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#1
26th July 2008, 10:49 PM
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Pigeon Prob in TorontoI live on the 9th floor of an apartment building. We have netting around our balcony.
A few hours ago, I heard a loud thump somewhere outside and then a bunch of flapping on our balcony. I went out and found a pigeon on our balcony. He was trying to fly back out through netting. There is a small winding gap at the top of our balcony through which a pigeon could enter. I believe the thump was someone banging on the balcony metal to shoo away their pigeons, and one panicked and squirmed down through that crack onto our balcony. Anyway, in past times when a pigeon has gotten inside our netting, I merely lower one side, guide him towards it, and let him fly back out. This pigeon was not flying very strongly though. He would kind of just do little short flying leaps. I became worried that he couldn't fly properly, so I grabbed him and took him downstairs to the ground level. When we got outside, a gently put him down and he immediately flew up into a tree. I then observed him for about 30 minutes. He didn't move an inch. Just sat there, staring around. He didn't seem distressed, but it was very odd. I just went back to check on him and he is still sitting in the exact same spot, almost 3 hours later. Is he in distress? Will he be ok for the night? My best guess is that he is young and can't fly more than a short distance yet. I don't know what this means in terms of his ability to survive. His family should be just around the corner of the building somewhere, up above. Here are some photos of him up in his spot on the tree: 
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#2
27th July 2008, 06:29 AM
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I'm really sorry your question hasn't been addressed sooner. Pigeons don't see well enough in the dark to fly and I would guess that's why your rescue stayed ion the same place. Where there is one pigeon, there is usually two. Please check and see if more pigeons are trapped. My worry is that there are babies somewhere that you are not aware of that are at risk of dying without their parents.
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Charis If all the beasts were gone, men would die from great loneliness of spirit, for whatever happens to the beasts also happens to the man. Seattle 1736-1866  Another Life, Gone To The Birds! DO NO HARM Member, International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council
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#3
27th July 2008, 06:57 AM
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I also emailed Max to come back and have a look at the thread so that if there are babies behind the netting, they can be saved.
I'm going to out a good part of the day with a client so you all keep an eye out on this thread, please.
__________________
Charis If all the beasts were gone, men would die from great loneliness of spirit, for whatever happens to the beasts also happens to the man. Seattle 1736-1866 Another Life, Gone To The Birds! DO NO HARM Member, International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council
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#4
27th July 2008, 07:05 AM
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He looks, in the pic, to be a youngster as you surmise. In all probability, he is of the age where the parents would have stopped feeding him, and he would learn from other pigeons what and where the food is that they would consume in that area.
If he descends and is catchable, by all means take him in for a while to ensure he gets food and water and is strong enough to be entirely independent. i had a couple of young pigeons on my balcony at the end of the winter who were flying and trying to fend for themselves, but were just not big and strong enough to compete with older pigeons for what food they might find, or even such as I can put out for them when I'm not away from home. John
__________________
 Pigeons know more than we think - and think more than we know.
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#5
27th July 2008, 07:16 AM
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It appears to be dark outside in the picture. That could be the reason the bird is just sitting. I do hope Max comes back to let us know. Some people aren't aware that pigeons don't fly at night...........
__________________
 Renee www.lovebirdsloft.com People have the right to be stupid, but some abuse that privilege. For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness. If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything. Mark Twain Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them, and you have their shoes.------ Frieda Norris
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#6
27th July 2008, 10:19 AM
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Thanks everyone.
