# Lone feral pigeon odd habits



## WHITELAW1212 (Nov 2, 2011)

Hi I would really like to tap on anyone's knowledge re feral pigeon. I noticed that a lone feral pigeon had been hanging around the garden. I never thought much about it - said hello when I saw it and it usually got a bit of food. I am usually out all day so never noticed any habits or anything. I went in the garage one evening for a ladder and it was roosting on it. I gently shooed it off because I needed to use the ladder. It flew out of the garage but later came back to roost. This is okay with me - my only worry was that I think it is this year's youngster and I hoped it was okay - wasn't sure that it was but I wouldn't have a clue how to tell - it was only that it seems so solitary. Didn't see it in the garage the next night and worried about what may have happened to it (as I have two cats who use the garage to sleep in quite a lot). Just thought it was a fluke - however I was sitting at my computer at 7.45 tonight - it has been dark for well over 3 hours - the curtains were shut and I heard a noise at the window - thinking it was the cat I pulled the curtain back to give him a mock telling off -LO AND BEHOLD IT WAS the wee lonely pidge on the window sill moving has claws and beak on the window. I went out - lifted him up and pointed him towards the garage - in he flew and he is resting in there. Maybe I should be doing something to check if he is okay - I have never experience this. AND WHY WAS HE OUT IN THE DARK AT THE WINDOW. I do hope he is okay. If he is he is a bit odd.


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Can you post a photo ?...that is a bit bold of him/her to act that way. We may be able to discern if he/she is a youngster or not.

Now, if he/she let you handle him, then likely he is a domesticated Pigeon and not a Feral (either that or he is very ill).

Please do the following:

1) secure the area where he/she roosts..please keep the cats barricaded away from the Pigeon.

or....

2) go out there and just bring him in your house, in a box. If you can handle him, he will likely allow this. 

He/she has apparently deduced that your digs are a nice place to be and you are not a danger to him/her.

But if domestic, she cannot last outside very long and is hecka lucky to still be alive.

If Feral...he/she certainly hasn't learned the ways of a Feral so is basically a sitting duck to many dangers.

Either way, your assistance would do the Pigeon a great deal of good.

Thanks for caring !

Where in UK are you ?...we have many members there.


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## WHITELAW1212 (Nov 2, 2011)

Hi 

Thanks for this.
The pigeon is really safe where he is at the moment - I have also given him a box with a cosy floor. It's Sod's Law that he has appeared tonight as I am working until Saturday and so can only try to keep an eye on him. This pigeon has been around a while - it's just that I don't see him often as I work during the week. I can't bring him in as I can't take him to anywhere until the weekend. I thought that the garage thing was a one off - but as he was back tonight I have downloaded some local places where hopefully I may be able to take him to or at least ask them what I can do. I wonder if he has been in there regularly and I just haven't noticed. He is really hard to see - so may or may not have been going in there. I am pretty sure he is a juvenile as he was browny coloured when I first noticed him. He is not ringed or anything. I have no doubt that I would be able to catch him again but then I need to take him somewhere to assess him. I will not relax until I can do so.


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## WHITELAW1212 (Nov 2, 2011)

Sorry - Meant to say I am in , Fife Scotland


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

WHITELAW1212 said:


> Sorry - Meant to say I am in , Fife Scotland


Hi whitelaw, Good that youre keeping an eye out for this one.
As Jaye says, could be a young pet that has escaped, or indeed just a young juvenile that has got lost from its parents somehow & doesnt fully know the ways to survive.
You say he was "brownie coloured" when you first noticed him, so I am wondering if it actually is a feral or possibly a young woodpigeon ? Although it is unusual for a woodie (even a young one) to be so brave
A pic would certainly help.

Now, I dont know what places you have on your list, but if it includes the 
Scottish SPCA at Middlebank Farm, Masterton Road. Dunfermline, I have found them less than helpful in the past. Unless it is a protected species, their usual advice (even for injured birds) is to let them be, as they are just not interested.


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Yes, generally a wildlife care facility has no interest in Pigeons so those aren't good ideas.

