# Fearful rescued house pigeon



## Baysalt (May 29, 2017)

Hi all!! I've been following this forum for over a decade listening and learning and seeing all of your wonderful pij posts and finally I'm here to contribute as well!
I have a question about my pet pigeon Parker. A little backstory: Parker is a beautiful "Flying Flight" originally from a loft in Long Island that must have gotten lost while out flying and somehow ended up on the rooftoo garden of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They became a bit of a local celebrity there and after being fed by folks working at the museum for a few months, they decided to try and "release" them back to Long Island. Long story short, they managed to catch them and drive them out to LI only for them to immediately come back to the museum a day later! At that point they contacted the previous owner via the information on their leg band but he didn't want them back. So they decided to find a home for them! That is where I come in! My friends working at the museum asked if I wanted to take her in and, after being given a once over by the Wild Bird Fund in Manhattan, she came to live with me! 

Fast forward now 6 months later - Parker who I had been calling "she" but is turning out to very likely be a boy pij, has been afraid or us since day 1. I certainly didn't expect her to snuggle up to me so soon but she is still EXTREMELY fearful of me and my roommate. She has (supervised) free run of the house every evening and during the day stays in her cage (a large converted dog crate with all the amenities). I try and spend as much time around her to get her used to our presence but if we get within 5 or 6 feet of her she will bolt. When I need to get in her cage for any reason while she is inside she will throw herself in a panic into the corners trying to escape. While she is out she will spend most of the time flying from one of her favored perches to the other over and over and over again for hours. She has a window seat for cats that she loves to stare out from, but I've never seen her relax for more than a few minutes. She sings a LOT and dances for her reflection anywhere she sees it lol. She loves baths and will loaf around the apartment afterwards. She eats well, but is not particularly food motivated. She loves sunflower seeds, but I have yet to find any fruit or vegetable that she will touch. In any case nothing would get her to be anywhere NEAR me hah. Basically my question is whether or not anyone has any tips for making her happier! I mean of course it would delight me for her to be more comfortable around us, but mostly I am concerned about her near-constant state of FLIPPING OUT. I want her to be content and at least not so afraid.
Does anyone else have any experience with getting high strung birds to calm down? I didn't wanna stress her further by trying to handle her but also wasn't sure if she would get used to me any other way? 
Anyhow thanks so much in advance!! 
Niki and Parker


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

He may have been handled badly, or not at all. How do you get him back into his cage at the end of the day?
What are you feeding him? Too many sunflower seeds are not good for him as they are high in fat. He needs a seed mix. And pigeon grit.


----------



## Baysalt (May 29, 2017)

Jay3 said:


> He may have been handled badly, or not at all. How do you get him back into his cage at the end of the day?
> What are you feeding him? Too many sunflower seeds are not good for him as they are high in fat. He needs a seed mix. And pigeon grit.


I feed Parker a pigeon feed (Purgrain) as well as grit. I get Parker back in either by simply waiting til they go back in on their own or by sprinkling a couple sunflower seeds on the bottom of the cage to tempt them back in. Works like a charm til they have caught on that me approaching the cage means the door is about to shut LOL sometimes I am too slow! Otherwise I limit how many sunflower seeds they get since I know they are more of a treat!


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Purgrain is good. I used that till they weren't selling it around here anymore. Now I use Browns.
IF you have to get them in and they won't go, just turn the lights off and you can usually just go over and pick them up. Won't usually fly in the dark. As long as you aren't chasing them to get them back in the cage.
Pigeons usually love chopped unsalted peanuts. Most any bird does. But if they don't know what they are, then they don't know that they will love them. Mix some in with their feed, and eventually they will try them. When they do, they will love them. Eventually they should come to you for the treat. Once they love them, hold them in your hand, rather than putting them in the cage. They should fly to you for the treat. Some pigeons are more difficult to get them to trust you.


----------



## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Parker is lovely and with patience will be your best friend in time i think.


----------



## kayosa (Apr 17, 2017)

I'm going to suggest a more radical form of pigeon taming. 
Handle her daily(once or twice a day). 
Right now she doesn't understand anything except(I'll wager) that you walk away as fast as possible when she freaks out. This reinforces the idea she can 'escape' when you approach. Backing off is a release of pressure, which is a reward, which makes her continue to act that way. 
Instead of backing off, pick her up and hold her loosely(only the most basic amount of pressure to keep her from escaping) until she stops struggling, then let her go immediately. This starts to give her the idea that staying calm is the best way to release the pressure. Once she stays calm to you reaching for her, then start petting her chest instead of handling her all the time. Not her back, as things that are above her are more scary. 

This is the horse training method, used to tame mustangs to ride within a matter of hours. I tamed my girl pigeon using this way, she would throw herself against the sides of the aviary when I got her. I now have her sitting on my hand only a little more then a month later. She still doesn't understand the whole 'treat' idea, but she is calm which I feel is much safer.


----------



## Oars (Jun 6, 2006)

This is good advice, I think. 

When I first rescued my king pigeon, she was a squeaker and used to wingfu me and bite me nonstop whenever I tried to approach her. 

How I came to tame her was the following. When she came to me she was starving and dirty. Over the next several months she continued to be dirty and smelled more and more. I met a nice elderly couple who rescue all kinds of birds. They advised me to give her a bath and then blow dry her. 

So I did that. I grabbed her and gave her a shampoo with Johnson's baby shampoo, then wrapped her in a towel and gently blow dried her. Sure she struggled, but it had to be done. She was so smelly.

Lo and behold. After I gave her the bath, she suddenly started kissing me for the first time and became suddenly tame after that. I don't know why, but I think she sensed that I was a benefactor and cared for her, not a threat to her.


----------



## Oars (Jun 6, 2006)

Some other things to stress:

Use a high pitched voice, and make slow moves, never fast or jerky ones. Someone on here advised that and I took it, with great success.


----------



## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Oars, loved your story about the bath. Would also recommend singing. Some pigeons are crazy about music. Phoebe loved Spongebob, Mickey Mouse club, and marching music like John Philip Sousa and songs like those in "Sound of Music."


----------



## Oars (Jun 6, 2006)

True that. My bird loves music. She would come to me when I play music and would stand and watch me with a funny look on her face while I sing and dance.


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Usually just letting them get used to you, and learn to trust you is the best way. Offering treats is good. Forcing them to be handled is counter productive. Most pigeons don't like to be picked up or petted. They like to come to you when they are ready. Better to let them get used to you and want to come to you. Forcing it seldom works. Their personalities are all different. Handling may work better with a female, as if you have a lone female, they can be very needy and clingy, but not so much for males.


----------

