# Weird Band Markings?



## PigeonFace (Aug 16, 2007)

Hi,

I just found a white & black pigeon. I'm not sure how healthy it is, since it doesn't appear to be able to fly. It walks around fine though, and is eating and drinking. I currently have it in a large parrot cage.

I've checked several pigeon sites trying to find out what this code means -- no luck so far. Maybe someone here knows what this means...

BB760 8 05

It's a yellow band on the right leg.

I signed into the pigeon911 site as well and entered my information. Hopefully someone's got a clue and I can get this guy back to his owner.

Thanks!


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

PigeonFace said:


> Hi,
> 
> I just found a white & black pigeon. I'm not sure how healthy it is, since it doesn't appear to be able to fly. It walks around fine though, and is eating and drinking. I currently have it in a large parrot cage.
> 
> ...



I just saw your report on 911 Pigeon Alert. I'm a moderator there. I'll go back in the database and take the case. You'll be getting a message in a few minutes. In the meantime, look at the band and see if it has the letters NPA on it. 
It should look like.........NPA 8 05 BB 760


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

Yellow was the color of NPA 2005 bands, so it does sound like an NPA band. If there are any other letters, let us know. Just to clarify, NPA is a show pigeon registry, while AU and IF are racing pigeon registries. Many of the show breeds are poor flyers and can't survive on their own. Whatever you do, please don't release this pigeon.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Birdmom4ever said:


> Yellow was the color of NPA 2005 bands, so it does sound like an NPA band. If there are any other letters, let us know. Just to clarify, NPA is a show pigeon registry, while AU and IF are racing pigeon registries. Many of the show breeds are poor flyers and can't survive on their own. Whatever you do, please don't release this pigeon.


The "BB" on the band signifies that this is a homer........of course that don't mean it IS a homer, but it's supposed to be...........


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## PigeonFace (Aug 16, 2007)

Wow, thanks for the quick replies!

There doesn't appear to be an "NPA" on the band. The only other clue I can offer is that the "05" is sideways compared to the rest of the letters.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

The NPA may look like a symbol of some kind, rather than the letters NPA. That's what I've been told about the older bands. I haven't actually seen one but I do know that we've had NPA band turned in with the finder telling us that there is a strange symbol on the band. LOL
Did you get my message from 911?


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

I've got to get off line. I haven't gotten a response from you on 911 so I don't know if you are getting the emails. Sometimes emails from yahoo do weird things.
Anyway, just in case, I still believe that this is an NPA band, so I'm going to give you the info to contact them and get the owners information. I've got to be gone tomorrow so rather than wait on me to get the info to you, you can contact them directly.

http://www.npausa.com/

Stephen & Noelle St. Clair
NPA Co-Secretary/Treasurer
1717 SE 43rd Terrace

Topeka, KS 66609-1728
Phone: (785) 267-5732 

Email: [email protected]


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## PigeonFace (Aug 16, 2007)

No I haven't received any emails from 911 yet. Yahoo mail has been acting weird the last 2 days though.

Thanks for the info -- I'll follow up with the NPA tomorrow. I'll let you know here if I find out anything.

Thanks again.


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## george simon (Feb 28, 2006)

*How To Read Npa Band*

While most people do not know how to read a band there is a correct way.with all bands there is starting point to read the band. With NPA bands you start at where it has the letters npa across the band,next you will see some larger lettering like ASR then a number 10 then 05 across the band and finaly a band number like 2168.The NPA is the national club next the larger lettering ASR that stands for the club affilated to the npa in this case asr would be the American Show Racer club.Next the number 10 stands for the band size, next 05 is the year,and 2168 is the number for that bird.I hope that I have not confused you. .GEORGE


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

Lovebirds said:


> The "BB" on the band signifies that this is a homer........of course that don't mean it IS a homer, but it's supposed to be...........


My bad, Renee.  I forgot that BB means homer...I was thinking it must be a show band because I know the 2005 NPA bands were yellow. But I wonder if it's one of the show homer breeds, since racers normally have AU or IF bands. Of course sometimes people band a chick with whatever they have on hand. I have two rescued Old Dutch Capuchines that are banded with 2006 AU bands and a dove we got from a shelter two years ago sporting a National Birmingham Roller Club band.


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## PigeonFace (Aug 16, 2007)

Well we've taken a pretty good look at the band now (the bird's real friendly -- let's you mess with his feet without much trouble) and there's no "NPA" or symbols to be found.

I've called the local vet, who gave me a few numbers to call. There are a couple of pigeon owners around town that will most likely take in the bird if I can't locate the proper owner.

I wonder, though, if now that he's rested and has eaten -- should I let him out & see if he can fly? Maybe he'll find his way home?


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Hello, and welcome.

I believe you should hold onto this pigeon for a while longer until his ownership can be checked out. Can you post a picture of it so members can identify if it is a show or homer?

Sometimes they simply need to rest but other times they may have picked up a "bug" and are not well. I'm afraid if you release it right away it may not be well enough to make it home and if it is a show pigeon, they are not great at remembering where they came from.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

PigeonFace said:


> Well we've taken a pretty good look at the band now (the bird's real friendly -- let's you mess with his feet without much trouble) and there's no "NPA" or symbols to be found.
> 
> I've called the local vet, who gave me a few numbers to call. There are a couple of pigeon owners around town that will most likely take in the bird if I can't locate the proper owner.
> 
> I wonder, though, if now that he's rested and has eaten -- should I let him out & see if he can fly? Maybe he'll find his way home?


If there is no NPA on the band, then I don't know where the band came from. I would not turn this bird loose. Homing pigeons have a homing instinct. Most other breeds do not. Since this is apparently not an NPA banded bird, then the BB doesn't really mean anything. BB on and NPA band would mean that this is a racing/homing pigeon. I would like to see a picture of the bird if that's possible and try to determine the breed.


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

I agree with Renee--please don't release this pigeon. A photo would help ID the breed. If you can't keep it, we may be able to find someone who is willing to take it in.


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## PigeonFace (Aug 16, 2007)

Here are a couple pictures I took...




















Cute, huh?


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Cute, yes, plus gorgeous. I don't know what breed this is but I definitely wouldn't release it since it has so much white on it. Hopefully, George Simon will catch this thread and let us know what breed it is. It has a very sweet face.

I would caution you though not to leave it outside at night in the cage. You probably are taking it in but predators like raccoons, possums, cats, rats, etc. can reach through the bars and cause, if not death, serious injury.

There are two main things that can cause a pigeon to not be able to fly (aside from just being tired) and those are worms and coccidiosis. If you will do a search you can get a lot of information on how to treat for these conditions.

It sure is pretty.


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## soymi69 (Nov 12, 2007)

*weird band*

What you got is a homing pigeon and I'm pretty sure the band might read IPB meaning independent pigeon breeder being sold by FOYS pigeon supply, is it a plastic yellow band?


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