I found a Pigeon with a band, But I cant catch it!?

[Mleone]

I found a white pigeon, or dove! I can see its band but cant read the letters and numbers, and I cant catch it. I'm afraid a hawk or cat will get it becuase it keeps flying around in a large circle and comeing back to my barn. I can get kind of close to it but it flys away if I get to close. He/She seems to be lost and I would LOVE to help it, they are so cute. I've been trying to get it for 2 days!

Any suggestions?

[Trees Gray]

Hello and welcome to Pigeons.com

Thank you for your concern to help this bird.

Please check this site to make a trap:

http://www.racingbirds.com/ptrap.html

Try to encourage it in the trap with pigeon, or wild bird seed. I hope this will work!

[Mleone]

I hope it will work to. Those traps are so simple lol, I cant believe I havent tryed that. Lets hope today is my lucky day

[Trees Gray]

We will be sending positive thoughts.

We will locate the club once you post all the numbers and letters on the band.

Thanks again for helping this lost bird

[Mleone]

Well I still havent captured my feathered freind, but the entire barn is on the look out and helping. He used to sit on top of the barn, come down and eat the grain the horses left and drink (theres a big pond it goes to) then back to the roof. But now it dissapears once it gets dark... Could it have found a place to roost? WE will continue to attempt to catch it until it stops comeing around, but will it be ok out on its own? We put seed out for it (Which it eats) and it has water all the time from a pond and the horse buckets, but when It gets cold at night (high 40s low 50 degrees F at night) wont it get cold? And during the winter will it fly south or stay? Hehe Hopefully I wont have to worry about it and I can catch it today...

Another helpful Question: once i have the bird, then what? I dont want to injure or stress it out more than nessasary! It appears to be an adult, flys ok, and eats just like other wild birds... So if I set up a cage and give it seed, grit, and water will that be ok for now? Or do Pigeons perfer a dark spot to 'hide' or roost?

[Trees Gray]

Originally Posted by Mleone

Could it have found a place to roost? WE will continue to attempt to catch it until it stops comeing around, but will it be ok out on its own? We put seed out for it (Which it eats) and it has water all the time from a pond and the horse buckets, but when It gets cold at night (high 40s low 50 degrees F at night) wont it get cold? And during the winter will it fly south or stay? Hehe Hopefully I wont have to worry about it and I can catch it today...
Another helpful Question: once i have the bird, then what? So if I set up a cage and give it seed, grit, and water will that be ok for now? Or do Pigeons perfer a dark spot to 'hide' or roost?

Thank you for the update, and continuing to watch over this lost homer.

Since this is a homing pigeon it is domestic and is used to having its meals supplied and roof over its head. They do not fly south for the winter, and he hasn't left yet, so he may not be able to find his way home on his own.

Since you see it during the day, but not at night it is probable he has located a place to stay at night. It is okay for now, but in the long run he does need to be captured and go home. Pigeons like to be up high as possible, and they're vision is not good at night.

Pigeons can tolerate both hot and cold weather, just not dampness, rain, and drafts of wind, nor predators.

If you add extra corn to the seeds the bird is eating that will help him maintain warmth in the cold nights.

You can put him in a cage, where he will be safe, away from cats, dogs, racoons, snakes etc. Prefarably away from wind and rain. That will be temporary, as hopefully we can get the band no. and find the owner once he is caught!

Good luck to you today, hope he is caught.

[birdboy12]

Hey have you had any luck with getting the bird?