# Be careful when you fly your birds...



## Garye (Feb 20, 2005)

It is not only their predators that kill them, sometimes it's the ferals. 

This morning there was a new pigeon in the feral flock. It had a band around its leg. It mingled in with the ferals ok but when I revisited the pigeons after work, I found it dead in the parking lot where its eyes had been pecked out. It broke my heart that the other ferals would not accept it but they knew it didn't belong with their flock and they wouldn't accept her. The same thing had happened a while ago to a white pigeon who was someone's pet. The ferals at first let it into its group but within a few days, they killed it.

So it's not only the predators that will grab your homing pigeons and pets that you let fly outside. Sometimes the ferals won't accept newcomers.

I gave this pet a nice resting place near a tree. I had so hoped that it would've found its way back home but it never did.


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi Garye and thank you for this warning

Sometimes, regardless of feral vs domestic, pigeons will pick on the weak or infirm amoung their flock. Even though we might not be able to detect sickness, the pigeons can. This is a flock/group mentality amoung prey animals. Oftentimes, they will seek out and attempt to kill the weaker members so not to bring attention to their "group". This is nature and it's how they will survive another day. 

Don't feel too bad, as nature is never kind, we have a lot to learn however from the nuances of group animals.

Thanks for sharing this tragedy though, we all learn from this example.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

How sad, Garye. Did you happen to get the letters and numbers off of the band so we can notify the owner?

Terry


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## Garye (Feb 20, 2005)

*Yes I did.*

The number is AU SC 2006 1620. It's a light grey blue bar, I'm guessing a female.

I knew it was a pet even before I saw the band because of the shape of its head and beak. They are different from the ferals. And then when I saw the band, it confirmed that it was, indeed, not a feral.

Such a poor young thing too.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Thanks, Garye. That unfortunate bird was registered with the Spindle City club in Chelmsford MA. I will let the band secretary know, so he can notify the owner. Thank you so much for giving this little one a lovely final resting place. 

Terry


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## Garye (Feb 20, 2005)

*That sounds about right, Terry*

My town is near that town.

Thanks for taking the time out to try and notify the owner. I feel really bad about that pigeon.


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## andinla (Mar 11, 2003)

*I never knew they would*

actually kill their own kind, or anything for that matter. I am so sorry to hear of this.. That was very kind of you to get the band number and bury the poor girl. 

Andi


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## LondonPigeon (May 10, 2005)

the poor bird 

I didnt know pigeons could murder other pigeons let alone kill, i thought they were innocent animals


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Garye,

I'm so sorry to hear about this poor pigeon. Was the bird sick, or weak when it first introduced itself to the group? 

I can only figure from when I introduce a new healthy bird to the group, they are usually treated with pecks and grunts. They are treated like newcomers for a time being and have to go thru a short period of "initiation". But they are easily accepted as everyone is quite content, have all their needs brought to them, and have quite a good life. If there is a bird not feeling good, however, they usually do spend a lot of attention to it, not good, usually. If it is a hen, the males will all gather around and flirt and flirt and become obssesive and very aggressive. abusively so. 

Our ferals have a totally different life. I can't imagine the challenges of life our ferals face each day, including finding food. It must be overwhelming for them at times, and this bird was seen more as an intruder, maybe competition for food, and they did not want another member to their group. 

I feel sad about this event, but thank you for this eye opener, that is the first time I have heard this. We appreciate your kindness shown.


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## christina11 (Jan 20, 2006)

Thats what kinda happened to my pigeon except they were fine.....

Well i let my pair off rollers out for a fly when this big black pigeon started chasing whiteriver away from his female mate it seemed that the big black pigeon was trying to take the female roller from whiteriver but then both pigeons quickly dived and flew straight back on my roof the big black pigeon then flew away seeing me there.

Its happened before just 1 pigeon starts chasing my pigeons but it seems mostly just for the female altho there was a group of white pigeons around me that tryed to join my flock but they just flew away from them my flock does not like strangers very much lol.


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## kittypaws (Sep 18, 2005)

The flock I occassionally feed in Richmond, had a banded pigeon feeding today - rings around both legs - but he looked very fit and well and was scrumming with the rest of them. I did try to see if I could catch him, but he was far too flighty for that. Looking at him I think he will be OK. I would never be able to catch him I don't think.

Sorry to hear about this poor pigeon Garye - its heartbreaking when you see things like this, but a lot of animals ( including humans ) kill their own type for whatever reason - lions kill cubs of other prides, hippos are know to kill young etc... as Brad says its nature and we can't do an awful lot about it. 

Tania


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## Garye (Feb 20, 2005)

The pigeon that was killed, I think was a female and very healthy. But it is mating season and I've seen the males doing their dances and they are persistent. It could be that this pigeon was not used to such aggressive attention and just tried to get away but unfortunately that just urges the males on more.

I only wished it had found its way back home instead of hanging with the ferals.


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## relofts (Apr 8, 2004)

This was a youngster only born this year, any number of things could have happened to it but as stated sometimes other pigeons will pick on a out sider pigeon, especially this time of year when it is breeding season, could have been one trying to mate up, or it could have been a entire different species of bird that did it, one will probably never know unless someone can observe the flock and see how they take to outside pigeons, thanks for letting Terry know so that she can pass it on to the Owner/Breeder.

Ellen


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## Garye (Feb 20, 2005)

I think a pigeon killed this pet pigeon (I named it Percy) because I noticed on the back it had what I call a "lovers peck" wound. You know how those male pigeons will chase around a female and peck at her back, this pigeon had a peck wound on its back. I also think it was killed to eliminate it from the flock because the bird was never taken for food nor eaten at all for food. It just had its eyes pecked out and that "lovers peck" wound.