I just went down to check and the pigeon is nowhere to be seen. It was extremely windy where he was sitting, so I look all around the area in case he had moved, but I saw no sign of him. Hopefully, he was just waiting for the morning. I was worried that that he might only be able to fly about 25 feet at a time, and so would not be able to get back to his flock or parents. He basically just hopped up into the nearest spot and sat there. It just seemed a little weird... Anyway, I hope he managed to make it around the corner of the building and higher up so that he could rejoin his friends and family. There are definitely no other pigeons in my netting. I always check it at least once per day, and the few times that a pigeon has gotten in, I have noticed immediately. We have lots of windows and a dog and cat who also act as alarms. I wish I knew what was going on out there though. Not a single pigeon came inside our netting for a year. Now for some reason, pigeons are suddenly appearing on our balcony about once every 2 weeks. The railings of the balconies are made of metal. Like last night, I hear a loud clang of metal which sounds like it is coming from above, and then immediately discover this pigeon on our balcony. Many of the neighbours go out on their balconies every once in a while and bang on the metal balcony railings to shoo the pigeons away. They don't do it very often though, and let the pigeons make homes and nests, and then destroy it all on a whim after the fact. I thought that might explain the bang, but I don't think that's what it was... As I posted back in April, the upstairs neighbour destroyed an active nest and one of the fledglings fell down through the crack between the balconies and landed on ours. There are new tenants in that unit now, and I can see the bottom of another nest through that same crack. Perhaps that is where this guy came from? Sorry, I am babbling a bit because this really upsets me. It breaks my heart to keep having these young pigeons harmed, and I don't know where they are coming from or how to stop it. As well, I am just generally disgusted with all the people living here. I will spare everyone the terrible details, but they seem to actually take pleasure in harming these poor creatures, and have no regard for them as living beings. It would almost be ok if it were just one or two apartments, but it is absolutely everyone around me who is behaving like this. They all think I am nuts for caring. To them it is just a big joke. Sorry again for going on. This seems like it is the only place where people might understand this stuff. Anyway, no need to worry as I think the little fellow is probably just fine as his family should have been just around the corner and he has definitely left the area where he spent the night. Thanks again everyone for your help and concern. Last edited by max6166; 27th July 2008 at 10:22 AM.
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#7
27th July 2008, 10:24 AM
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Thanks for coming back and letting us know. Sorry your neighbors are so horrible. Most of our members know or know of someone just like you describe. Those "bad" folks will get there's some day............
__________________
Renee www.lovebirdsloft.com People have the right to be stupid, but some abuse that privilege. For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness. If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything. Mark Twain Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them, and you have their shoes.------ Frieda Norris
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#8
27th July 2008, 10:55 AM
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Max, yes, thank you for letting us know. I expect he spent the night in the tree because it was dark. Hopefully, he has found his family by now.
People can be very cruel when, if they only took the time, could see for themselves what how very sweet pigeons can be. Anyhow, thank you for doing what you can.
__________________
Maggie
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#9
27th July 2008, 10:58 AM
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I was used to dealing with 1 or 2 neighbours like that. The thing is that now almost everyone seems to have that attitude, as well as the management and supers, etc.
To put it delicately, the cultural makeup of my neighbourhood has changed drastically, and most of the more recent residents have a very different attitude towards the value of animal life. But to be fair, the worst offenders have actually been 2 unrelated apartments of Canadian-born college girls. They are just nasty, uncaring, self-centered people. Animal cruelty is just the icing on the cake with them... Again sorry for going off topic, but I really need to know that some people out there don't think it's crazy to value a bird's life, you know? Everyone around here looks at me like I am some sort of idiot when I say anything in favour of these birds' right not to be harmed. Even one woman who has pet birds! Ah well, I think I got it all off my chest now. <rant mode off>  Last edited by max6166; 27th July 2008 at 11:28 AM.
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#10
27th July 2008, 11:16 AM
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Quote:
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#11
27th July 2008, 02:17 PM
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Max -
If you come across a specific case of people being abusive and cruel towards the pigeons, it may just possibly be worth contacting the Humane Society. We had an incident a few years back when one of our members who is no longer in Canada was concerned about pigeons and other birds being trapped in netting on a neighboring balcony, and the landlord of the apartments not releasing them. Someone here in the UK actually telephoned the HS in Etabicoke and a gentleman named Bill got right on it and had the pigeons freed and - I believe - at least a strict warning if no other action taken against the landlord. It may work, it may not. I believe we had cause to contact the same man about an episode in another part of Toronto later, and he confirmed that action had been taken. John
__________________
Pigeons know more than we think - and think more than we know.
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