# Missing Pigeon



## semper1018 (Feb 21, 2009)

My pet pigeon is missing. She was a wild orphaned pigeon who we bottle fed and kept. She is about 2 years old. Darker grey with a white back (under the surrounding grey feathers). No band. She is extremely friendly and curious with people, even though she often scares them! Her name is Piggy (short for piglet). She is very attached to us and has always thought of my ex-boyfriend as her mate. She even sleeps on his pillow. She is used to being outside and taking trips with us to the store, hockey games, etc. She even went backpacking for a week with us. She does know about hawks and danger, and has flown off for a day or two when a hawk came near our house...just to avoid danger.

My ex took her to a hockey game in NEWINGTON, CT that he reffed the other night. At around 10 pm he walked out of the rink and she flew off to do a couple orientation circles. Then she disappeared. It is normal for her to want to perch at night (and she did this before at our house and came back the next day). He hung out for about 2 hours and then again first thing in the morning. He has not been able to find her. He thinks she might have joined the flock of pigeons that sits on top of the VA hospital, but never having been with pigeons really and thinking she is his mate, I don't know if I believe it. I think with her track record, she tried to land on people and maybe someone took her home. Or...she is trying to find her way home. I have sat out there for hours watching the birds. I have walked the grounds looking for her-dead or alive. If you think you may have found her, please contact me: [email protected]. We miss her immensely and it sucks not knowing where she is! 

P.S. It's a good thing he is already my ex-boyfriend. Otherwise, this would have earned him the title for not protecting her! 

P.S.S. If you do find her, she loves sunflower seeds and crumped tortilla chips, and will gulp water from a glass.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

I am so sorry that she has gone missing, she is obviously very loved. I hope that she will turn up. How long has she been gone?

Pigeons often go AWOL and turn up again within a few days (except for Tooter who returned after 7 months  ) 

Cynthia


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## semper1018 (Feb 21, 2009)

Thank you! I think I remember reading a couple years ago about a Tooter that went missing. It inspired me to think that my last feral male pigeon, who disappeared, might come home! Was that the same Tooter? 

Piggy went missing Tuesday night (2/17) and we had snow/rain on Wednesday and Thursday. I hoped the blue skies yesterday and today would aid her in navigating.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

> Was that the same Tooter?


There's only one Tooter! (Victor's Tooter) We all rejoiced when he turned up.

My little collared dove Cooriander escaped a few weeks ago, just before the bad weather. He had become tame and would perch on my head whenever he saw me. They aren't homers, but I hope he at least followed other doves to the top of my aviary where there is always food available, or to someone else's bird table. I went around the neighbourhood calling her but there was no response. I still listen out for her coo because it had a slight stutter.

Cynthia


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## Larry_Cologne (Jul 6, 2004)

Semper,

I really hope *Piggy* shows up.

We had a similar situation. Hand-raised *Pidgiepoo* a few-days-old chick. Found him last day of April 2004, lost him noon Friday, January 14th, 2005. Haven't seen him since. (You may have read about Pidgiepoo in my posts in Victor's *Tooter*-is-lost-then-found threads).

We took Pidgiepoo everywhere with us, on trains, buses, streetcars, underground, by car, by bike, with him perched on shoulders or on backpacks. All over Cologne, Germany, to Düsseldorf, Bonn, by car to Antwerp, Belgium.

He was not quick to find his way home on his own. Would "hang out" wherever until we fetched him. He was a healthy male, attached to my wife, but also was interested in female pigeons.

I think our taking him everywhere, day and night (when necessary), from his youngest days, caused him to be *disoriented or confused as to where home really was*, from even a block or two away. (I had been hoping to achieve the opposite result).

I hope this is not the situation with your Piggy, because it is heart-wrenching. Felt sck to my stomach for a long time, and still keep an eye out for him.

My next squeaker rescue *Wieteke* was kept more at home, and had to venture away from home on his own. Had no problems with him getting "lost."

Really hoping for the best for you.

Larry


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## Grimaldy (Feb 25, 2007)

A couple of years ago my wife found a baby mourning dove some crows were about to eat. We brought it home and raised it and spoiled it. It saw me as her mate, used to sit up in the book case, coo and flutter her wings, slept on a special perch on the headboard of my bed, groomed me with her little beak on the face, etc. When we first tried to release her at six months age, she flew right back into the house, used to sit on the sill of an open window and watch the world go by with no intention of going back to the wild. 
One day we noticed a male mourning dove outside fluttering up against the porch window. That would excite her and she would flutter up to the glass on the inside. So one morning she perched on my shoulder and I took her outside when the male dove was at the bird feeder. She looked at me a couple times and was gone, straight to the male, the two of the took off and that was the last time we saw her. Once in a while, my wife sees a mourning dove watching her from the garage roof, but when we call or whistle to it it looks for a while and then goes.
It just seems that the call of the wild, so to speak is too strong. But if your bird ever decides to come home she knows the way.


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## hiDes (Feb 23, 2009)

I pray he finds his way home soon. Good Luck.


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