# how do city pigeons find enough to eat?



## texas.410

I take a lot of care to give my utility pigeons the right feed for a balanced diet. All the feral pigeons I see in town look good and healthy. Where do they find the grain ect. they need in the midle of the city??


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## Charis

Beats me. I think they MAY look better than they actually are. If you actually were to catch one, you MIGHT find you are holding a bag of bones with feathers on the outside.


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## John_D

texas.410 said:


> I take a lot of care to give my utility pigeons the right feed for a balanced diet. All the feral pigeons I see in town look good and healthy. Where do they find the grain ect. they need in the midle of the city??


It is probable they don't get much grain, if any at all. unless there are people who come to feed them. A lot of ferals pretty much exist on food carelessly discarded by people, supplemented by grass seeds and weed seeds. 

The average life of a city pigeon is only about 2 years, and a high percentage never reach adulthood.

We have a lot of rescued pigeons and the food left over each day is collected up, has fresh grain added to it, and is used to help out some of the city pigeons a couple of times a week.

John


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## solly

When i see them they seem to be pecking at nothing.The poorly one i've got at the moment has been vomiting up glass,plastic and silver paper so I suppose they eat basically anything.Also the 3 i've got from a town near me were bags of bones when i caught them but they did have problems,i've never caught a healthy one just to have a look!


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## Charis

John_D said:


> It is probable they don't get much grain, if any at all. unless there are people who come to feed them. A lot of ferals pretty much exist on food carelessly discarded by people, supplemented by grass seeds and weed seeds.
> 
> The average life of a city pigeon is only about 2 years, and a high percentage never reach adulthood.
> 
> We have a lot of rescued pigeons and the food left over each day is collected up, has fresh grain added to it, and is used to help out some of the city pigeons a couple of times a week.
> 
> John


I really hate that old statement some people make goes something like...they'll find food, they're JUST pigeons! Don't worry about them...they can eat anything.
Thank you, John for helping out and doing more than your share.


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## John_D

Charis said:


> I really hate that old statement some people make goes something like...they'll find food, they're JUST pigeons! Don't worry about them...they can eat anything.
> Thank you, John for helping out and doing more than your share.


We get people around here (my apartment block) who say "they can find plenty of natural food in summer". Yep - like there's a handy grain factory on every corner!!

Well, with so many spoiled rescue pigeons, there's always leftovers ... Cynthia is the main feeder, of course, except when I'm there at weekends. But, I have my own gang on the balcony who get their pigeon mix and a bath. Unfortunate that good food doesn't solve evrything. The ones I take in are mostly PMV cases, aside from the odd too-early squeaker who is suffering from the weather conditions.

John


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## george simon

Our pigeons are great survivors just look at all the pigeons that live in big and small cities.This is done with and with out our help.Over the years I have seen pigeons being fed hamburger buns, potatoes chips,french fries. In some cases they find back yard feeders for wild birds. Remember they are birds in the ROCK DOVE family the rock doves lived in the cliffs and caves along the coast and flew inland to feed.The fact that they can fly gives them greater range in looking for food,but we who love this bird must still help by feeding the wild ones when ever we can,remember that when you feed a pigeon you may also be feeding other non pigeon type bird. .GEORGE


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## Grim

george simon said:


> ,remember that when you feed a pigeon you may also be feeding other non pigeon type bird. .GEORGE


Like what a hawk?


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## little bird

Grim said:


> Like what a hawk?


No, Grim....George is talking about how the other neighborhood birds also come where any feeder is throwing food. Here in NYC, we get sparrows, starlings , finches, sometimes blue jays, mourning doves, and the occassional  migrant.


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## george simon

Grim said:


> Like what a hawk?


 GRIM I TAKE OFFENCE TO YOUR POST THERE MANY WILD SONG BIRDS THAT EAT SOME OF THE SAME GRAINS THAT OUR PIGEONS DO. .GEORGE


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## re lee

If your city or town has grain elevaters railroad tracks feed supply stores. Chance is there is plenty of spilled grain to support the pigeons. As you see them eat what looks like nothing they are probaly eating small gravel and such as a grit. The will pigeons survive rather well. AND increase and decrease in populations. The big decrease is hawk attacks these days. Then pigeon control such as poisons. pastes spikes ect. Sure one might think the pigeon has a rough time. BUT look at the sparrows starlings wild doves ect. They mange and thrive. Beings pigeons nest near man made buildings and such they get prone to injury from cars trucks and such. But If food was short then they would breed less and you would see less The wild pigeon is a strong surviver.


