A Tale Of Two Pijjies (from two different Cities)

[Trees Gray]

It is because of
Pigeons.com that we are able to share the stories of two pigeons from two different walks of life, who met, as well as their owners met, because of this website. You probably have heard about both birds many times, but here are their stories and their picture together. Reti wrote the story of Tiny, her rehabbed feral pet, and I wrote the story about Skye, my domestic pet, and their meeting...finally!



Tiny's Story Miami, fl.


On August 15, 2003 a pair of my balcony ferals had two
eggs hatched. This couple has had several clutches in
the past but the eggs never hatched except for two and
then the babies died within a week.These two were laid in a pot next to the window, so I could watch their progress. After two days of age, I noticed
the one baby was thriving but the other one was very
tiny and was peeping constantly for food. So, I
supplemented the feedings. I took him in every time I
fed him. I was only feeding him twice a day cause I
wanted him also to get some crop milk. He was growing
a little bit, but not like his sibling.

After two weeks, his sibling was growing feathers and was three
times the size of Tiny, I had also noticed that the
parents were not feeding him and he was running after
them to be fed, all the time peeping, actually
screaming and they were running from him, feeding only
his sibling. I didn't know much about pigeons back
then so I asked for advice on pigeon.com and you & others gave
me all the advice I needed. I took him in per your
instructions and started feeding him and giving him
vitamins.
And boy, did he smell, he smelled so bad, I hardly
ever handled him other then for the feedings. He was a
sweet quiet and shy baby.

I took him to the vet and his droppings revealed tons
of coccidia, E.coli and Salmonella. At the same time
he started developing pox, really bad, all over his
face, the eyes he couldn't open much but couldn't
close them completely either from the pox, same thing
with the beak. Because of that and his awful odor I
just couldn't hold him, pet him, or give him the
attention needed. I feel so guilty now. I wish I had
known more then and handled him more.
Anyway, he made it and after two months he was
completely healthy.

He was much of the time in a cage and I let him out
several hours a day. He hated his cage and he was very
well behaved when let out, he never even left the
living room. He loved to nap on Lee's chest or his
pillow on the couch. I was busy with Angel, (my other rescue pigeon), at the time who was so sick, so Lee was caring for Tiny.

I started taking him on the balcony to get used to the
outdoors and the flock on my balcony. My intention was
to release him. Every time I put him out he went to
the door and was jumping up and down and screaming to
get in. I tried it so many times he never wanted to be
out there with the pigeons. (Tiny thinks he is human, of course. ) Lee had enough one day and told me "if he wants to stay, let him stay, don't you
have a heart?" Funny, as much as he hated his cage, every time I let
him back in from the balcony he went straight to his
cage and stayed there for the rest of the day like he
was telling me "ok, I am good, can I stay in my cage?..., please don't just put me outside!"

Eventually I let him have the run of the house.
One evening we came home late. Tiny was waitng for us
in front of the coffee table. We didn't pay any
attention to him until later when we sat down to watch
TV. All the time Tiny was waiting patiently, the
minute we sat down he started peeping and flying on
the table jumping down and flying back up and again
and again, peeping excited. We were praising him and
he got more happy and excited. It was so funny. He did
it for a whole hour. It was his first flight LOL.

The rest is history. He started going all over the
apartment getting in trouble, running the house. Never
ever did he mix with other birds, even though now he
has to live with a whole lot of other birds now. He
might flirt with the girls, but he is bonded to Angel
and me. He never went to the balcony door or asked to
go out, he doesn't care. I think he enjoys the trips
to Treesa's , not to the vet though. He likes to read with
me and do chores. He helps me with the cleaning and he
talks all the time. He is a happy little pij and the
love of my life.

And from this tiny little baby he grew up into a big
handsome guy with a great personality.
He likes blond women and he loves Treesa cause she talks
to him and understands him. He never went up to a
brunnette. He doesn't care about people who don't talk
to him.( He expects to be acknowledged and talked to, because he thinks he is human.)

After our last visit to Treesa's house, I noticed he will eat and
drink only out of white ceramic or glass bowls. I
tried it at home too and he won't eat out of metal
bowls. He has excellent taste, preferring porcelain, over ceramic if possible. LOL





Skye & Tiny

Skye met Tiny and they absolutely ignored each other, but they did it very politely.They sat next to each other for quite a long time, not a "roo-koo" between them. Neither had anything to share, but their moms had an absolutely wonderul visit.

