So MANY White Pigeons!

[TAWhatley]

Hi All,

It is practically raining white pigeons here the past week or so. I rarely get white birds in so have been really surprised to be getting just about one a day recently. I wonder if these are 9/11 birds that went astray?

One, I am sure is a Utility King, a second almost as large (this is the pigeons.com rescue bird), a third very small and scrawny young bird, another slightly larger than "normal" white pigeon this afternoon .. this one was one of three .. all three were hiding under a van at Eisenhower Park .. the other two got run over by accident. And a fifth one that was hit by a car on the 55 freeway in Costa Mesa .. badly bruised and abraded and looks like an eye will be lost or perhaps just the sight in that eye.

Very strange to have so many white ones ..

Terry Whatley

[B. Crowe]

Terry, the NPA bird I rescued is white, and showed up at a friends moms shortly after the 11th, and has been hanging out there since. We were easily able to net him after dark as he had been sleeping on the balconly under a small lean-to.

I think you are right. There are a lot of lost 9/11 birds. It wasn't just Jersey city that had trouble.

Barb

[bigbird]

Yes, this could be from 9/11.
Carl

[WhiteWingsCa]

*sigh*

Unfortunately, so many people see white pigeons being released at wedding and such, and just assume that ANY white pigeon will do.....

As I've mentioned before, there are people who try to "save a buck", and purchase birds to do their own releases....and this is what happens. I don't know what they are thinking....do they think the birds will just mysteriously find a new home??????

I had a booth at a wedding show this weekend....99.9% of the people are VERY happy when they hear the birds fly back home. However, one person did ask...."so, do you just buy the birds and let them go?"

Until the public learns that not just ANY white bird can be released, this isn't going to stop. It's up to us in the industry, and anyone else who cares, to make sure to tell everyone they know, that it MUST be properly trained, HOMING pigeons used for these events.

[TAWhatley]

I agree with WhiteWings .. we must constantly try to inform and educate people about releasing white "doves". Hardly a single person that I have talked to about this knows that white homing pigeons are to be used. Most actually think that white ringneck doves are being used (and sadly sometimes they are).

The last one from yesterday is just a baby to boot. Once I got it set up with food and water in the cage it just stood there peeping, squeaking, and quivering the wings. It does self feed but tis obvious to me that this is a very young bird. So sad that the other two were killed.

Terry Whatley