# Rescued pigeon "Bon Bon" taming progress.



## ArizonaJan (Oct 16, 2014)

I've been working with our recently rescued homing pigeon, "Bon Bon", for the past few weeks to "tame" him. Even though we live in the desert, it does get a bit chilly at night this time of year, and because he's a solitary fellow, we've been putting him into a small travel cage and bringing him inside for the night. Well, apparently he must really like this routine because now, when we hold the open "indoor" cage up to the open door of his larger outdoor cage he literally jumps right into his indoor cage. 

I've also been having taming "sessions" with him, putting him on my shoulder and letting him walk or fly around a bit in the hallway (we've got too many breakable things to let him fly in the rest of the house...at least not yet). While, when we first started these sessions, he would just try to get away, he's now become quite relaxed and vocal while on my shoulder, making little barely audible grunting noises and even cooing loudly, in response to my attempts at "pigeon talk". And I was thrilled tonight when, for the first time, upon opening the door of his indoor cage, he flew right up onto my shoulder!!! My husband calls me the pigeon whisperer LOL! 

We've also noticed that, sometimes he will coo incessantly, but quiet down right away if we go over and talk to him or put his cage closer to us while watching TV etc. We're really encouraged as it seems this formerly frightened and aggressive rescue pigeon is starting to warm up to his caretakers! 

Our hope is that, if he comes to consider our house to be a place of safety and comfort and bonds to us as his "flock", he may choose to stay here rather than trying to fly back to his old home, if he ever gets loose, or we decide to try to give him a little outdoor time outside the cage. Although, from what I'm reading, the latter may be too much of a risk to ever attempt. Has anyone else been successful at re-homing a rescued solitary adult homing pigeon?


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## CBL (May 13, 2014)

Behaviour, lol, if you want him to tame down even more and follow you around the house like a dog, simply bob your head up and down as you talk to him as they do when they coo, he will be all over that. EVERY single bird we ever bring in be it hen or cock tames down within a day or so simply by mimicking their pigeon behaviour to the point of seeking us out from room to room, chair to couch and literally I have pictures of the birds napping with me in every room. 

In regards to allowing free flight outside, I say no for sure unless you are prepared to lose him one day, could be day of or even 5 years later. I have heard stories both ways. I have been told, just let them mate and they will stay for life, but that is not true either, it is up to the individual bird and whats in his birdbrain. A racer I rescued left his loft 2 hours south to take up residence in a strange hood and stayed there free flying for 3 weeks NOT going back home ever and then I caught him and have him now as prisoner. If he ever gets out, he may go back to either home. So here he stays. 

Its a crap shoot. To be safe, just keep him in house or IN loft but never free flight unless you decide u dont want him anymore. Im glad you are enjoying him. I certainly enjoy mine. Im sure there will be people on here with their opinions on not keeping birds in house, but thats just it ONLY their opinion and none of their business. If you are not sick with breeders lung no different than having a budgie or tiel or any other dander producing birds. Enjoy, thanks for the nice story was fun to read. Would love to see pics.


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## ArizonaJan (Oct 16, 2014)

You mentioned "pigeon breeder's lung", well, actually I do have asthma and my doctor thinks I'm allergic to the birds (we also have two cockatiels and another rescued white roller pigeon who is primarily an indoor bird and, as you described... follows us around etc.) We actually had our house tiled, thinking it might have been the old carpeting, but it didn't help much. So I really didn't want to bring this new guy into the house but we're animal lovers, what can I say. We felt bad for Bon Bon being outside by himself all night in the cold (yea right..."cold" for us here in Tucson AZ is 50 degrees...LOL!) So, he stays outside all day and we just bring him in at night. Here's a picture of Bon Bon (top pic) and one of our tame roller (we think) "Paloma" with my husband as he plays the guitar (she LOVES music!):










https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...785645.-2207520000.1420003814.&type=3&theater










https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...785645.-2207520000.1420003814.&type=3&theater
https://www.facebook.com/1424654141...654141080409/1424666694412487/?type=1&theater

And here's a pic of the rest of the "family" (minus our female cockatiel):










https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...785645.-2207520000.1420003814.&type=3&theater


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## CBL (May 13, 2014)

I can only see the beautiful white pigeon and the guitar shot, but hilarious and yes they certainly are characters eh. Mine do the exact same thing. One will glue herself to me and literally climb up my face to get to my head or shoulder. When they thing they are your mate, they want to be with you 100% of the time.


