# My 6-week pigeon is gone :(



## marrrie (Jun 23, 2011)

Hello to all the pigeon lovers! 
I am really happy that I found your great Pigeon Talk! 

I am writing because I am desperate. This is my pigeon tale that I wish to share. On February the 14th, just on Valentine's Day, my boyfriend and I spotted one pigeon to carry little sticks to one of our balcony's flower pots. The pot they chose was lying on the balcony's floor and had no flowers in it but lots of garden soil in it. I guess they found a perfect spot. I was delighted as I knew that pigeons are holly animals. And so 2 days later to our great surprise we found one, then another egg.  We let them have their babies and 18 days later we got our first newcomers. So the pigeons on our balcony we already 4. We were really happy. The problem was with our landlords and the neighbors who never liked pigeons as they are considered, here, in Germany, to be "the flying Rats" as referring to smth bad and disease-carriers. We've decided to take away all the pots on the balcony, not willingly of course, because we had seen the parents mating again. But one pot got left uncovered and surprise in april we got the next two eggs.  In May they were born and grew up healthy and stronger. The parents didn't pay much attention to this offspring, I don't know why, and we had to give them some more food and also stay with them. They actually learned to fly without the father's lessons. They were so much braver and more independent than the first children. 

They used to sleep on my balcony, but started fighting with each other- parents, first, second offspring, made a lot of noise and the neighbours started throwing water at them and so on... We had to do smth. We decided to put some flashy stuff at the balcony so that they find a diff place to sleep. They did, just nearby, at the other block of flats. They came every day just to feed them. I looked at them from distance for hours and admired them...

My problem is that one of the youngest, I think it is a SHE, didn't show up at her sleeping spot. Her brother slept alone.  They all come together at the balcony...Not yesterday. I saw her in the early morning with her brother and then I never saw her. Told them to come in the afternoon to feed them. But she wasn;t there. I couldn't sleep last night. Woke up early, she is not back.

Plz tell me if pigeons do get lost sometimes. Do they find a better place? Is she too young? Could she be killed? - I don't think intentionally, could she be a road-kill victim...but I never saw her leave the nearby roofs...I dunno...


Plz help.... I miss her and cry all day long...Excuse my english, im so sad...


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## boneyrajan.k (Jul 15, 2010)

Marrie......welcome to pigeon talk.
Lets hope she comes back soon


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

How old is she? A hawk may have gotten her or some other predator. If she is young then it is doubtful that she would have just left.


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## marrrie (Jun 23, 2011)

*Six week old*

She is 6-week old. Pretty good at flying and even scarying away her older brothers/sisters. She even put up a fight with sometimes too demanding daddy. When mum and dad sometimes used to kiss and cuddle she gets so jealous that pushes her mother off the roof just to try to be fed by daddy once again. 

I must say that the father doesn't feed them nomore for about a week or so. Plus I think the parents might be making the youngsters go away cuz we believe they are making another nest. Can't see if there are any eggs or they still mating.
I don't think it is a hawk. Here, where I live in Germany, in a relativelly big city, no hawks ive seen, only crows but they don't seem to bother them. I must say she is even bigger than mummy. Only the white spots on her beak are not so white yet. My neighbourhood is so calm- mainly swallows, squarrels, common blackbirds...

So I guess cuz she is really independent got seek of the place ...6 weeks old she is...


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## marrrie (Jun 23, 2011)

There she is. The picture is taken 2 weeks ago. She is in the front, mommy at the back. You can see how big she is. Be4 she got lost, she was even bigger.


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## marrrie (Jun 23, 2011)

Last picture of the whole family taken 2 days before she went missing.

I will appreciate sincerelly any additional knowledge on pigeon's behaviour. What do the parents do to their offspring when they get older. I've only observed some things and repeated behaviour patterns they follow...The mystery for me remains...second day without spotting her...Her brother still alone on the roof.

I searched the streets in the neighbourhood to see for her eventual dead body... Nothing....No signs of anything.


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## marrrie (Jun 23, 2011)

*Could it be a crow?*



Jay3 said:


> How old is she? A hawk may have gotten her or some other predator. If she is young then it is doubtful that she would have just left.