If you can at least assure that the cats are not in the garage as well, that would be about all it seems you can do for the time being. But this is very important...because even just a small cat scratch can kill a Pigeon in short order.

I guess if you really don't bring him in now, which would be optimal...at least provide the safest place and some food for the time being.


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

You know, if he's scratching at the window--it really makes me think maybe a lost pet bird.


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## WHITELAW1212 (Nov 2, 2011)

Thanks for all these replies - re the scratching at the window - I don't understand why I didn't see him at all when I came home and yet there he was scratching at the window THREE HOURS AFTER IT GOT DARK. I wonder why he was out and about after dark. 

Will do what I can for now - its a real juggling act and what a dilemma.


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

WHITELAW1212 said:


> Thanks for all these replies - re the scratching at the window - I don't understand why I didn't see him at all when I came home and yet there he was scratching at the window THREE HOURS AFTER IT GOT DARK. I wonder why he was out and about after dark.
> 
> Will do what I can for now - its a real juggling act and what a dilemma.


I'm a litttle confused as to whether he's loose or whether you have him? Have you managed to secure him? 

Sometimes my birds fly around in their cages in the dark if they hear a scary noise. Maybe there was a predator? Or maybe he was a pet and scared to sleep outside?


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## WHITELAW1212 (Nov 2, 2011)

Hi there - he is loose but is staying big time in my garage - he is free to come and go as there is a space in the back of the garage. I am no expert and have never experience this - he seems not to have the natural wariness that pigeons should and I worry for him.


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

WHITELAW1212 said:


> Hi there - he is loose but is staying big time in my garage - he is free to come and go as there is a space in the back of the garage. I am no expert and have never experience this - he seems not to have the natural wariness that pigeons should and I worry for him.


Don't let him out. Alone he's a quick dinner for anything hungry out there. Can you lock him up in the garage, a spare bathroom, a parrot cage, or a large guinea pig cage? This bird cannot be let loose all by himself without a flock. 

If he's not wary, than he's either domestic (which is where I'm leaning towards) or he's sick/injured. In either case, he needs your help. 

Does he have any bands on his legs? What does his poop look like? 

Umm, other than that, you're going to need 3 bowls: seed mix (for instance Kaytee Supreme Daily Dove mix would be good,) grit (Kaytee Hi-cal grit is good,) and water.


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## WHITELAW1212 (Nov 2, 2011)

Hi - thanks for this - we now have done research and found a contact number for potential help. We contacted today for advice, the Dunfermline Wildlife rescue centre and they say they will come for him if I can keep him contained next time I see him. I did expect him still to be around when I got back from work but he is not there. I do hope he comes back and I can get him checked out at the weekend or to the rescue centre. There is a reason that he is so tame and I would rather get him checked out / taken in for looking at. Fingers crossed that he comes back. Weekend coming up also - so have quality time to observe etc.


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Whitelaw, before you hand this bird over, or they come to collect it, please, find out exactly what they will do with it.
This is the place I already mentioned, and if the bird cannot be released, they may well euthanise it for no other reason other than the fact that it is too tame.
If the bird is otherwise healthy they have no need to do this, but their main interest is in wild birds. They may well check it over, but if there is any doubt about them euthanising it, please do not hand it over.
Pigeons can and do make great pets, especially if they are young or human bonded to begin with. If you are not in a position to take on this bird yourself (and I assure you if you were to try, its easy & you will enjoy it), I already have 2 rescues, one of which is unreleasable due to a previous wing injury, and would be happy to collect it & take care of it and prepare it for release if it is possible.


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## WHITELAW1212 (Nov 2, 2011)

Hi again - I have noted your advice and will take that advice. It has not appeared back tonight as yet. I would have had no problem keeping it at all but I do have two cats. Even if I was able to keep it as a pet I would still have had to take it somewhere for a health check. I will keep posting on this forum with updates. Hopefully if he reappears I will have time to assess him better at the weekend. If he does reappear I will still have the problem of wondering if there is actually something wrong with him and would still want his health assessed. I do appreciate all of your help and have noted your offer of homing etc. Thank you so much again.


