# A release that didn't work out very well!!!!!



## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Yesterday John and I decided that it was the right time to release three pigeons that we had in the release aviary/doviary. They were Norwood ( a woodpigeon) , Oatsy (an adult feral) and Samson (a juvenile feral). We decided a garden release was appropriate so that Norwwod could hang around and Oatsie and Samson could return if they were hungry as there is always food and water available to visitors.

So, we opened the hatch and waited. Samson found it first and settled down to sunbathe. A couple of hours later Oatsie found the opening and shot off over the rooftops, followed by Samson. Norwod the woodie that according to the experts is unsuitable for captivity refused to budge.

By evening there was no sign of Oatsie and Samson. We decided that Norwood must be partially sighted and therefore unaware that the door was open. By morning we realised this couldn't be the case, but by that time he had decided he couldn't or wouldn't fly, so we moved him to the aviary and he waddled to the back.

By this evening Samson was back. The doviary was open and available as a roost, but it was the aviary that called to him. He wandered around until night fell, then decided to roost clinging to the avairy mesh. So pathetic. I went out, grabbed him and put him in the aviary for the night!

Those that know me understand how difficult I find releases...I find them even more difficult now!

Cynthia


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Hi Cynthia, 

I was a little worried w/your thread title that perhaps some trauma had fallen on a release.....guess your accomodations are just too good to refuse  

fp


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Sorry about that misleading headline fp!!! 

My dream would be to have them fly safe and free and come home to roost and eat, so i shouldn't complain.

Cynthia


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Cynthia,


Yea...just keep doing what you did, if not every day, then fairly often if possible, to let them out if they wish to go out, so they can fly, goof around, socialize with wild others, and return.

They may return, and they may at some point decide to sleep somewhere else...they may meet a prospective mate...

I have been letting one of my juvenile-young Adult Doves out, with the only one of four who has not become TOTALLY WILD in here, I walked him out with him perched on my finger, and he was really interested in the outside world, very vivid and alert and happy...but he stayed on my finger...Lol, so I walked back in.


We just stood there next to the many placidly grazing feral Pigeons I had just fed...

A little while later, ( I have been keeping the large roll up door open and the passage door leading to the Shop open, so they can see straight outside from in the Office here) ...he shot out flying to the out of doors 'like a Rocket' and scared the grazing feral Pigeons who did their 'explosion' take offs, who were not expecting some little grey 'rocket' thing to come shooting out at them.

I could not figure out where he went, and several times I went out looking for him.

Later, night time, I do a Dove count in here, and no one was missing, and then he comes flying into the Office from the front rooms, landing in my computer as if to say, "Hey! whats up? Got some of those Safllower Seeds?????"

...sigh...

I will likely have to chase the 'other' Doves ( three more young Adults and two recovered Adult-Adults, and it was especially one of these Adult-Adults who taught my four 'babys' to ne TOTALLY WILD, Lol...) out of here with a Broom! That or kidnap them in the darkness, put them into the Shop, and open the big roll door once it is light out, for them to get outside and decide what they want to do with themselves...Lol...

I was hopeing the one who is friendly with me, in his new forays to the outer worlds, would tell them about it so they too would go "out"...

We shall see!


In fact, having my big door open again, the feral Pigeons are now starting to wander tentatively inside here, and at the moment, there are about ten of them in the shop looking at me typeing here in the Office, so, any of the Birds that may be in the Office here, can see these wild ones but ten or fifteen feet away looking at them, with the great outdoors behind them!

Golly, it looks SO inviteing, it makes me want to fly off and have some fun!

 

Phil
Las Vegas


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Those ferals in the shop conjure up quite an image Phil 

In the summertime I can have the balcony door open, so to avoid nosey people complaining about me putting food out for the pigeons, I invite them to come in to eat. It only takes the first one to dig in, and they all come, looking curiously around at plants and chairs and bits of computer in their wanderings.

Ref the releases, we are pretty sure that at least a couple of our Collared Dove releases come backfor their food. There's just something about their behavior and their evident attraction to the aviary and doviary, and slowness to take flight when they see 'the giants'.

John


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Usually, my Pigeon releases, when of Birds I had raised from Babys, these 'releases' are sequential and progressive and never a one shot deal.

Adults of course, whom I have convelesced, usually just take off 'like a Rocket' heading straight 'back' to where ever they had come from when brought to me.

The youngsters I release, usually this is a progression of forays with me staying with them as they initially are too nervous to do anything amid their feral grazing bretherin, so I hold them and we stand there...I set them on something medoin high, and stand near...next day, they fly to the ground and tremble and preen nervously, and I stand there with them...

On like that, so that after a few such sojournes, they soon begin to graze amid the ferals and to interact with them, get flirted with, cooed at, danced to...and they fly back in when ready to spend the night, or, they fly to the roof for a sleepless adventure, and are overtired and exhauseted come morning where I bring them in and they sleep all day.

Next they pace at the windows, wanting to go out again, and then they usually fly off at dusk with the wild ones, and I see them amid the ferals the next day and from then on for some time, in their grazings untill I can not remember anymore what they looked like and I loose track of them...

Such is the way of it...!

Phil
Las Vegas


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi Cynthia, 


Sorry to hear this attempted release went less than perfect So, Norwood remained in the aviary and Samson flew the coop? Sounds like Oatsie, because he's still young, was reluctant to leave the security of his "home" at the moment. I don't remember how long you've had Norwood, but perhaps he's also adjusted very nicely to life in an aviary afterall.