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## Charis

John_D said:


> We get people around here (my apartment block) who say "they can find plenty of natural food in summer". Yep - like there's a handy grain factory on every corner!!
> 
> Well, with so many spoiled rescue pigeons, there's always leftovers ... Cynthia is the main feeder, of course, except when I'm there at weekends. But, I have my own gang on the balcony who get their pigeon mix and a bath. Unfortunate that good food doesn't solve evrything. The ones I take in are mostly PMV cases, aside from the odd too-early squeaker who is suffering from the weather conditions.
> 
> John


The plant that mixed seed, down by the river, has closed down. There used to be 1000 pigeons waiting for the spillage. Now, crossing the bridges, I see dead pigeons on the walk way. For a city that was teeming with ferals 1 year ago, I feel like celebrating when I see 3 or 4. Of course, the city has introduced the Peregrine to the population. Gosh, I wonder what the Peregrine is going to do since it appears the pigeon grocery is about to close down.


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## John_D

george simon said:


> GRIM I TAKE OFFENCE TO YOUR POST THERE MANY WILD SONG BIRDS THAT EAT SOME OF THE SAME GRAINS THAT OUR PIGEONS DO. .GEORGE


I think I can see the misunderstanding, George. It is, unfortunately, often true that where pigeons feed, hawks will see what they figure might be easy prey. We had to stop feeding some pigeons in the accustomed place in the park one spring, because some breeding hawks started visiting and picked off at least a couple of 'our' ferals close by where they ate.

John


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## amyable

I was amazed recently when I was in the main Birmingham railway station. I had been to the shops and as always took a bag of seed with me to feed any ferals I came across in the town.
While I was waiting for my train I spotted a pigeon walking along the platform looking for food. I luckily had some seed left in my bag and went over and threw it down near the bird. Feeling self satisfied at helping a poor feral find a meal, I was amazed when it went over to the seed, picked at it and promptly dropped it and walked away. Fussy I thought. I can only assume it was so used to whatever it normally survives on that it didn't recognise the seed as food!!

I'll remember to take some old crusts next time.  

Janet


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## texas.410

amyable said:


> I was amazed recently when I was in the main Birmingham railway station. I had been to the shops and as always took a bag of seed with me to feed any ferals I came across in the town.
> While I was waiting for my train I spotted a pigeon walking along the platform looking for food. I luckily had some seed left in my bag and went over and threw it down near the bird. Feeling self satisfied at helping a poor feral find a meal, I was amazed when it went over to the seed, picked at it and promptly dropped it and walked away. Fussy I thought. I can only assume it was so used to whatever it normally survives on that it didn't recognise the seed as food!!
> 
> I'll remember to take some old crusts next time.
> 
> Janet


Interesting.


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## Charis

amyable said:


> I was amazed recently when I was in the main Birmingham railway station. I had been to the shops and as always took a bag of seed with me to feed any ferals I came across in the town.
> While I was waiting for my train I spotted a pigeon walking along the platform looking for food. I luckily had some seed left in my bag and went over and threw it down near the bird. Feeling self satisfied at helping a poor feral find a meal, I was amazed when it went over to the seed, picked at it and promptly dropped it and walked away. Fussy I thought. I can only assume it was so used to whatever it normally survives on that it didn't recognise the seed as food!!
> 
> I'll remember to take some old crusts next time.
> 
> Janet


I have had the same experience, ferals that didn't know that seed is to eat.
I remember the poor feral that Sabina found. It kept trying to vomit something up. Finally it did and it was a hard old leaf that looked like it was from a Laurel shrub.


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## first flight

*cool & hmmm*

hey sweet so you can catch they city birds (i didn't know) but is there a chance that they culd give your birds a disease? 

but if NOT i might give it a try it sounds fun and then you can help that bird too.


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## Feather

first flight said:


> hey sweet so you can catch they city birds (i didn't know) but is there a chance that they culd give your birds a disease?
> 
> but if NOT i might give it a try it sounds fun and then you can help that bird too.


That is not a good idea unless one is injured. The feral may have a mate and babies that are depending upon it for food. These birds do mourn for their mates, and desperately try to free them selves to get back to their families.

Any time you introduce a new bird to your loft, domesticated or feral, there is always a chance for disease.


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