:(My "Baby" is a loner

[abbysian]

My little feral pigeon, whom I call Baby appears to be a loner. It is exactly 8 weeks old. I had to dismantle the fortress that baby lived behind, on the terrace of my high rise co-op, after the baby fledged, about two weeks ago. Baby appears to be growing fine, I think it is a female because it is about the size of its mama.
The parents started trying to build another nest on two seperate occasions, and I had to remove them. Now, all three birds show up, at various time of the day, looking for bird seed, I suppose, and when "Baby" shows up, mama tries to run her off. I no longer leave bird seed on the terrace for them because I am trying to discourage future nesting, and maintenance work has been going on on the terraces for the entire summer.
If "Baby" shows up by herself, I usually feel sorry for her and put out a small amount of seed and water, just once, usually around noon. I obsreve baby at different locations around my complex, on other terraces and on the roof of an adjacent building. She is always alone...Shouldn't she be with the nearby flocks and socializing with other pigeons by now? She is two months old!
I fear that my still providing her with a little seed and water is keeping her from going with the other flocks and learning to forage as they do. I keep telling myself that I will stop giving her food altogether with the hopes that she will leave and join one of the flocks. But when I see her little face and as soon as she sees me peeking at her through my window blinds, she lands on the window and waits for me to put out food. If I go out on the terrace to clean up her poop, she flies towards me...
What should I do, I dont want her to be a loner, I really want to stop leaving food on my terrace, but I don't want her to starve. I was thinking about leaving bird seed in one of the areas that a flock hangs out daily, but I have never seen her in that group. As I am writing this , Baby is sitting on the roof of the nearby building, alone...Makes me so sad...

[Skyeking]

I understand your dilemna.

Pigeons are social creatures, and they are safer in numbers. Unless there is a group of youngsters her age for her to hang out with, they pretty much are alone-within the group. At that age they are too young to have mates, yet too old for them to be in the nest, so they are kind of just maturing and figuring things out for themselves. They will get chased away from areas that are claimed by male pigeons and other areas.

I would encourage you to feed her with the group-if at all possible. She will probably join the flock as she matures, she will only socialize around youngsters who she feels equals too, but once she figures out she is a hen and the male pigeons figure it out too, they will come show off to her and she will eventually have a mate.

If she is bonded to you and is truly alone, bring her inside, perhaps that would be safer for now. It might be best to release her with other birds her age. Do you know or have any bird rehabbers nearby that do releases?

[abbysian]

Bringing her into my apartment is not an option. Have a cat, and I don't know a thing about taking care of birds...I guess I will keep putting out just enough food for her to eat once in the early afternoon, for the next couple of weeks. I would leave bird seed down on the ground where the flock hangs out, but I have never observed her in the group. I see her every day, so I think I could pick her out of the crowd... She does hang near her parents, but after a while they fly off and leave her alone. I have observed her flying off the terrace once she spotted a couple of other pigeons fly by. They flew from ledge to ledge, on the rooftops and then around to the front of the building. She even brough a friend with her to my terrace once, but mama swooped down and ran the other baby off.
She does watch what is going on around her, from window ledges, building rooftops and my terrace. I just wish there were more baby pigeons around for her to hang out with. The old nasty red tailed Hawk that took her sibling, probably took some of the other babies too... At what age are they sexually mature? Where do these ferals sleep at night? On the roof tops, or on the ground?

[Skyeking]

They are sexually mature around 6 months, some earlier. They will roost/sleep up high as possible-that is where they are most comfortable, so I would imagine roof tops, or just under the roof. I've seen them under bridges of freeway passes, and on telephone poles in the daytime.

Do you have any rehabbers in your area that rehab pigeons that could take her in and release her with other youngsters?

[Noisy_minor]

i wouldnt be to concerned, although i dont have alot of experience with pigeons, i know a fair bit about other species. i would continue putting seed out once a day, and then miss a day every now and then, to make her go look for food. so she dosnt become dependant on you. If she is not sleeping on your terace, then chances are she has found a nice spot to roost. where we live, the only large flock of feral pigeons all sleep and nest under a bridge, and thats the only spot i ever see them roosting. eventualy she'll find a group to hang with so dont be to concerned

thank you for caring about the little one.

cheers