# A pigeon adopted us. Can you answer our quesions?



## Miamay7341 (Aug 6, 2007)

Alright so my mom has just moved into a new home and a certain pigeon hangs around her house a lot. 

(Because we are still unsure of the gender and because we know we are going to get to know this pigeon well, we are naming it Andy, a somewhat unisexual name)

Andy has ankle tags on its legs, hangs around the house a lot (We havent invited it inside but it is happy just hanging around outside) and it doesnt really leave. It likes people a lot it hasnt flown away or been scared of us, we can get very close to it (we havent tried touching it yet because it still probably doesnt know us well enough) and we feed it cheerios and crackers (probably not the best)

We have looked up information and have discovered its a homing pigeon (We looked on wikipedia and it has the exact same ankle tags) and have discovered the difference between homing and carrier pigeons (Those things look like someone put a girrafe and pigeon in a blender they're so weird looking) so yeah I guess a homing pigeon has adopted my moms house.

We're not sure if the person who lived before us used to have Andy or not but we know we are now stuck with it. 

And we like it. We would like to see if it is possible to train a homing pigeon to send messages like a carrier pigeon. We live in a town with a 2-3 mile radius and we think it wouldn't be that hard.

Thank you

-Mia


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## flitsnowzoom (Mar 20, 2007)

Hi Mia, 
welcome to pigeon-talk. The first thing you need to do is catch that bird and get the information off its leg bands. It is lost and needs your help to find its way home. Sooner or later, its luck may run out as it has no flock to hang with (pigeons are flock birds) and it will be vulerable to many different predators. It's used to people and would probably love to come inside and be pampered by you.  .
Please bring him in and we can go from there. Don't worry about having to give him back at this stage.


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## stach_n_flash (Mar 15, 2006)

Hello, and welcome to pigeon talk. 

It is my understanding that pigeons only home to there house. So if you were at the store and say you had the bird and in some way were able to attach a message to it, then it would fly home and the person at home would get the message. 

But you wouldnt be able to, for say, send it to say the gas station.

But that is only what I have heard. I am not sure if it is entirely true. But I hope some one with more information on the subject can help you out.


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## Miamay7341 (Aug 6, 2007)

Alright so how can we catdh her

(We figured out Andy'd a girl)


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Maybe if you open the door, she will just come on in. Try to lure her with some food and water. Who knows?! Maybe it will work.


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## flitsnowzoom (Mar 20, 2007)

*Ask and ye shall receive.*

Link for a home made pigeon trap:
http://www.racingbirds.com/ptrap.html


It's a simple box trap. 

I'd try the open door too. Punch and cookies, (water and bird seed). Just see what happens. If it's very shy it probably won't go in but pigeons that have been around people since hatching can be very tame and friendly.


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## Symbro (Oct 28, 2005)

can you read the bands? you said you can get rather close...

now about getting it into the house... go to your local store and get a small bag of dove food. place a little on the ground around your back door... then you can place some just inside your door.


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## Miamay7341 (Aug 6, 2007)

Well im going to try to see if I can get her in first 

I really dont think she has a home except for us because she apparently doesnt leave

She'll leave for about 10 minutes my mom says but then she comes back. Probably to go get water. So i dont think she has a flock

Maybe the people who lived before us may have raised pigeons and they forgot her. Im not sure what the history is on the house, all I know is one of my friends used to live on the same lot years ago. I'll ask the neighbors 

Do you think it's possible that it could have gotten lost or flew away? I know it's unprobable but its plausable


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

It's possible. What general area are you located in??

Banded birds have been taken care of their whole life, so they aren't used to
fending for themselves. The chances of them getting sick or preyed on are
greater because they can't fend for themselves like ferals do. Anything
you can do to help the bird would be greatly appreciated by us and the bird,
believe me. 

fp


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## Miamay7341 (Aug 6, 2007)

I'm in southern California


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Well, you're in luck quite possibly on that one. Terry Whatley is in Southern
Cal and knows the turf there pretty well. If something is needed, she can
help you get hooked up. 

Can you see where the bird is right now or do you know where the bird
roosts at night?

fp


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Hi Mia,

Welcome to Pigeon-Talk!