She is 6, almost 7 weeks old now. I highly doubt that she left for no reason, too. She is really curious about stuff, but is not tamed, and is scared of people. It was raining in the afternoon she never showed up, could she be lost, lost orientation because of the rain. I don't think they (she and her brother) went on a long flying trip since the parents never went anywhere with them. It was a different case with their first offspring. I have seen them go somewhere else - mum and dad and kids, and don't come back for hours. The one that is missing and her brother have never taken a trip with their parents before. Just switching roof tops I guess is what they did. Could she be lost in a nearby roof? I am worried she might have fallen into a chimney and couldn't get out though she ain't a baby and most of the cimneys are covered with a metal top.

Thank you for the answer. I pray that she is just lost. I've put so much effort and love in raising them. I wish I could at least bury her if she is gone for good.


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## boneyrajan.k (Jul 15, 2010)

Trust in god ,she will be definitely back soon...


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## marrrie (Jun 23, 2011)

*Thank you for the belief!*



boneyrajan.k said:


> Trust in god ,she will be definitely back soon...


I do. I pray for her. I just want to see her. Thank you for the optimism and the trust, I do believe she will come back.


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## whytwings (Feb 12, 2011)

I recently lost one of my white babies , she was there in the morning and never came home in the evening , it's now been some weeks 

How long has she been missing for now ??


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

If Germany have birds of pray, pigeons can be their target for a meal.. not saying this is what is going on with this pigeon, but it is their reality in their life.. it is nice that you feed them.


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## marrrie (Jun 23, 2011)

whytwings said:


> I recently lost one of my white babies , she was there in the morning and never came home in the evening , it's now been some weeks
> 
> How long has she been missing for now ??


I am really sorry for your whity. Was it still a baby? 
It has been 2 days since I last saw her. It is now noon here 3 pm. She went missing same time I guess, on Wednesday. Two days and two nights without her. 

Hope your white angel comes back. 

I still have not quit on mine grey angel. Never will.


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## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

Now now lets think positive, she was just out for a morning stroll followed another group of pigeons and is now living on the other side of town. Just maybe you will see her one of theese days.
Dave


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## marrrie (Jun 23, 2011)

spirit wings said:


> If Germany have birds of pray, pigeons can be their target for a meal.. not saying this is what is going on with this pigeon, but it is their reality in their life.. it is nice that you feed them.


Hmmm...that is what I do not get.The only bigger than the pigeons birds I have seen passing by near them are crows. I have read that it is really unlikely a crow to take an adult pigeon, in my case the size of an adult. I have never spotted hawks or anything like it passing by in my neighborhood or in the nearby parks. 

I know nature is cruel sometimes if that's the case with my Malka, at least I want to know. 

10x for the reply.


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## marrrie (Jun 23, 2011)

Crazy Pete said:


> Now now lets think positive, she was just out for a morning stroll followed another group of pigeons and is now living on the other side of town. Just maybe you will see her one of theese days.
> Dave


 Thank you, Pete, for cheering me up! I wish that's what really happened though I saw her in the morning with daddy. I usually don't feed them early in the morning more likely before bad or late afternoon. She came to the balcony with daddy. They always came when I opened the window to the balcony. If I opened the window 10 times a day, 10 times they would come. I cannot feed them 10 times because they will explode. So when she showed up with dad I told them to come back in the noon to feed them. They came but she wasn't there. Now I blame myself what if I had given her smth then, maybe she wouldn't have left to find food. I dunno...

Hope she really went with some pigeons. Thank you for writing. Positive thinking might help.


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## marrrie (Jun 23, 2011)

I have never thought pigeons would change my life that way. I have always been and am an animal lover. I take care of animals, cry for them. Yesterday we saved a little baby commonn blackbird that got lost in the hallway of our apartment complex. It was sitting on the stairs...
I dunno but we found it just after we came home looking for any sings of our little pigeon in the neighborhood. Could this be a sign that she is dead but I saved another birds life. 
Or is it just another show of love and care towards animals?


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

I'm so sorry your pigeon has gone missing and I hope she shows up. 