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## ArizonaJan (Oct 16, 2014)

OK, I went to Facebook and changed the setting to "public" so hopefully they'll show up now. Is there a way to embed photos in your post here on this forum? I tried it using the "insert image" icon above, but it didn't work.


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## CBL (May 13, 2014)

OMG those are GREAT pics lol the one with chihuahua and tiel and pidgy my FAV lol


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Great pictures and lovely bird!


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## ArizonaJan (Oct 16, 2014)

Thanks! The one sitting on my husband's head, and in the guitar shot, is our first rescue, "Paloma". We believe she is a Birmingham Roller, due to her looks and the areal "acrobatics" she does at times (kind of like a happy-flip or half roll). She's really bonded with my husband but I discourage his "cuddling" and petting her because we almost lost her once due to egg binding (requiring surgery $$$$$ ) and she now gets lupron shots to keep her from laying eggs. 

The first picture is "Bon Bon", our new addition. We believe he is a homer, about twice as big as Paloma and much deeper voice. At first we thought he was male because he went nuts whenever he saw our female; he'd dance, swirling and cooing with a puffed crop (a really weird sounding coo...part of it almost sounds like a croaking frog). But I'm starting to wonder as one member here said he looks like more like a female homer. And, tonight, "he" sat in, what looked like, a "nesting" position, with fluttering wings, and cooing for about six hours strait! I guess we'll find out if "he" starts laying eggs! LOL!


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Bon Bon and Paloma are lovely. We have a rescued formerly feral pigeon, Phoebe, who is now a great pet. They are affectionate wonderful creatures. We have another recent rescue Fiona who still bites but coos and head bobs to us. It has only been a couple of weeks since we got her from the shelter. Sounds like you are doing well with Bon Bon, Pigeon Whisperer! We nearly lost Phoebe to internal problems and she had to have surgery and hormone implants too. Glad your pigeons have great caring owners who are willing to care for them so well!


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## ArizonaJan (Oct 16, 2014)

Hmmm...I never heard about hormone implants. I'll have to ask our vet about that since the shots are quite expensive, but then, isn't everything these days...LOL! Yes, agreed, pigeons are indeed quite intelligent and affectionate creatures, and we here on this site have learned they also make wonderful pets, too bad they get such a bad rap. As far as the biting; don't feel too bad. We've had Paloma now for about six years and she still bites. She'll fly to us, ride around on our shoulder and loves being with us while we're watching TV and stuff but she just doesn't like hands. Although she will step up on our hand if she knows something good is going to occur...like getting food. Rarely bites my husband though. I'm so jealous! Doesn't really hurt much though. Except when she grabs a piece of skin and TWISTS...ouch! And, even after so many years, she will NOT eat out of my hand! I guess even pigeons have their dignity to maintain...lol.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

the hormone implants are deslorelin, also called Supralorin, kind of like lupron but longer acting (at least 3-6 months we think which has gotten Phoebe through breeding season three times). We were having Phoebe get an implant at breeding season for three years (one per year in the spring). They are expensive but long acting and she didn't seem to mind them too much. (She hates oral meds; I just gave her the vasodilator she's on for cardiac problems from being a lazy caged bird who doesn't fly anymore.) This year she didn't seem to need an implant because we have so carefully alternated our attention with her (so she doesn't see us as potential sex objects) and because we carefully regulate her day/night cycle (don't play with her after dusk). We also never pet her back and when she "flicks" her wing tips or pastes herself to the desk we don't touch her (she is asking to be mounted!). She loves when we sing to her. Am hoping Fiona will get to be like your Paloma and only bite and wing slap us occasionally. Fiona is starting to pay attention to us and head bob but she may be a "he" (we're not sure yet). Phoebe bites my spouse but not me. I'm the exercise and feeder person; he's the more rowdy play and feeder person. I get her out in the morning and he gets her out at night. We also move her toys and other things in her cage around so she doesn't think it's "safe" enough to nest and remove her food right after she eats (so she won't think there's a surplus of food and want to nest and lay an egg). She did lay one egg when we first got her, that led to fluid buildup and her surgery (other surgery was for broken wing and being nearly decapitated from flying into a fan before we got her) and all kinds of problems. She just came back from an annual bird vet check. Best of wishes to your Bon Bon and Paloma!


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