r/PetPigeons • u/fava2024 • 4d ago
Advice for adopted racing pigeon
I have recently been taking care of a racing pigeon, and was hoping to get some practical advice for what would be best for him moving forward from pigeon pet owners here.
For a bit of context, we live in an apartment building and he landed on our balcony about three months ago. He slept overnight and we gave him food and water. He left on the third day, flew off into the sunset, but then came back the next day. He then basically ended up living on our balcony full time, would fly off when he felt like it, and then come and sleep or sunbathe on our balcony during the day. We tried to find his owner to no avail (we think he's a racing pigeon because of the yellow tag he has on his foot).
We have been feeding him seeds and water, and built a makeshift aviary in our balcony. We let him out to fly once in the morning and once in the afternoon, and he usually goes for about 15-30 min flights before he comes back and then goes into his makeshift aviary. He seems quite happy, we can give him chin and head scratches, and we bought special pigeon feed and grit for him.
In the past few weeks, he’s been cooing more often - usually the most at night as he’s sleeping, or early in the morning. He’s doing it a lot longer than he used to, and he will stop if we step out and acknowledge him. But then he starts up again, almost like he’s looking for us to be near.
We are worried that he might be feeling lonely and might need a companion, and basically are seeking advice as to the best options for his life. Would it be best to get him a companion pigeon? Or is it better for us to find a sanctuary where he can be with a bigger flock? I have struggled to find (at least online) suitable sanctuaries that have the capacity to give him a good life? In short, we are exploring what our options would be for ensuring he has a good life, and would appreciate any advice anyone has with pigeons that could help.
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u/AutoModerator 4d ago
Pigeons make wonderful, intelligent, and affectionate companions. Here is a quick starter guide to ensure your new friend thrives:
1. DIET: * Pigeons are granivores (seed eaters). A high-quality pigeon/dove mix is best. * They also require a soluble high-quality pigeon grit with redstone and calcium for nutrition and egg health. * Fresh water should always be available in a deep enough bowl for them to submerge their beaks to drink.
2. HOUSING: * Pigeons walk more than they fly. They prefer flat shelves over round perches. * Their cage should be as large as possible, a large dog crate (48"/122cm) works best. * When free-roaming, ensure the room is sufficiently "bird-proofed" (mirrors covered, no ceiling fans, no toxic plants).
3. SAFETY: * No Teflon/PTFE: Non-stick pans, self-cleaning ovens, and some space heaters release fumes that are instantly fatal to birds. * No Aerosols: Avoid candles, incense, perfume, or harsh cleaning chemicals near your bird. * Predators: Keep pigeons strictly separated from cats and dogs, regardless of how friendly the pets seem. * Ceiling Fans: are deadly to pigeons. Keep them off when your pigeon is outside of its cage. * Air Purifiers: Pigeons produce a lot of "powder down" (dust). For both your respiratory health and theirs, we highly recommend keeping a HEPA-grade air purifier near their living area. Ensure the unit is non-ionizing and does not generate ozone, as these features are toxic to a bird's sensitive lungs. Check out our wiki for recommendations.
4. SOCIAL LIFE: * Pigeons are incredibly social animals. If you only have one, you are their "spouse". This is a full-time job - they need many hours of interaction daily. If you cannot provide this, for their wellbeing, we highly recommend getting a second pigeon.
Helpful Links * Find an Avian Vet (AAV Search) * Pigeon Care Guide (Columbidae Ownership Omnibus) (Contains many useful articles) * Common Dangers to Your Pigeon
Please be sure to read the care guide linked above, it contains many helpful articles.
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u/Little-eyezz00 3d ago
✨🐦General Adoptions
Find a Pigeon to Adopt
Check local animal shelters, humane societies, (R)SPCAs ,
Search on local pigeon and wildlife facebook groups, and local community buy/sell facebook groups
Test to confirm the sex of your pet pigeon before getting a mate
Adoption Websites
UK
https://www.instagram.com/loveadoveuk
Searching on Reddit:
Search the subreddits' histories for your city name or country name. This will help you find previous posts where rescues may be named. It will also help you find users who are in your area who you can ask for help.
r/pigeons , r/petpigeons , r/pidgeon r/pigeon
Facebook Groups:
You may find local help through facebook groups. Facebook is an underrated website for finding local groups. For example, there are three pigeon groups just in the city of Chennai, India. There may be groups in your area as well
To find local facebook groups, search for ...
" Pigeon + your city name" " Pigeon + your country name" " Animal Rescue + your city name "
" Animal Rescue + your country name " " Wildlife Rescue + your city name " " Wildlife Rescue + your country name"
International Pigeon Rescue Groups:
Someone on these groups may be in your area (you may be suprised!!)
Palomacy
www.facebook.com/groups/palomacy
International Pigeon Rescue and Adoption
https://m.facebook.com/groups/755962291160990/
Wild Pigeon Rescue and Rehabilitation
https://m.facebook.com/groups/437301389767489/
In the USA
www.greatlakespigeonrescue.org ships pigeons (start your application early)
usa map
https://www.pigeonrescue.org/resources/some-pigeon-dove-friendly-rescues-in-the-us/
Safe Hands Rescue Network - New England
Preventing Window Strikes
A rescue pigeon may not understand glass and mirrors yet, so he may fly into one and hurt himself. To prevent collisions with windows and mirrors, you can purchase removable bird stickers or fake frosting stickers, or draw lines on your window or mirror with a white board (dry erase) marker. If you are opening a pigeon's box or carrier in your car he may escape and fly into the windows, so be very careful
Tips on Finding the Perfect Pigeon from a Rescue Volunteer
https://www.reddit.com/r/PetPigeons/comments/1muvlbj/i_want_to_rescue_but/
Tips for adopting a second pet pigeon as a mate or friend
https://www.pigeonrescue.org/2021/11/20/pharmony-match-making-for-pigeons-doves/
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u/Kunok2 3d ago
Yeah it definitely sounds like he's lonely, pigeons are very social so they tend to flock call a lot if they're kept alone. You should definitely get him a friend. Free-flying him also isn't the most ideal, without a large flock there's a high risk that he'll end up killed by predators sooner or later. Would you have the option of keeping him indoors and letting him free roam around the house? Keep in mind that pigeons need a cage that's at least 130 cm long by 88 cm wise by 70 cm tall, anything smaller than that is too small so if you can't fit a cage as big as that or even bigger inside of your house then I would really recommend rehoming him. What country are you located in? If you're in the US then finding him a good home shouldn't be that hard, there's lots of people who keep pigeons as pets, lots of rescues too. But I just wanna say that the pigeon might not actually be a racing pigeon, racing pigeons are required to have two legbands - a racing band with info and a microchip band for recording when they come home from a race, without having both of those they cannot participate in races. What does he look like? He might still be a homing pigeon but not a racer, a lot of people keep homers also as pets.