# Where do wild pigeons suddenly go when they disappear?



## Bustergates (May 1, 2007)

There was a regular population of pigeons hanging around here and then they suddenly disappeared -- how does that happen? They use to invade the balconies but then that stopped after they were all screened, but they still hung around on the all the ledges for about a year, and now they're suddenly gone altogether, seems weird. I'm in the San Jose South bay area of San Francisco, California.


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## hamlet (Oct 26, 2004)

Hello. My answer is not pretty. I am not from there but i am guessing it is the same story in most if not all cities here in the states.


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## Gitane44 (Apr 6, 2014)

*Disappeared*

I live on the east side of Milwaukee WI and am asking the same question.


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## lg5555 (Aug 2, 2013)

*Where?*

Perhaps, they found new places to live.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

If there were many and the owners of the buildings were bothered by it, then they may have poisoned them.


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## Bustergates (May 1, 2007)

*Are You Pigeon Pros Pretty Sure Ferals Don't Migrate?*

Anybody know migratory patterns of feral pigeons? Or do urban feral pigeons not migrate? Anybody well informed on this?


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## Roger Siemens (Nov 12, 2011)

they go far away, some end up in grain sheds in the country, or where food is easy to get, it gets to -40 here in the winter and pigeons still live around northern alberta canada. they seam to end up in flocks between buildings in the city. i think some get killed off but the vast numbers live, here is a question many pigeons get lost that are fancy or homing pigeons why is it we never see a banded pigeon with wild ones???


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

On occasion you do see a banded bird with a feral flock, but most domestic pigeons that get lost either end up as predator food or starve to death, not knowing how to find food.

It gets cold here in New England too, but the flocks stay all year. Come winter, when the songbirds are gone, and the hawks turn more to feral pigeons for food, many get taken by them. Food is scarce and they don't make it through the winter. We used to have a feral flock that would come all year to feed here, but after we built a loft, the hawks noticed and come by more. We still leave feed out all year for the ferals, but the hawks get so bad here during winter that the pigeons are afraid to come down to eat. So they stay away more. I know they're hungry, but the hawk strikes become pretty bad and they're afraid. I see them around and know they must be hungry, and on occasion some will come down quick to feed, but I figure they probably weaken, get sick and either get caught or die. By spring, when they return to feed, the numbers are way down. By the time they start to build their numbers again, it is autumn, then winter, and it all starts over. Too bad. They don't migrate though.


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## Raisindust (Apr 8, 2010)

Pigeons don't migrate.

I live in a desert and up north you guys have birds flying south for the winter, well, our birds tend to fly north for the summer, as it gets bloody hot, and most birds look all weird and decreped this time of year as they've molted most of their feathers off and have trouble with food and water ect due to the heat.

And yet, the pigeons still say here. ( And strangely they're one of the very few birds that doesn't get all gross looking in the summer; just the other ones, the sparrows and grackles ect ).


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## pigeonjim (May 12, 2012)

Do not know to be true, but I was told by a City employee that they spray a solution on City roofs that are absorbed into the feet of ferals and stops there good bacteria from working to digest there food. There way of controlling the population....


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

I don't agree that pigeons bred, kept, and fed and housed by humans end up not knowing how to find food if they decide to live feral. I think that is something someone said at one time and got repeated as truth. 

I have seen my birds plenty of times forage for seeds and grains on my property and not so far off property as well. If they did not do well then America would have very few feral pigeon flocks. 

feral pigeons have a semi-migration habit. that is they move to where the best source of food is, if it is someone giving hand outs or a grain elevator or even just farm fields they go to where the food is most availible. people who feed the pigeons and then move or even pass away and then the source is gone they move out after going hungry for a spell .


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Many birds that are kept by people and get lost do starve out there. It's a lot different for a flock of birds that are used to finding food in the wild, and a solitary bird who finds himself out there on his own. He has no idea of where to find enough to eat. Many birds get lost, but not all that many are seen in the wild flocks with bands. And on their own, they aren't going to make it. That's why they live in flocks. If they found it so easy to find food, then why are they found by people out there weak from starvation? I have a loft of them.


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