# How to age a pigeon?



## John_D

Anyone know of any proven ways to determine a pigeon's age? 

We have a male red bar who is (I think) about 9 years old - one of Cynthia's first rescues - and he has 'ink blots', as we call the small black splodges on his wings, which become more numerous with each year. 

We have a couple of ex-racers with ever-increasing size of cere, but they are only about four or five years old, if I recall rightly from the bands. 

With most ferals, however, like my footless red checker who visits for peanuts and who I have known for close to 9 years, I can see nothing obvious which would suggest their age.

John


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## Lovebirds

I don't know of any sure fire way to tell a pigeons age. New pigeons, less than a year old or probably less than 8 months old, drop their flights around a certain age, so if you KNOW that it's a new baby, sometimes you can make a pretty good guess at their age by what flight has dropped. However, even that can be misleading. I've had set of nest mates that one would be on it's 8th flight while the other is on it's 4th flight. 
As far as size of the cere, some birds cere's get bigger as they age and some don't. I remember shipping a race last year and I noticed a bird with an unusually large cere and asked the owner, "how old is that bird?" ....I thought she was sending an old bird to the race. Turns out, the bird had a 2003 band on it's leg, so it was only 4 years old. 
So, I guess the answer to your question is no.


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## jbangelfish

*Flecks show that he carries blue/black*



John_D said:


> Anyone know of any proven ways to determine a pigeon's age?
> 
> We have a male red bar who is (I think) about 9 years old - one of Cynthia's first rescues - and he has 'ink blots', as we call the small black splodges on his wings, which become more numerous with each year.
> 
> We have a couple of ex-racers with ever-increasing size of cere, but they are only about four or five years old, if I recall rightly from the bands.
> 
> With most ferals, however, like my footless red checker who visits for peanuts and who I have known for close to 9 years, I can see nothing obvious which would suggest their age.
> 
> John


Those little black flecks of color are on ash red males (red bar is ash red mealie) and ash yellow males (gray or light brown on ash yellow) and they mean that he carries the gene for blue or black. If the flecks were brown, he would be carrying the brown gene. This is only on male pigeons, unless you are talking about an almond pigeon which is a horse of a different color. Ash red can carry blue, black, brown and the dilutes of all of them, silver, dun or dilute brown which I think they sometimes refer to as gold.

The reason that we have to say blue or black is that they are actually the same color. Black is just a blue pigeon with the spread factor gene, a modifier of colors. It spreads the black bars or checks of a blue pigeon to the entire body. They are still genetically blue.

This is a good way to sex ash red and ash yellow pigeons as if they have flecks, they are males. Not all males have them as not all ash reds are carrying other genes.

As to age, they are very hard to age without a year band. I have pigeons that are in their teens that don't look any older than a one year old. When they do get really old, they will start to show their age, slow down and they can actually look old.

Bill


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## Skyeking

Yes, I have a ash red male, Bear that has those spots on his wings too, they seem to be increasing. He is 2002 bird. Thanks for sharing that info, Bill that is very interesting.

I have some males that do have the white cere and wattel that is more pronounced, but it is in their genes, so I can't use it to judge the age of this bird. The father, Arnold, was living in a parrot cage all his life till the owner decided he needed a better home, now I have him and I should rename him Orville, because he is really getting that popcorn look. I have since gotten his son who is banded, and he is starting to look like dad, so that is definitely genes. He has another son with a different mate who also is looking more like dad everyday.


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## Feefo

> unless you are talking about an almond pigeon which is a horse of a different color


What is an almond pigeon?

Today I got one that I would call a very pale red bar, he is so pale he is almost grey. He has a few black specks, so I am assuming he is male.

Cynthia


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## jbangelfish

*Yes, usually on wings and tail*



Trees Gray said:


> Yes, I have a ash red male, Bear that has those spots on his wings too, they seem to be increasing. He is 2002 bird. Thanks for sharing that info, Bill that is very interesting.
> 
> I have some males that do have the white cere and wattel that is more pronounced, but it is in their genes, so I can't use it to judge the age of this bird. The father, Arnold, was living in a parrot cage all his life till the owner decided he needed a better home, now I have him and I should rename him Orville, because he is really getting that popcorn look. I have since gotten his son who is banded, and he is starting to look like dad, so that is definitely genes. He has another son with a different mate who also is looking more like dad everyday.


They can be splashed all over with these flecks and they do seem to increase with age.

Bill


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## jbangelfish

*Yup, must be a male*



cyro51 said:


> What is an almond pigeon?
> 
> Today I got one that I would call a very pale red bar, he is so pale he is almost grey. He has a few black specks, so I am assuming he is male.
> 
> Cynthia


Almond is difficult to describe but a good one is completely splashed with black and white streaks over a deep yellow bird. Oriental rollers have the best of this color but it is in many breeds today.

Red bars vary in color intensity and if they have the spread factor from blacks, they will lose the bars altogether, making an interesting silvery lavender bird. The presence of black flecks says ash red and male.

Bill


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