# How can my pigeon become more friendly?



## Oaznxe (Apr 22, 2011)

Just over one year I bought a stand that contains a tray, water dish and a couple of hangers in the hope I would get various species of bird in the garden. The only thing I got was ugly pigeons that gobbled up all the food very quickly and then pooped in the water dish. Not really what I wanted.

I did start to scare them away every time I saw them to conserve the food for more attractive birds but eventually I just accepted that pigeons were here to stay. At some point a new pigeon with white feathers was eating the seeds. I also found out unlike the rest of the pigeons it didn't fly away when it saw me, although it did always run away if I got within a metre or so. On closer examination it was a red bar racing pigeon.

It's been visiting my garden every day (except in the winter) for the past year and I've taken a liking to it and been feeding and watering it once a day. I was quite surprised one day when it flew up on the tray as I was filling it up, another day it stayed in the tray whilst I was filling showing it was happy for me to get closer than normal.

However, later I found this tameness was temporary as it didn't like me getting close at all and would refuse to eat the food whilst I was in the garden and later took to sitting on top of the house instead of the wall presumably waiting for me to fill the dish up. 

I was disappointed but I kept on feeding and watering it. At some point I tried talking to the pigeon when I saw it, trying to beckon it down from the wall when it was there, the pigeon looked at me when I talked but carried on sitting there. I'm not sure if it's coincidence but he seems a bit happier for me to be close so I was wondering if talking to him helps him feel a bit more relaxed around me.

Any other tips to help induce tameness? Ideally I'd like to see it eating out my hand one day.

I should say though, it's not really my pet. It's a racing pigeon and I suspect it has a loft and an actual owner somewhere as I've seen bands appear and disappear from its leg. It does socialise with other pigeons to some extent and I've heard that this makes pigeons less tame around humans the more time it spends with other pigeons.


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

So the same pigeon you posted about is still commuting 

I'd guess that in winter he/she may be kept in the loft.

How tame it becomes may depend on whether the owner has it hand-tamed or not. Sounds like the pigeon trusts you pretty much, though. He isn't silly, that's for sure - figured out how to get extra rations.


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## Oaznxe (Apr 22, 2011)

Yeah, he's still about and he's in my garden every day, seems to spend quite a lot of time perched on the wall or the roof. It's quite rewarding because I can tell he's pleased to see me (or the food) as he runs towards me a little bit when I appear. 

I did have a visit from another racing pigeon not so long ago with an interesting spotted pattern. I don't think there was enough food to keep its interest though as I only saw him once. It would have been nice to have another regular to keep the red-bar company.


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## rcwms90 (Apr 28, 2011)

umm i would try an spend alot of time around him or her an continue talking to it thats what i do with my parakeets they seem to enjoy me. 

by the way, what food or seed mix do u put out for them? im trying to attract pigeons to my yard the last house we lived in had a flock of pigeons in the backyard that we fed i enjoyed it but that was years ago we moved an now i put out seed an water, an all i get it sparrows, cardinals, bluejays an once a ring neck dove. i mean they're cool an pretty an everything but there no pigeons.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

rcwms90 said:


> umm i would try an spend alot of time around him or her an continue talking to it thats what i do with my parakeets they seem to enjoy me.
> 
> by the way, what food or seed mix do u put out for them? im trying to attract pigeons to my yard the last house we lived in had a flock of pigeons in the backyard that we fed i enjoyed it but that was years ago we moved an now i put out seed an water, an all i get it sparrows, cardinals, bluejays an once a ring neck dove. i mean they're cool an pretty an everything but there no pigeons.



Feral pigeons will come to any seed you put out if it is scattered on the ground or in a feeder they can utilize. Maybe there just aren't any in your area? Torn up bread will attract more birds initially, as it can be seen from a distance.


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