUD moans (aka HOLLERING) means "I want attention - NOW!" 
-No voice, just serious LOUD stomping around his home when the door is closed means "I want out - NOW!" or "Don't leave! I want out - NOW!"
-What I call the male pigeon "chortle" accompanied by spreading of tail and strutting means "You da mate - I love you!"
-After grabbing his beak, he squats down (sometimes with wing twitching) means "preen my neck, under my wings and down my back - ah yes, right there, more more please" May be followed by spread tail and strutting which takes us back to "I love you."

I also notice that he will make little sounds when I turn the computer on and off and he hears the music that is played. He will also come to me whenever I laugh or sing. 

Oh yes, and grunting, especially with the "look" means "back off" or "I don't like that" or "WHO is this stranger? Back off!"


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## Brownieluv (Dec 12, 2005)

*Great picture*

Lucy Liu is as beautiful as her namesake.


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## Brownieluv (Dec 12, 2005)

*Thanks for the translations*



mr squeaks said:


> to much of what has been said about communicating with our pigeons. Slowly I'm learning what Mr. Squeaks means or wants by what he does or the sounds he makes.
> 
> -Low moaning means "I want attention, pleeeaseee - scratch my neck and talk to me"
> -Low moans escalating into LOUD moans (aka HOLLERING) means "I want attention - NOW!"
> ...


This is great, I can identify with some of it, haven't experienced all and I'm sure each bird is different. You've given some great ideas about things to try and look for.


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## Brownieluv (Dec 12, 2005)

*Oops*



Brownieluv said:


> Can't believe I found this thread. I've had Brownie several weeks now. Only heard him vocalize a few times. I talked to him lots but no response.
> 
> A few days ago my boyfriend tried cooing and talking "bird talk" to him. Amazing response! He talks to us all the time now, and suddenly is much more affectionate. I mimic the sounds he makes, as well as inventing a few of my own.
> 
> ...


Somehow I thought I was in a different forum! Glad to know I only have one "home."


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## andinla (Mar 11, 2003)

*My pigeon now*

makes a wooo woo low pitch , kinda like crying moan. It makes me sad so I talk to him more and then he will stop. He still doesn't associate my hand as being part of me, he loves to attack my hand and loves it when I gently grab his beak and wiggle it back and fourth. He does the cooing and circles if I coo to him first and also when I put back in his cage. 

Andi


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## rallow (Dec 23, 2005)

Lucy, who we often call just plain “Pidge” has liked having me to pull on her beak since she was about 6 months old. Often she will solicit me to do this, or to have me rub her crop gently with two fingers. If any one would like to see a couple of short videos I made of some of her tricks, you will find them in zip files, on my server at: http://cbargains.com/dl.htm


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## Pikachu23739 (Jan 6, 2006)

I am going to put your picture in my website okay


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## Poulette (Feb 5, 2002)

Hi Rallow,
Funny videos! Lucy Liu is a very nice looking pigeon. If I remember, she loves to peck on the keyboard and she is potty trained? She really is a very tame pigeon. I love to see other poeple's pet pigeons. I want more videos  

Suz.


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## Camrron (Dec 19, 2005)

Originally posted by *Mr Squeaks*

_"I also notice that he will make little sounds when I turn the computer on and off and he hears the music that is played. He will also come to me whenever I laugh or sing"_. 

My Buddy goes CRAZY when I sing. (and I am not a bad singer). But he starts to fly back and forth across the room and starts doing this territorial thing with a loud warbled cooing sound. Turning circles on his roost and generally objecting. He doesn't actually dive bomb me or anything but the message I am getting is "keep your day job"!

Cameron


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## christina11 (Jan 20, 2006)

my pigeons all of them always respond to me especailly when i bop my hesd up and down but one of them hates it when i make funny sounds so he will chase me trying to peck me and boy does he bite HARD lol


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## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

Camrron said:


> ...My Buddy goes CRAZY when I sing...and starts doing this territorial thing with a loud warbled cooing sound...
> Cameron


I don't think he was criticizing your singing, just responding to your "territory call".  I've noticed that when one male birds starts to roo-coo, all the other males seem obligated to pick it up. It's like they are trash talking each other:

bird 1 - "This here is MY territory! You keep out!"
bird 2 - "Oh, yeah? Well, over here is MY territory! Beware!"
bird 3 - "Well, you both better stay away from MY territory over here!"

Meanwhile, the females watch to see if anything exciting will happen.


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## Camrron (Dec 19, 2005)

Originally posted by *TerriB*

"It's like they are trash talking each other:

bird 1 - "This here is MY territory! You keep out!"
bird 2 - "Oh, yeah? Well, over here is MY territory! Beware!"
bird 3 - "Well, you both better stay away from MY territory over here!"

Meanwhile, the females watch to see if anything exciting will happen". 


What? The females are just sitting back waiting for something to happen? No way, Where did you get that from? The girls would'nt do that! Sorry I am laughing to hard to type properly. Verrrry cute Terri!

Cameron
.


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## rallow (Dec 23, 2005)

Sure, use the picture anyplace you want except a dart board maybe. Be sure and link me to your website.


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## rallow (Dec 23, 2005)

Lucy has an occasional territorial dispute with my right foot, but if I bob my big toe up and down she will relent.


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## sk8er (Jan 8, 2006)

Now, I want a talking head bobbing pigeon.


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

Camrron said:


> Originally posted by *Mr Squeaks*
> 
> _"I also notice that he will make little sounds when I turn the computer on and off and he hears the music that is played. He will also come to me whenever I laugh or sing"_.
> 
> ...


LOL! I guess to Buddy, your singing is in the "ear of the beholder"... 

Have you tried DIFFERENT songs? Y'know, like people, some can't stand Jazz, others, Country/Western, etc.  

Yeah, Terri, I can just see those males doing their "trashin'! Very funny!


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