Tiny is sonewhat like Skye, but more humanized, and has absolutely no interest in any pigeons inside my coop. He is perfectly happy spending the afternoon sitting on my shoulder listening to us talking, and me telling him how gorgious he is, that is his idea of a perfect day...and getting his back scratched. The first time I met Tiny, I thought he might like to see my gang & I took him out to the coop, and he practically crawled away up my shoulder saying..."Are you crazy, I have no interest or desire to socialize with those savages (domestic homing pigeons) who live in a coop, not my idea of a fun day." He was also insulted when I picked him up and tried to carry him like a pigeon and pecked at my hands until I released him. "What do you think I am, a pigeon?" He rides in the passenger seat of the car, and is enjoying the sights on his way to visit. He drinks out of a pocelain water dish, nothing else, he does not put his feet on his dish or spill his food out of his dish, and has wonderful table manners. He listens intently to what you are saying and is not bored with our human conversations or activity in the least, as long as he gets the attention he is due.

Below is a picture, from left to right, of Oliver, Reti's Satinette, Tiny and Skye

[Trees Gray]

A tale of Two Pijjies, from two different cities...continued



Skye's story Palm Bay, Fl.


April 16, 2002 I found two tiny naked babies, abandoned by their mother, Cooper, inside her breeding cubby. The larger one was dark had a huge cut on her back, and the tiny one was lighter color, looked very malnourished and neither looked like they were four days old. I kept a close eye on them since they were born, Cooper tried as best as she could, but today she left them, and I panicked.

I rushed to pick them both up out of their nest, and moved them indoors in a nest bowl, layered in paper towels and set them inside a nice deep wicker basket. It was a very warm day, no need for heat, just a nice cover. I scrambled around to get instructions on feeding the two from my friend and rehabber, Doreen, never was I so happy to have met her, a personal friend as well as licensed rehabber-who specializes in birds. I picked up supplies, and began making formula, a little at a time, and then began feeding these tiny babies. Once they felt the flow of the formula moving into their empty little crops they stirred, and with each feeding became more cooperative to the syringe and tube, and became stronger and eager for more.

My life changed completely as I became a mother of two needy and very demanding babies. After the first two days, they responded to my care with growth and many poopies. They thrived and grew by leaps and bounds. My nights would end with a last feeding, my days began with them peeping at the top of their lungs and they would get their first feeding, sometimes 4:30 in the morning. They would wake as soon as lights went on.

While they thrived, I started having difficulty breathing until one day I could barely catch my breath, and I had to go into the hospital for two weeks and was diagnosed and treated for pigeon lung.

The youngsters were just two weeks and adapting nicely to their routine when they were uprooted again. Skye was still the smaller of the two, with white and light blue coloring. I named him Skye, because he looked like the color of a beautiful morning sky and I thought he was a she. I named the other bigger baby, the darker one, Sonic (who I thought would be the boy) as he was the aggressive one. They went to Doreens house where they received their final feedings and were weaned to pigeon seed. They received excellent care, but I hardly recognized them when I got them back. They waddled around the house with nice fat and well fed bellies & full crops. The first day they came home they walked, I sould say..waddled over to see me, looking up at me from the kitchen floor...like who are you?...can we eat now? They were huge and so beautiful, and their coloring and eyes gave them away.


Skye and Sonic rejoined the pigeons in my coop and have adjusted very well to life in the coop, but they remain together today and have bonded out of trauma & necessity. They are my pets and very tame. I have always been close to Skye and very protective of him as he was so small and vulnerable. They do not behave like my other pigeons in some respects, but get along well with the group. I used to let them fly as they were trained with my other youngsters in their age group, but the two would go off by themselves and not return for several hours. After finding them lounging on the neighbors roof, easy prey for hawks, we made the decision not to release them outside anymore.

Skye was the very first pigeon to appear on Animal Planets Pet Psychic Nov. 10, 2002. Sonia picked him out of the crowd right away, as he made gagging noises, and she said, he had quite a story to tell so I will read him first. Skye told her of his sad beginnings and how he had to get used to a tube being stuck down his throat to be fed and that he gagged on it. He told her about his concerns, especially about how he thought I was looking for a new home for him, and of the other birds in the coop and that he was happy and loved me. Sonia said he was quite intelligent and very beautiful. Skye behaved very well, and sat with me during the whole taping in the studio and did not poop once, until he got back in his carrier. I was really impressed by his behavior, because we sat between a very active and curious kitten and a noisy poodle.

[LondonPigeon]

nice story treesa

and very nice picture of the birds meeting each other, theyre cuties ^_^

i didnt know sky was on animal planet

whats Pigeon lung? it sounds serious
I now know http://www.pigeon-lung.co.uk/faq.html

its not good that the birds can cause it

[Reti]

I have to add, I love Skye as much as I love Tiny. They are both so special and so intellingent and humanized.