I could be wrong of course but I have noticed that the males recently have gotten extremely aggressive by chasing and nipping at the females and young. I've even seen the males nip at the heads of females and try to drag them away from the flock. It's no doubt mating season and some of those males will not take no for an answer.

I have some pix of Percy with her wounds but they are not pleasing to look at. It is interesting; however, where she was attacked and these pictures show it all. It's just that she seemed only to be attacked just to keep her away from the group and that by attacking the eyes, she wouldn't be able to see her way back to them.

Poor Percy, I wished I could've saved her but I couldn't. She was a cute little bird.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Garye,

Would you mind sending me the pics to [email protected]. I would be interested in seeing what happened to this unfortunate bird.

Terry


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## Garye (Feb 20, 2005)

Yes, Terry, I'll send you the pix once I get home. I have school after work. It may very well be that a crow or a gull got at this bird instead of a pigeon. I wasn't there to see it.

Bronsonette is still alive and hanging with the ferals. Can't get close enough to see its numbers on the band. I need better binoculars.


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## Garye (Feb 20, 2005)

*Percy pix*

Now that I look at the pix again of Percy, it looks more like a hemorrhage in the head that caused the eyes to look like they were pecked out. Almost like an explosion going on inside its head pushing the eyes out. Maybe it was sick after all but it had seemed so healthy when I first saw it.

Anyways the pix are on their way to you Terry. Maybe you can figure out what happened. Maybe it was some kind of illness it had.


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## sk8er (Jan 8, 2006)

Boy if I ever get my hands on a male dominating ... I will personally kick his a** in front of all the other birds. BTW I find it very hard to believe that pigeons killed another pigeon... ANd Terry can we please see the pics here too.


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## Garye (Feb 20, 2005)

The pix are pretty gruesome and I didn't know how the moderators would react to me putting them out there, so I didn't.

There are times when I find it hard to believe that humans can kill each other but I know they do. Sometimes animals do too.

As far as this pigeon goes, I wasn't there to see it so I don't know what killed it. But I have seen some male pigeons relentlessly chase young and female pigeons, pecking at them to get them away from the flock. They can be pretty aggressive. Sometimes if I throw them some food, they'll stop and eat but some won't even stop at that.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

*Percy Pics*

I have put Percy's pictures up, but look at your own risk. Garye, I don't really have any good ideas about what happened to Percy, but it was certainly tragic.

http://www.rims.net/Percy

Terry


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## george simon (Feb 28, 2006)

*What May Have Caused Percy's Death?????????*

After looking at the photo's of Percy.I went back to the photo of Bronsonette in order to get a idea of where these birds were feeding. All I could see looked like a roof top.What I hoped to see was windows and sliding doors. Which Percy may have flown up against while fleeing from an hawk attack. This could explain the trama to the head and the death of PERCY. Also looking at the photo's of the injurys of Percy the first photo is the one that may be the answer to the mystery of the death. What I see looks like a puncher wound,BB or PELLET gun, it could be wound from a hawk,s talon. I just do not belive that the other pigeons caused this death. GEORGE


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## Garye (Feb 20, 2005)

Well it could be from a gun. I just remembered there is a shooting club in town and if Percy found her way into those woods, she could've been hit. There are signs all over the place stating it's dangerous to go into those woods but Percy wouldn't know that. 

It also is possible the bird was scared suddenly and flew up hitting something. It didn't have the same instincts as ferals so it is possible.

If this is the case, then the ferals are not at fault.


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

I just don't see that hitting something would have caused the wounds on this lovely bird. To me, it looks like something grabbed it and sunk talons in either side of its head. Although, I do wonder if a bullet could have gone in on the side where the wound looks the worst and the exit wound is on the other side.

Such a shame.


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## Larry_Cologne (Jul 6, 2004)

*Pictures of Percy, the dead pigeon*

The photo of the apparent puncture wound does not show any blood on the surrounding feathers. If this is the case, could it not indicate that the wound may have occurred after death, or that whatever caused the puncture did not hit a major blood vein or artery? (Forensic pathologists, start laughing!) 

In the other photos, is there blood showing in the beak? Hard to tell in the photos. Hemorrhage from anti-coagulant poison (such as warfarin used against rats)? More speculation. 

I suppose any conclusions as to how the poor pigeon died are useful only if it helps us to help prevent the same thing from unnecessarily happening to another pigeon.


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## Garye (Feb 20, 2005)

I'm guessing that what happened is that the bird was hit by a car in the parking lot. There are people here who always feel the need to drive 100 mph in a parking lot. I have been frightened myself when I was just sitting in my parked car and a driver came so close to me at such a high rate of speed that I was sure I was going to be hit. They are stupid here. If you've heard anything about Massachusetts drivers, you will know that they are some of the worst, if not THE worst, drivers in the United States. And I can attest to that for having lived here all of my life and having traveled to other states.

I've also seen people drive into a flock of birds - gulls or pigeons. I saw one gull limping along which I believe must've been hit by a car. And then when people saw it limping, they'd honk their horn and speed up close behind it as if to say, "get out of my way" even when they could see the bird was having difficulty. There was plenty of space where they could drive around the gull, but people being what they are, think because they are human that they own the world and everything else should move out of the way for them. There are some cruel people in the world and some ignorant people. Massachusetts is full of both of them.

But I think it's safe to say that Percy probably wasn't killed by another pigeon. Anyways, I gave her a nice resting place where she will have peace.


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