# How to stop them coming back?



## jak2002003 (Jan 10, 2012)

A few weeks ago I rescued a feral pigeon that was given to me by a friend who found it as a half grown squab on a busy street in the city.

People keep bringing me rescue birds as I seem to have been a parent bird in my previous live and am good at hand rearing and releasing many wild birds... although I would rather not do this as it takes so much time!!!

Anyway, the pigeon grew up and can fly well. While it was living with me in a cage outside a feral pigeon was attracted to it and hung around the cage every day and roosted on my roof... even though I discouraged it and never gave it food or water. 

My partner tolerates my bird rescue thing, but HATES the feral pigeon as it poops everywhere and roosts on the air con extractor and messes it up. 

It was time for release, to I was able to catch the feral one and I put him in a box with my now fully grown rescue one... took them 15 km from out house and released them into the park, where there is a healthy and well fed flock of feral pigeons... and where I have released previous pigeon rescues. (indeed i still see some of my birds there to this day.. so I know they can survive well there).

I thought my job was over and went home. 10 days later the male feral returned to roost and poop over the air con unit. My partner not happy. After another 4 days my rescued hand reared pigeon also came back to join him.

Now I can't get rid of them. They are pooping down the wall and on out patio.. and won't leave. I give them no food or water. It was causing problems with the family relationships... so I caught the pigeons by opening the cage door and putting food inside.

Now I am stuck with them. I know if i return them to the park they will know their way home even faster than before. I don't know what else to do as i don't want to drive miles and release them in an unsuitable place where they will die of starvation.

Any suggestions please?


----------



## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

Try to convince your partner to change his attitude and to accept the fact that there will be two pigeons living close by your home. When handraised by humans, young pigeons don't have the same survival skills as wild babies do. Was your handraised one very hungry when he came back? He probably came back for food and shelter and the safety of where he grew up. Might be a female, and the older pigeon a male.

Try to discourage them from sitting where you don't want them. Pigeon droppings makes good compost. Maybe if you clean up every day, then he won't complain. Next time you get another baby, try and involve your partner in the rearing process. He might then just change his attitude.


----------



## jak2002003 (Jan 10, 2012)

Yes, the hand reared one is a probably a female, and the feral that turned up is for sure a male as he coos and dances around the younger one.

I have hand raised 5 pigeon squabs over the years and they all released with no problems. I put a coloured ring on their leg, so I can tell which one it is when I release them into the park. I only had one come back from a release of a pair that I did closer to home, but she only came back to eat and then flew off again once a day, coming less and less often, till one day she came back to show off her new handsome pied boyfriend (which was too scared to come and feed and stayed on the car port roof watching her eat). After that she never came back.

I got some pigeon spikes (they are rubber and bendy, so can't hurt the birds), and put them on the top of the air con extractor. However they just moved to the next one. I will have to buy more.

The male is cooing and trying to make a nest now too.


----------



## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

Can you provide them with a spot to nest away from your living quarters, maybe the other side of the house? That way the droppings won't bother you too much.


----------



## jak2002003 (Jan 10, 2012)

They seem determined to nest on top of the air con extractors. I put the pigeon spikes on all the extractor now, but they still land on them and sit on the spikes!!!

Its the male, as the female is too young to be nesting. I am going to put them back in the cage, and hang the cage at the back of the garden on the wall for a few weeks, then see if they 'home' to that, rather than the air con extractors. 

They are also perching on the security cameras and bending them down so we can't see through them, and pooping on our water tanks. I am not popular in the house now!!!


----------



## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

I really hope your plan works. Is the cage big enough for both of them? Just make sure the older male does not injure the younger female.


----------



## jak2002003 (Jan 10, 2012)

Thanks. Yes, the cage is an old dog crate. I put a nesting box on the floor for them, and covered the top with a sheet of wood so they don't get rained on.

He is sweet on the young one and very gentle with her, and so far they get on with no fighting.


----------



## Frank2620 (Feb 7, 2017)

While you can buy repellents, there are some things you can use that will do the job as well. One of the most common that people like to use is mothballs. The fact is that pigeons hate the smell. Mothballs don't pose any kind of danger to anyone, including the pigeons, they simply don't like the smell.

The wild pigeon knows how to get feed and water . So they will be ok if they move on .


----------



## jak2002003 (Jan 10, 2012)

*moth balls*

The moth ball idea is interesting. Will have look and see if i can buy some.

I also have toy rubber snake that is quite realistic. I used it to stop mynah birds nesting on a ledge above our patio. I will go put that on top of their preferred air con extractor!


----------



## Tithi4120 (Oct 28, 2020)

You’re so lucky to be visited by the baby you raised. I cry everyday for my baby that got accidentally released at the wrong time . It never came back. Having said that, I hope you get the solution you’re looking for .


----------