Give me a call if I can be of any help with this pigeon. I'm in South Orange County in Lake Forest .. phone # 949-584-6696.

Terry


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## flitsnowzoom (Mar 20, 2007)

If she's a young bird, it's very possible that she doesn't know "home" yet, and if it's an older bird, it may no longer have a "home" if its loft is gone or it may have gone down during a race and just can't find home now. 
Please do your best to bring this little one in.


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## Miamay7341 (Aug 6, 2007)

She roosts under the eve of my moms porch. We put out seed and water in small paper cups right next to her. She didnt try to fly away while we were doing this. We are leaving the lporch light on tonite she seems to like it. She has not 'left' (unless you count short little flights where she stays close by for about ten minutes then comes back) we will try to 'catch' her in the morning. We'll leave the door open and see if she comes in by enticing her with food.

Is it ok to handle her? Should we wear gloves? Should we put her in a cage or should we just let her live outside, because she doesnt go anywhere anyway.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

No need to wear gloves, Mia. It would be best, however, to catch this pigeon and get it safely confined inside with food and water available. There are just too may predators out there that could harm or kill the bird if it is left outside on its own. Many thanks to you for your concern for the well being of this pigeon!

Terry

PS: You might have a better chance of catching her tonight .. turn off the porch light and see if you can just pick her up and bring her in. When it's light (morning or porch light on), she will be more apt to fly away from you.


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## Miamay7341 (Aug 6, 2007)

Well my Dad and I tried to catch her

She got scared

Why should I catch her? What's the point of catching her anyway?


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Pigeons that have not been raised in the wild do not know how to find food unless they find a wild flock to show them.
A Pigeon alone is also more vulnerable to predators such as Hawks and if it is has unusual markings or color will be more attractive to predatorsbecause it will stand out.
Because the Pigeon is banded, it likely belongs to someone that could want it back. There's no way to return it to it's owner without reading the numbers on the band.


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## Miamay7341 (Aug 6, 2007)

If someone does want this pigeon back why would they have left her / Andy runaway?

And what do I do fter I get the numbers off the bands


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

Miamay7341 said:


> If someone does want this pigeon back why would they have left her / Andy runaway?
> 
> And what do I do fter I get the numbers off the bands


They may not have necessarily have left her. She may have lost her sense of direction and got lost. I have a pet pigeon that met up with a hawk once but he was lucky to fend off the attack. He was gone (missing) for over 7 months and one day just came back home.

If you post the numbers here, we have several members that are members of 911 Pigeon Alert and can trace the owner based on the numbers on the band.


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## Miamay7341 (Aug 6, 2007)

Victor said:


> They may not have necessarily have left her. She may have lost her sense of direction and got lost. I have a pet pigeon that met up with a hawk once but he was lucky to fend off the attack. He was gone (missing) for over 7 months and one day just came back home.
> 
> If you post the numbers here, we have several members that are members of 911 Pigeon Alert and can trace the owner based on the numbers on the band.



She's a homing pigeon how can she get "lost"? 

And I never would have thought there was a pigeon rescue

Most people I know hate pigeons


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Miamay7341 said:


> She's a homing pigeon how can she get "lost"?
> 
> And I never would have thought there was a pigeon rescue
> 
> Most people I know hate pigeons


If this is a 2007 banded pigeon, s/he is basically just a baby .. about 8 months old. Just like human kids, homing pigeons need time and experience to learn their way in the world. If it's a feral (wild) pigeon and a youngster .. the same applies.

There are lots of us here on Pigeon-Talk that rescue and rehab pigeons. There is the whole 911 Pigeon Alert group for banded pigeons. Please, do try to assist this pigeon and if it has an identification band, please post all the letters and numbers from it to us so we can try to get the bird back home or find it a good adoptive home.

It is sad that SOME people hate pigeons .. most of those have never, ever had a close encounter with a pigeon. If they had that opportunity and kept an open mind, they would no longer hate pigeons.