Reti

[TerriB]

Thank you for sharing this wonderful story!

[John_D]

If only the "general public" could see stories like these, and some of the others I've been catching up on currently!

So many folks just see what, to them, is a scruffy, dirty gray (brown, white) bird scrounging scraps or getting in their way on the street and only ever read or hear the anti-pigeon hype that is too common.

If only they could read or hear as much of the positive, real-life facts about pigeons - not the 'war hero' pigeons, the trained homers, the spotter pigeons involved in sea rescues, etc, but the 'ordinary' street pigeon who can become a human's friend for life, or simply a joy to behold just lgoing about his pigeon business.

John

[Trees Gray]

Thanks everyone, I'm glad of your appreciation. You know yourselves how rewarding it is to have such intelligent creatures. Reti & I both have learned so much more, since those days when we first began our rewarding rehab work on our balcony & domestic babies. It is because of everyone here that this was possible.

[LondonPigeon]

Originally Posted by Trees Gray

Thanks everyone, I'm glad of your appreciation. You know yourselves how rewarding it is to have such intelligent creatures. Reti & I both have learned so much more, since those days when we first began our rewarding rehab work on our balcony & domestic babies. It is because of everyone here that this was possible.

although its ashame you developed a medical condition (Pigeon Lung) becuase of the birds

It is very nice you care for them, and love them so much, and have a nice hobby

the picture is also nice and cute becuase of the white pigeon on the left, the pigeon looks it's inspecting the one near the camera, lol

[Trees Gray]

Originally Posted by LondonPigeon

although its ashame you developed a medical condition (Pigeon Lung) becuase of the birds

It is very nice you care for them, and love them so much, and have a nice hobby

the picture is also nice and cute becuase of the white pigeon on the left, the pigeon looks it's inspecting the one near the camera, lol

Hi LP,

I'm so glad you enjoyed the stories. I am fine now, but due to my condition I cannot keep birds inside my house on permanent basis.

The darling white baby, is offspring of my Satinette's spike and Samantha, he is quite tame also.

[LondonPigeon]

Originally Posted by Trees Gray

Hi LP,

I'm so glad you enjoyed the stories. I am fine now, but due to my condition I cannot keep birds inside my house on permanent basis.

The darling white baby, is offspring of my Satinette's spike and Samantha, he is quite tame also.

the pigeon near the camera (greay on the left) has a look in his eyes and head, like he's saying "Dn't you go near me!"

and the greay pigeon on the right who is thin and has a long neck looks posh , like she's saying "I'm from the royal family, at half past noon we will sit down for tea and crumpets"

[Trees Gray]

Originally Posted by LondonPigeon

the pigeon near the camera (greay on the left) has a look in his eyes and head, like he's saying "Dn't you go near me!"

That is Tiny, he is protecting his interest.


and the greay pigeon on the right who is thin and has a long neck looks posh , like she's saying "I'm from the royal family, at half past noon we will sit down for tea and crumpets"

That is Skye, the domestic pet, purebred, but sweet and gentle, and weighs in at over 400 gramms!

[Lady Tarheel]

Like Lawrence Welk always said: WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL stories. Thanks to Treesa and Reti.

Maggie

[Pigeonpal2002]

Those are both wonderful, warm stories Reti and Treesa. Sorry for my ignorance but was this meeting between Skye and Tiny recent? Tiny doesn't look so "tiny" at all, in fact, he looks bigger than Skye! LOL.

These stories are really what inspires us all here at Pigeontalk and we are the few who get to hear these really incredible stories of how marvelous and wonderful pigeons really are. It's a shame that more people don't even have the desire to learn but then again, it's something that is either an interest or it isn't.

Both Tiny and Skye beat the odds as chicks and through the help of two incredible people and members here, have thrived and become very unique and surely much loved birds.

Well done ladies and pigeons

[Trees Gray]

Originally Posted by Pigeonpal2002

Sorry for my ignorance but was this meeting between Skye and Tiny recent? Tiny doesn't look so "tiny" at all, in fact, he looks bigger than Skye! LOL.

Hi Brad,

Yes, this meeting was about four weeks ago, and Tiny is indeed a big bird, the name doesn't fit him, but it stuck, & now it only serves to remind us of his past. I believe he is a little bigger then Skye, and definitely weighs more on my shoulder.

Glad to see you posting today, we have missed you.

[Pigeonpal2002]

Thanks for enlightening me further Treesa. Such lucky and lovely pigeons both Skye and Tiny.

Just taking a few moments to catch up a bit today, but I'm still not gonna be around too much really. After this, I've got to spend some time with my own pigeons because I haven't had any time to spend with them these last two weeks. It's bath time today and they are going to enjoy that