No identifying info on band

[Lchageman]

Help!-Trying to locate a found bird's owner, but it's band has no identifying letters or numbers, just a plain color. Any clue as to what this means? It is a white dove or pigeon I found yesterday. The bird is eating and drinking fine, but doesn't appear to be able to fly very well, although it can flutter. Also has difficulty maintaining a perch. Any help or advice would be appreciated. I have contacted everyone I can think of and noone has reported a missing bird.

[rainbows]

white bird/plain colored band might belong to dove release business

[spirit wings]

where are you located...the band maybe just a means of indentifying the sex...if it is all white It may be a release bird....look up wedding release doves in your area and give them a call...I would catch the bird and keep him warm and quiet..also check him over and tell us how he looks or if you see any wounds....

[EgypSwiftLady]

I use the colored bands to help identify certain birds in the flock. Many breeders do this for their own references.

[Lchageman]

Thanks everyone who has responded. I am in Norwood, NJ. The bird has been in the neighborhood since at least Tuesday night, according to neighbors. I don't know how it managed to survive the night; we have cats and coyotes around here and it seems to have terrible survival instincts. (Found in the middle of the road with no clue what a car is). I have emailed a couple of release companies, but I will check in the yellow pages and start calling. Haven't examined the bird closely to see if there are any visible injuries; at least it doesn't seem to be bleeding anywhere and can hop around o.k.

[EgypSwiftLady]

Try putting up found signs in feed, pet, grocery stores, etc.

You can also go to the NPA and theres also a pigeon racing union website, sorry don't remember exactly what its called but you can google it, they might have breeders listed near you that you could call or even have a lost bird listing.
Lets us know how things turn out.

[Lchageman]

I have contacted various lost pigeon sites and am posting fliers at pet stores, etc. This is a picture of the bird. Is it a homing pigeon? I am going to try to get a better picture today. I have read advice that if it's a tired homer to feed it, let it rest and then release it, but I don't think this bird would make it back home. It was very easy to catch (by hand) and it doesn't seem tired and it's possibly injured, so I won't release it and hope it makes it. I can't keep it because my cats are way too interested, but I have it housed at the local nature center now. If I can't locate an owner, the nature center director will likely keep it as a personal pet. It is a very attractive and fairly friendly bird and doesn't object too much to being handled.

[EgypSwiftLady]

It could be a young bird, I can't really tell by the photo, it could be an '08 baby and not know how to find food out of the loft and might just need some TLC to feel better.
I wouldn't release it because white pigeons are highly visiable to preditors and it doesn't sound like this guy would know what do do anyway.
It would be great if the nature director could take it if no one claims it. If for some reason this doesn't work out let us know and maybe we can come up with a home.

[NitaS]

If it doesn't appear injured and doesn't seem too inclined to fly, I would guess maybe it was breeder bird for a white dove release business that may have escaped. It's a shame it has no identifying band on it. I had a breeder that accidentally got out when the birds were loft flying and was actually able to catch it without much trouble. Because of being captive and not let out to fly it probably doesn't realize it should fly.

[Lchageman]

Thanks for all the thoughts. The nature center director told me he has found a few white doves in the past couple years (banded) and had not had much luck returning them to release companies. It seems that if the bird is uninjured they don't want them back because they became "lost", instead of finding their way back home. I guess releasing doves is becoming more popular in this area because I also got a phone call from a girl who had found a white dove with a broken leg at the beginning of summer and was wondering if it was possibly the same bird (different color tag though). I will let you know if we are unable to find an original or new home for this bird, but the guy she's with now is fairly successful at finding homes for orphaned animals and lost a bird of his own last year, so very well might want to keep it himself.

[NitaS]

I have a dove release business and think it's absolutely terrible that the almighty dollar seems more important to some people than their birds. Gives a bad name to those of us that love and take care of their birds. I recovered a bird last year that had strayed on a release. Actually had to climb a ladder onto the roof to get her. I kept her in the loft for 2 weeks before I let her out again and she's been staying with the others ever since.

[re lee]

Originally Posted by Lchageman

I have contacted various lost pigeon sites and am posting fliers at pet stores, etc. This is a picture of the bird. Is it a homing pigeon? I am going to try to get a better picture today. I have read advice that if it's a tired homer to feed it, let it rest and then release it, but I don't think this bird would make it back home. It was very easy to catch (by hand) and it doesn't seem tired and it's possibly injured, so I won't release it and hope it makes it. I can't keep it because my cats are way too interested, but I have it housed at the local nature center now. If I can't locate an owner, the nature center director will likely keep it as a personal pet. It is a very attractive and fairly friendly bird and doesn't object too much to being handled.

Yes it is a white homer. It looks like a cock bird A male pigeon. It is probably a release bird AS many in the release business Do not band there birds with tracable bands Like AU IF or even NPA bands. Then when birds get lost they do not have to be contacted. Plus some think with no band then people think more of a dove then a pigeon. You will probaly need to catch it and send it to a new home As no telling who owned it.

[Lchageman]

Originally Posted by NitaS

I have a dove release business and think it's absolutely terrible that the almighty dollar seems more important to some people than their birds. Gives a bad name to those of us that love and take care of their birds.

Sorry, didn't mean to disparage the release business! When I first heard about release companies, I was horrified to think that hundreds of birds were being released to certain death for the benefit of an extravagant bride or groom. I was happy to discover that the majority of these releases are done by reputable companies and that the birds are homing pigeons that usually return to their home roost, barring some accident or illness. Also, that birds are released for a variety of reasons, including religious ceremonies and funerals. Unfortunately, I also learned that people trying to save a buck will buy ringneck doves from the pet store and release them instead, which is a guaranteed tragedy, or that some disreputable companies don't seem to care very much for their birds. I would think that anyone who spends the time and energy necessary to develop a flock of these lovely birds would love and care for their birds very much and be upset if one went missing. That is why it is frustrating to be unable to find the owner of this bird. It really is a very lovely, gentle animal. In spite of my circumstances (5 pets already!) and the fact that my hectic, noisy house isn't probably the best environment for a pet bird, not to mention I have no experience with them, I did entertain thoughts of keeping it myself. I hope I didn't offend you; I was just passing on the experience of the nature director.

[Lchageman]

So here's an update on my lost white friend. I thought I found the owner yesterday-a release company owner who responded to my email query. Since I don't really know the difference between male and female pigeons, I wasn't able to give him that info and he thought I had found a missing female from one of his lofts from the band color. When I sent him the nature center director's info and attached some pictures, he realized it wasn't his bird. He's pretty convinced I have a male as re lee suggested. NitaS I want you to know that he shares your sentiments; he was very concerned that other release companies I contacted never got back to me and on the general condition of the bird. He has offered to take the bird in or provide advice to anyone who adopts the bird, if we can't locate the owner. That seems to be more and more unlikely. He seemed pretty convinced that it's a release bird, but couldn't think of any owners in my area who identify their birds like this one. At any rate, it seems that this bird will eventually end up in a permanent home with someone who will love and care for it; all's well that ends well.