I had been getting called for the past three days by two ladies who live in the same apartment complex. Seems a pure white pigeon showed up and took advantage of the safe haven provided by many open hallways, stairways, and balconies. These two ladies have been frantic to save this pigeon. Though I had tried to tell them how to catch this pigeon, they had been unsuccessful. Finally, I just went there today and was able to fairly easily catch the bird. It is a young, unbanded, racing/homing pigeon that obviously could not or did not find the way home. Thanks to the concern and kindness of a couple of people, this bird is now safe and will be cared for. It is thin and feather mite infested which indicates that it has been out on its own for a pretty good while and not faring too well.

Please do try and help your pigeon .. it is probably not faring much better than the one I rescued today.

Terry


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## Miamay7341 (Aug 6, 2007)

Well I live in LA so yeah retty much most people see ipigeons as rats with wings

And if I didn't want to save the pigeon why would I join a pigeon foroum when I have no former exoerience with pigeons at all?

But yeah my Dad tried to catch her and he sis something REALLY bad (It involved a pillow case because apparently my idea of just holding out your hand and possibly seeing if a domesticated pigeon may step on your hand is apparently unsafe)

So now she wont come off a tellace

ughhhhhhhh

you pigeon people


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Miamay7341 said:


> Well I live in LA so yeah retty much most people see ipigeons as rats with wings
> 
> And if I didn't want to save the pigeon why would I join a pigeon foroum when I have no former exoerience with pigeons at all?
> 
> ...


Mia,

People here have been trying to give you useful and helpful information, so I'm not sure I'm reading your comment about "you pigeon people" correctly. Some pigeons, regardless of feral or domestic, will come to people when they need help. Most will not because they know they are vulnerable. Do you need help in catching this pigeon? If so, please PM me an address and phone # where I can speak with your parents and try to arrange for some assistance for you and for this pigeon.

Terry


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## Miamay7341 (Aug 6, 2007)

Did you think I was making fun when I said 'you pigeon people?'

The 'you pigeon people' was a joke

If I was being serious i;d be a hypocrit


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Miamay7341 said:


> Did you think I was making fun when I said 'you pigeon people?'
> 
> The 'you pigeon people' was a joke
> 
> If I was being serious i;d be a hypocrit


Thanks for the reply, Mia. Do you need help catching this pigeon? If so, please get your contact information to me so I can try and find someone to assist you. Incidentally, it would not be unsafe to have either a domestic or feral pigeon land on your hand, arm, or any other body part.

Terry


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## Miamay7341 (Aug 6, 2007)

Well I've been gone for a long time and this is what has happened.

She got into the house ONCE

She kept on flying into the window and then found a way out the door

So now she is strating toi hang out closer and closer inside

From the roof, to the eve, now she hangs out at the door lattice (Man I sound like Edgar Allen Poe right now with the somewht fancy talk)

So I'll just keep the door open and I'll tell you when I catch her


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

Well, she will venture in eventually, especially if you put some food inside, she'll find it.

Reti


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## SkyofAngels (Jun 28, 2007)

Mia, 
It sounds like your father is a little fearful of Andy and and his way of catching the bird(with a pillowcase) might scare her away. I think it would be best if you contacted Terry. It is very possible that someone more used to handling pigeons will catch her. I am just worried that you trying to catch her yourselves will turn into a game of cat and mouse and she might meet tragedy before you get ahold of her. Please contact Terry so this poor bird doesn't become hawk chow.


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## Larry_Cologne (Jul 6, 2004)

NO CHOCOLATE! Don't put out anything with chocolate for them (such as chocolate flavored cereal). Chocolate is poisonous to them. There are other foods which are not good for them, but unsalted peanuts or un-popped popping corn is safe. 

The thing I think people dislike most about pigeons is their poop. They live around humans, so we come into contact with their poop. Their poop s bigger than mouse droppings, or spider droppings, so we notice it. But us pigeon people tend to disregard the " drop down side" of pigeon poop because of the very many nice things about pigeons.

Pigeons have personalities, which you can notice when you watch them a bit.

I have heard often that people are very grateful that cows don't fly. Imagine!

Also, pigeons are quick and aren't so afraid of people, so they go after food and often get underfoot or in the paths of bicycles and cars, and shake people up sometimes. 

Larry


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