A Very Distressing Situation ..

[TAWhatley]

I just received two fancy pigeons that are NPA banded. I am told
by the rescuer that a total of 8 of these birds were released as part
of a Buddhist ceremony yesterday afternoon along with some white
doves. They also released ravens that immediately attacked the
pigeons. The rescuer was able to catch these two pigeons but has
not even seen the others since the release.

The gray bird is just a baby .. still has yellow sprouts in a few places.

I have advised the rescuer to report this group to US Fish & Wildlife and
the California Department of Fish & Game regarding the ravens as it is
completely illegal for them to "possess" the ravens or to have "obtained"
them.

I have also requested that animal control contact me regarding this situation to see if there is anything that they can accomplish on behalf of the pigeons and the doves.

I requested the contact information from the NPA for the purchaser(s) of these bands and will call to inquire if the purchaser(s) are aware of how their birds are being "sacrificed".

NPA 2006 TB 300 11
NPA 2005 JM 107 11

I believe these pigeons are a type of Tumbler.

http://www.rims.net/2006Apr30

Terry

[Lovebirds]

Originally Posted by TAWhatley

I just received two fancy pigeons that are NPA banded. I am told
by the rescuer that a total of 8 of these birds were released as part
of a Buddhist ceremony yesterday afternoon along with some white
doves. They also released ravens that immediately attacked the
pigeons. The rescuer was able to catch these two pigeons but has
not even seen the others since the release.

The gray bird is just a baby .. still has yellow sprouts in a few places.

I have advised the rescuer to report this group to US Fish & Wildlife and
the California Department of Fish & Game regarding the ravens as it is
completely illegal for them to "possess" the ravens or to have "obtained"
them.

I have also requested that animal control contact me regarding this situation to see if there is anything that they can accomplish on behalf of the pigeons and the doves.

I requested the contact information from the NPA for the purchaser(s) of these bands and will call to inquire if the purchaser(s) are aware of how their birds are being "sacrificed".

NPA 2006 TB 300 11
NPA 2005 JM 107 11

I believe these pigeons are a type of Tumbler.

http://www.rims.net/2006Apr30

Terry

How very sad. I'm glad at least these two were rescued. We can only hope for the others. Hope they catch the "IDIOTS" that did this. Religion or not, I don't care, this is stupidity at it's best or worst..........??

[TAWhatley]

Originally Posted by Lovebirds

How very sad. I'm glad at least these two were rescued. We can only hope for the others. Hope they catch the "IDIOTS" that did this. Religion or not, I don't care, this is stupidity at it's best or worst..........??

I totally agree, Renee, but I am also concerned that when I call the original owner/breeder of these birds that they either won't know who they sold or gave the birds to or did know and didn't care what the fate of the birds would be.

Terry

[Lovebirds]

Originally Posted by TAWhatley

I totally agree, Renee, but I am also concerned that when I call the original owner/breeder of these birds that they either won't know who they sold or gave the birds to or did know and didn't care what the fate of the birds would be.

Terry

Well, hopefully you will get surprised but you're probably right.

[feralpigeon]

Well, I can't speak for every Buddhist group around, but normally there is a very immense reverence for all life. But I do believe that one of the subway terrorist 'gassings' a couple of years back was by a Buddhist sect, and there are plenty of instances of religious cults of all denominations that do some pretty bizarre things that the news will report on.

How in the world did the rehabber find out about them, did someone call the rehabber on the injured birds, and does the rehabber actually know the name of this group that performed this act of cruelty?

fp

[TAWhatley]

Hi FP,

It wasn't a rehabber .. just a kind lady who lives next door and out walking her dog. She happened to see all the birds in cages. She was concerned for the birds and asked what was going to be done with them. The group told her they were releasing them as part of a religious ceremony.

The two she caught and brought to me weren't injured, but I have no clue what may have happened to the other six pigeons nor the white doves.

Terry

[george simon]

TERRY, While I am not a tumbler breeder there is no dought in my mind ,WEST of ENGLAND tumbler, the muffed feet and the white eye leads me to belive that they are westies. There are quite a large number of west of england breeders in so cal. GEORGE

[TAWhatley]

Thanks for the info, George. I'm not very up to speed on my pigeon breeds.

Terry

[TAWhatley]

I contacted JEDDS this morning and was given the phone # for the
man who originally bred these pigeons .. they are Long Faced Tumblers.
The breeder was so helpful and so concerned and had unbelievably
good records. He was able to tell me what both birds looked like and
that the red bird was definitely a cock bird and that he thought the young
blue bar was also.

He had sold these birds to Magnolia Bird Farm, and I am assuming that
the religious group bought them from Magnolia. My rehabber friend knows
the owner of Magnolia quite well, and I have asked her to talk to the owner
about trying to be more careful about who purchases birds and for what
purpose.

So, that's the story.

Terry

[Trees Gray]

Great job Terry! Hopefully they will be more careful who they sell their birds to in the future.

They are really darling pigeons to look at. Did the original owner express any desire in wanting them back, or are they staying with you?

I hope the other pigeons and birds that were released are as lucky as these two cuties!

[TAWhatley]

Originally Posted by Trees Gray

They are really darling pigeons to look at. Did the original owner express any desire in wanting them back, or are they staying with you?

Hi Treesa,

The breeder was a very, very nice man and gave me some good tips about the husbandry of the long faced tumblers .. also explained why they are long faced instead of short faced in spite of their tiny beak .. apparently it is the size and shape of the head as well as the distance between the base of the beak and the eye (I think that's what he told me). He also said their little beaks are very hooked at the end and need to be trimmed now and then. He also told me they are strictly, strictly, strictly show birds and don't remotely have the flying ability to have any chance out on their own .. that's very, very sad because six are still missing as are the white doves.

He was not interested in getting the birds back as they are/were not needed in his breeding program .. that's why he sold them in the first place thinking they would be a good buy for a youngster or someone just starting out .. he had no idea that Magnolia would sell pigeons to anyone for any purpose .. that includes dog training too .. found that out from another member this afternoon. All in all, I'm not real happy with what I'm finding out about Magnolia Bird Farms today.

Anyway, I asked the breeder if it was OK with him for me to keep these two, and he said yes and even offered to give me mates for them later this year. He also offered to help in ID'ing pigeon breeds, help and/or advice with treating sick or injured pigeons, and help with rescues in the area. He has apparently got about 35 years experience with pigeons and told me he did very well at the big pigeon show in San Bernardino earlier this year .. nice fellow.

Terry

[TerriB]

So glad you were able to connect with the breeder. Hopefully, some good can come from this very sad situation. The hook on the beak is easy to see on the red bird. They certainly are distinctive looking!

[Trees Gray]

Terry,

Thank you for the explanation. Sounds like this breeder is quite knowledgable and it is good to know you can call him for help on identifying different breeds. You can never have too many pigeon friends and acquaintances.

The man where we by our seed from has been in it for over 30 years. He is always willing to share his knowledge and answer any questions asked. I end up spending way to much time getting pigeon seed!