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## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

Hi there,
I appreciate you haven't got him at the moment but when and if you do catch him, please take Quazar up on his offer rather than the wild life centre. Bob is well experienced with having rescues and he will be able to assess if he's healthy or not. I would always go with someone who really cares and knows about pigeons rather than some rescue centres that don't see them as worth spending time and money on.
I have a rescue at the moment that is in a very bad way and the people that found him contacted a rescue centre that was listed as being very pigeon friendly. Instead of helping they suggested the bird be put under a hedge for nature to take it's course.
Especially if this lovely bird is even slightly tame, it needs to be either given a home or gradually introduced into an established flock, and Bob has done this on more than one occasion.

Sorry, don't mean to hassle you, you're doing a great job in looking out for the bird, I just do find that folks put a lot of faith in the title 'rescue centres' and in reality the bird is more in danger of being euthanised there.

Good luck. I hope it appears again soon.

Janet


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I agree that you should take Bob up on his offer. He would be a much better choice for the bird. Either this bird is ill, or was owned and either got lost, or was released. Is it possible for you to get a picture of him? With him pecking at your window that way, makes me wonder if he was hand raised by someone. Do you have feral flocks around your place? The only time a feral will separate from the flock that comes here to eat, is when they are sick and can't follow the flock back to where they roost. Then it will usually try to roost on my aviary, or my roof. A pic may help us to tell if his posture looks like he is in trouble. If he can be caught, and placed in a cage and turned over to Bob, that would be great. He will know what to do for him. Please be careful of giving the bird to anyone else. They often end up euthanised.


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## WHITELAW1212 (Nov 2, 2011)

Certainly no hassle - valuable sound advice. This all just happened so quickly so I have been gathering information. Only was when my first post went up that I saw him in the garage and then my niavety made me think that he was an opportunist and taking advantage of a luxury roost. He didn't go in the next night to the garage. But as I said - what a weird shock to have him scrabble at the window ledge the night after at approx 7.45pm. I put him in a protected spot high up in the garage as I could not bring him in the house and would never have chased him away in the darkness. I left him a box with cosy stuff and seed and water but he was not there this morning. Because of the time of year I obviously don't see any of the birds during the week at the moment when working as it is dark most of the time just now. Then in hindsight I realised that this must be the bird that I saw in the garden now and then who never seemed to get frightened off when we went in and out of the house. He would have had food hopefully as we do feed the birds. There is nothing worse than being left with an animal or bird with nothing obvious wrong and having no-where to turn to - so the advice here has been absolutely appreciated. For his sake I hope he turns up again. Will certainly make my new friends on this site my first port of call. I can't thank you all enough.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Have you been feeding him, and leaving water for him? I hope so, as he probably doesn't know how to find food. A friend recently had a beautiful little fancy pigeon brought to her by a man who said that it had been hanging around trying to get in peoples apartments. No one knew what to do about the bird, so after watching it outside for three weeks, he finally caught the bird and brought it to her. By then the bird was just too weak and sick from starvation, and hard as she tried, the bird lingered for a long time and eventually died. Too much damage had been done by not doing anything for the poor thing. It was hungry and trying to get inside where it knew people would feed it, but no one did. So sad. This poor bird needs food and water and it could be ill also. The very best thing you could do for it is to catch it.


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

Even if he is ill, nothing should be easily transmittable to your cats or you. (Mammal bodies are too cool in temp for most birdy bugs.) 

I have two cats and still manage to keep my birds and them separate. The birds are kept in a room that is shut off from the cats when we're asleep or gone. (also, the cats are put in the basement when the birds are out of the cage. cat saliva is extremely deadly to birds.)


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## WHITELAW1212 (Nov 2, 2011)

I haven't seen the pigeon again so far. I am praying that he comes back soon. Again, I really have appreciate all the responses, advice and support. I feel blessed to have found this forum - it has warmed my heart that people care as much as I do. Now that I have found this forum I feel that I can maybe get support again. However, I do hope he comes back and I now know that I would have help with him from the folks here.


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## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

I hope you're lucky and he comes back.
Thanks for caring enough to find help all the same.
Keeping fingers crossed for him.

Janet


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