I as you know, I don't rehab and release, but I can just imagine how difficult and anxious these moments are for you What are you plans now with Norwood and Samson....are you going to try again?


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## badbird (Aug 15, 2005)

hi there. i have a bird that has never been outside my apartment (except for when he was with previous owners). if i opened the window to my apartment to let him out for a recreational fly, do you think this is a bad idea? would he come back later for food/water/shelter, etc or possibly never return? just wondering.


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## KIPPY (Dec 18, 2003)

Badbird,
My opinion you are taking a risk. He could go out and come back no problem, he could be gone for days and come back no problem. He could also find trouble and never make it back and get himself in a bad situation with no one 
there to help him out. He could also go and just live the pigeon life and all is good. My pij took off four 3 days and ended up back in her outdoor cage when I got home from work. She was exhausted and ate like she hasn't eaten in 3 days. Those three days I was totally bummed out and that was the last time she flew, I did build her a bigger cage though.
I wouldn't take the chance, there are no guarantees.

Kim


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

Kippy is right Badbird, Scooter might just get adventurous and then you both might be in trouble...don't do it man!


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Cynthia, I'm like you. I can't stand the releases. I get so much anxiety built up prior to the day we release them that I'm almost sick with worry. It is a beautiful sight though to see them soar into the sky, doing what they love to do best.

Less than l/4 mile from our house there is a wonderful release spot. There are at least 200 ferals that hang out in barns surrounded by acres and acres of fields where corn, wheat etc have been grown, plus 2-3 ponds on the land. We have tried several times to release ours there and while they didn't beat us back home many would be back the next day. These were birds that had never been outside the aviary flying so did not know the lay of the land from the sky. We tried to release one bird there 3 times and the 3rd time he did stay. Now, we scout around for areas across town and release most of them in area with a large feral flock, a stream and old buildings. None have ever come back.

Samson clinging to the wire is kinda sad. Like he had his taste of freedom and decided he didn't like it. We;ve been trying to get Rachel and Raymond to spend the last two nights in the aviary and again tonight had to bring them back in the house because they were clinging to the wire on the inside of the aviary.

Keep us posted on what happens.

maggie


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## badbird (Aug 15, 2005)

tempted as i may be, i will never let scooter loose outside. once i had him in his cage outside, but never lose. unless he had a "bird leash" on lol but i donno of that is humane or not


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## pigeonmama (Jan 9, 2005)

Well, if you do have to take him outside, I think having him on some sort of restraint is better than taking the chance of him being frightened, flying until exhausted, afraid, lost, and in danger of losing his life. 
Daryl


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## badbird (Aug 15, 2005)

instead of a leash to ground a bird do they make some kind of "shirt" to put over the bird so they cant fly (wings cant flap) but they can run around?

he would be easier to catch that way if he strayed too far


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

I am so sorry, Cynthia.
I hate releases. I was never able to release the ones that didn't want to go, luckily they weren't too many. The older ones always want to go, but it's the babies that don't want to leave.

Reti


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

There is heavy rain forecast for today, so Samson and Norwood will stay in the aviary, safe and dry, a little while longer.

I am very relieved that I was able to catch Samson. I would have hated to think of him in inadequate shelter while there is bad weather.

Cynthia


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## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

Cynthia,

I am so glad these birds have someone as compassionate as yourself watching out for them. Good for them, hard for you, but thank you! It is interesting reading about the different directions a release can take.


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## Girl (Mar 3, 2005)

cyro51 said:


> By this evening Samson was back. The doviary was open and available as a roost, but it was the aviary that called to him. He wandered around until night fell, then decided to roost clinging to the avairy mesh. So pathetic. I went out, grabbed him and put him in the aviary for the night!


Hi cyro51,

I have been having some trouble with one of my pigeons Mocha, (he is up for adoption) he is currently living in a cage by himself because he is now of age and has become quite terriorital preventing the rest of my unreleasable pigeons from going anywhere near the food or water. 
I felt sorry for Mocha being in a cage as oppose to an aviary. I got him checked out by a vet and given all sorts of preventive meds before letting him out for his first free flight. I was so surprised, the same thing happened, once I put him on the ground, he got as far as the roof and then went straight back towards the aviary and clung to the wire mesh until I opened the avairy door for him. I tried it 3 times and each time he refused to even explore the garden and clung to the wire mesh until I opened the aviary door. I was hoping I could let Mocha out all day and back into the aviary by evening for food and water, this way, the rest of my pigeons would have already eaten and I could keep the peace in the aviary. *sigh* If you have any suggestions, please do tell...


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Mocha sounds so cute!

At the moment I am stumped, I was thinking that if I had a little group that could fly free they could go and return together. At the moment I have just let them all relax in the aviary. Pigeons can be such homeloving creatures, someone told me that when they demolished a derelict factory where they used to roost the pigeons came back night after night to roost on the rubble, a foot or so from the ground.

Cynthia


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

cyro51 said:


> There is heavy rain forecast for today, so Samson and Norwood will stay in the aviary, safe and dry, a little while longer.
> I am very relieved that I was able to catch Samson. I would have hated to think of him in inadequate shelter while there is bad weather.
> Cynthia


Just wanted to add, that I think your release was successful enough. Oatsie was ready to go and he made it. Samson came back because he would rather stay nice and comfy with Norwood until all is well, and the heavy rain has passed. That makes sense and safety does come first!


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