I thought you might like to meet Petra. She supports some pigeons, on her balcony, in Munich. Here's a link to her blog...

http://pigeonwriter.wordpress.com/


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## marrrie (Jun 23, 2011)

Charis said:


> I'm so sorry your pigeon has gone missing and I hope she shows up.
> 
> I thought you might like to meet Petra. She supports some pigeons, on her balcony, in Munich. Here's a link to her blog...
> 
> http://pigeonwriter.wordpress.com/


Thank you for your concern and I trully believe she shows up again on my balcony. I have just been feeding the rest ot the crew, no sign of her, but strangely two new I think younger pigeons seem to be hanging out around with the brother of Malka. Don't know but could pigeons exchange children or could the youngsters join other families' territories...? 
Well, thank you for the blog link. I have seen it but didn't know it was in Munich. Her pigeons are lovely. Great thing Petra is doing. 
Her balcony seems really big and I think this is kind of a roof balcony or smth...maybe last floor...mine is quite a little one,exposed to neighbors, plus we are just rentals...we don't own the place...people will complain for sure...I am scared of even giving them food because people can see them from everywhere...

Hopefully in the near future I have a big yard for lots of pigeons to love and care for!


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## TN_PIGEON (Aug 20, 2010)

I haven't been keeping pigeons very long, but I have already learned that losing a pigeon is part of the deal.

As they say with dogs. The best way to get over the loss of a dog is to get a puppy.  

Hope she makes it back, but don't let it discourage you from getting some more.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Marrie...I really do understand why you are worried. Each pigeon is unique and cannot be replaced by another. Many of us here have gone to great lengths...[and heights]...to rescue a pigeon that others may see as disposable or think of as a flying rat.
Have you been out to walk around the neighborhood to see if you can spot her? Is there a park or place near by where pigeons flock? If so, maybe she is in one of those places.


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## horseart4u (Jun 16, 2011)

yeah could be she found a mate already too and joined another flock, or moved to another part of town,, either way sorry for your loss and hope the family brings you more babies in coming years


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## marrrie (Jun 23, 2011)

TN_PIGEON said:


> I haven't been keeping pigeons very long, but I have already learned that losing a pigeon is part of the deal.
> 
> As they say with dogs. The best way to get over the loss of a dog is to get a puppy.
> 
> Hope she makes it back, but don't let it discourage you from getting some more.


Thank you for the encouriging words. I have been fearing this whole losing process the second the grew up. I guess it is really part of life. I hope though I see her soon, at least a glimpse of her.


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## marrrie (Jun 23, 2011)

Charis said:


> Marrie...I really do understand why you are worried. Each pigeon is unique and cannot be replaced by another. Many of us here have gone to great lengths...[and heights]...to rescue a pigeon that others may see as disposable or think of as a flying rat.
> Have you been out to walk around the neighborhood to see if you can spot her? Is there a park or place near by where pigeons flock? If so, maybe she is in one of those places.


Charis, 
I admire the heights and lengths you went to for the pigeons! I did walk around the streets, staring at the roof tops,also, the morning after she never came home to sleep. Here, there is a nearby park, but I have never seen any pigeon there, people don't feed them here. I have spotted a place, but it's kinda far from home...where I have seen some pigeons kinda flocking...it's far though like almost a mile from home...I will check it out! Last night a young pigeon came to sleep with the rest, I don't know where she/he came from. It's not Malka, but reminded me of her. I hope the newcomer stays here...with the rest, but daddy seems to be chasing it away...This morning it's not around. Thank you again! 
Marrrie


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## marrrie (Jun 23, 2011)

horseart4u said:


> yeah could be she found a mate already too and joined another flock, or moved to another part of town,, either way sorry for your loss and hope the family brings you more babies in coming years


I hope she did find a buddy or moved anywhere else. I will keep looking and praying for her. Her brother is so alone on the roof. Well, when mummy and daddy are not around. He, that I call Malcho is so unique at flying, I have never seen a pigeon fly like that. He flies like "crazy", changing heights, up-down, left-right. Seems like a chaos, I think he's doing some flying tricks, kinda shows off. But what looks like a chaos is actually quite a precise flying technique.  So proud of him. I am sure they will bring some more babies!


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