Need help. Having trouble relocating two feral pigeons.

[Capt.Drydock]

We found two baby feral pigeons that were pushed from the nest by kids in ball park. We took them home and hand raised the birds. They have had the free run of the property all summer. We took them 12 miles away and tried to release them into a established flock in a safe location. When we returned home they were sitting on the garage roof waiting for us. Looking for helpful suggestions on what we should be doing for the prose's of relocating into the wild flock.Is there a pigeon rehabber in the Rochester,New York area? Thanks for any help rendered. Capt.

I should add that we suspect that they are flying around a mile into town. They brought a third pigeon home for half a day. The third bird did not stay or return.

[Reti]

I don't know if there are any pigeon rehabbers in Rochester.
You can check it out at

http://www.pigeon.com/prd.htm

I would let the two hang out around your house, my guess is eventually they will venture further once they are comfortable and will join the flock at some point.
Are you still giving them food and water?

Reti

[Trees Gray]

Hello and welcome to pigeons.com

Thank you for helping these two youngsters. They must be really happy pigeons and want to live with you.

You obviously have taken very good care of the two. When you let them have "the run" of the place, they got very familiar with the area you live, and took mental pictures of the location and areas surrounding, North, South, East, and West, that is called "routing". Consequently that is why they returned to you when you released them 12 miles away, they learned how to find your house from different locations. You have some very smart little ferals with the 'homing" instinct and have homed them to your place. You also have a natural "instinct" or gift, mind you, for homing pigeons.

You may want to get hold of someone who can help you retrain them to a new area, try locating a rehabber from these two sites.

www.wildlifecare.org/list.html

and...

http://www.pigeons.com/prd.htm

[pdpbison]

Hi CaptDrydock,


They will likely matriculate into the wild folds as they grow older and elect mates or make feral pals or as may be.

For now they are still useing the 'Base Camp' of their de-facto 'nest' area from which to come and go.

If you feed them there on the ground, they will be less likely to fly off in search of food, which of course will limit their occasions of social interactions with others doing likewise.


Best wishes,

Phil
Las Vegas

[Capt.Drydock]

Yes we still feed them adult pigeon food and fresh water. They circle and follow us around the property. I realize they have imprinted on us. They are very sociable. What you are suggesting is we stop feeding them and they will find a flock?

[pdpbison]

Hi CaptainDrydock,

Well...

Normally they do this with their Biological parents and or if food is near what their nest had been...

They are expecting you to show them places to graze, and you are merely walking or something and so no 'showing' them is happenning.

If you could walk to where other or feral flocks graze, that would be good, as yours then will maybe follow as you indicate they are, and, have something to result from it!

They have not 'imprinted' on you so much as they are accepting a situation and it's amenities...and, having the normal expectations of guidance they would usually recieve once they have learned to fly and follow.

If no food was being offered so near, and, you as their surrogate parents - if you had raised them from Babys - your job would be to show them various areas where food could be found, and, in time then, they would seperate from you in their foragings, and make their own way in the world.

With your situation, since the food is so near, they in effect, likely, have no reason to leave! Or, when they do leave, they are following you as if to find some new places to graze or forrage which they expect you to show them.

Ideally, feeding a feral flock near to one's home allows young Birds we release to join that flock, and, once grown up enough, they will tend to seperate from us and join the flock, even as they would seperate from their biological parents and make their own way at some point in their maturation. Usually they benifit from our staying with them in their several initial and successive forays to socialize with the feral others.

With no feral flock grazeing and foraging daily at your home, yours have no one to fly off with for other grazeings, or to show them new things and places.

So...if you do know of a feral flock foraging and grazing somewhere, maybe lead, or take your Birds there to them, and let them go.

You might have to repeat this a few times...since they might fly back to your home a few times more.

So, I would think to do that, and to feed them gradually less and less or not at all even, and try taking them to a feral flock and see if they will join them.

Maybe, actually, cease feeding them there at home completely, and, instead, start feeding the feral flock you will release them to...and if need be, take them there as often as need be for them to get the idea...

Like that...

Good luck!

Phil
Las Vegas

[Capt.Drydock]

Thanks for all the helpful advise. I'm going and try and release them again tomorrow. It's a beautiful place,lots of pigeons,food,water. People like to feed them there,along with the ducks.It's a quiet spot along the tow path of the Barge Canal. Same spot they were released at last time. I think I will time them this trip.

[pdpbison]

Give it a whirl!

They might beat you back, or...they might stay awhile...

Lol...

But sooner or later, they will matriculate...

Phil
Las Vegas

[Trees Gray]

Originally Posted by Capt.Drydock

Thanks for all the helpful advise. I'm going and try and release them again tomorrow. It's a beautiful place,lots of pigeons,food,water. People like to feed them there,along with the ducks.It's a quiet spot along the tow path of the Barge Canal. Same spot they were released at last time. I think I will time them this trip.

Sounds like a great place! If they do beat you back, you will have successfully sent them out on a training "toss."

Good luck to you, I do hope they do eventually adapt with the flock.

[Capt.Drydock]

Their back. I think they enjoy this Ride and Fly routine.

[Trees Gray]

Did they beat you back to the house again this time?

[Capt.Drydock]

I have named them Bert and Ernie. No I was back when Bert arrived,then Ernie reappeared around 30 minutes later. Weather is starting to change. Nights are getting colder. Looks like I better make them a makeshift loft in the barn. Wonder if they will use it?

[phyll]

Tnank you for caring about these pigeons, & wanting to provide them with a safe & sheltered area.
They have chosen to remain on your property (for now), so please continue to assist them.
God bless you.

Phyll

[Capt.Drydock]

We really enjoy them. If I could only stop them from roosting on the casement windows and skylights. They are messy.

[Trees Gray]

They return because you have taken such good care of them, build them a little coop to stay in, so they have their own place to poop, and you can enjoy them more.