# Racing Pigeons



## WoodWitch

Hi all.....
Does anyone on here keep or know anything about Racing Pigeons?

I walked up my garden this morning on my way up to the mouse shed and there was a big old pigeon in my garden. He looks more pink and green round the collar than an ordinary pigeon, has alot of white at the top of his beak and is very large. He has a red ring around his foot.

His tail is quite scraggy and he has a rugged tuft on his head but other than that, he doesn't look injured.

He's quite tame. I've walked up and down the garden all day and he hasn't dodged me too much. I've even thrown him some grain and he's enjoyed pecking at that.

I'm a bit concerned since he's still here. He appears to either be lost, or perhaps injured in a way that I cannot see. He's been here for hours now. I'll leave him alone for the time being but I'm wondering what to do if he's still here by dark?

There's probably not alot I _can_ do but I thought I'd ask and see if anyone had any insight?


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## AnnB

I've found a couple of racing pigeons in the past. If you can catch him and read his leg ring, you can report the details to the Racing Pigeon Association in order to locate the owner. The first pigeon I found had a local owner and I was able to reunite bird with owner after a couple of days but the second one was found while I was on holiday in West Wales. It's owner was traced to Ireland and there wasn't much hope in getting the pigeon back there, especially as it appeared to have been attacked by a peregine falcon. I kept the poor thing as comfortable as I could but it didn't survive.

If you can't catch it, I imagine it will make it's own way home eventually.


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## Rhasputin

A lot of people just release their pigeons when they no longer want them. This is very common. 
I've found tons of racing pigeons here before.

A friend of mine who is a wild life rehabilitator, has an entire coop full of pigeons that she's rescued that people have just let go, and not wanted returned. One person wanted theirs returned, but was going to just kill them once they got them.

But yes, you can report the number/letter combination to help figure out where it's from. We've had ones here that were from the other side of the country.


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## WoodWitch

Thanks you two, that's really useful 

Well, he (or she) is still here!
I see a few ruffled feathers at the front now so I think maybe he did have some scuffle, maybe with a cat. Still looks in pretty good shape though. Just doesn't want to leave the garden.......

I guess I'm going to have to think about trying to capture it so that I am able to read the ring number. That's not going to be easy :?

I don't know weather to try tonight, or leave it until tomorrow and see if it goes away on it's own.
I'm not big on interfering with nature, but it's not exactly a wild pigeon is it?

Don't know what's best


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## geordiesmice

I think some pigeon fanciers cull the pigeon anyway if it does not return to them. It is no good if you have a racing pigeon and they get lost or tired .There is a pigeon fancier lives beside me I will ask him.


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## Rhasputin

If you have a cage you can set up like a coop, you can set it up near the pigeon with a perch in it or something, and they'll usually just fly in it like it's theirs.


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## WoodWitch

geordiesmice said:


> I think some pigeon fanciers cull the pigeon anyway if it does not return to them. It is no good if you have a racing pigeon and they get lost or tired .There is a pigeon fancier lives beside me I will ask him.


Hi Geordie....

Yes, it has been suggested to me that if I can find the owner, they are likely to cull the pigeon. That's ethics I can understand I guess, but it's not what I want for this fella. I kinda fond of him him now.

He's still here by the way. He has actually flown up to an upstairs window ledge and is just sitting there, so I can't really put any cage next to him. I've put grain on the sill incase he needs to gather strength to fly away. I guess I'll see if he's still there in the morning........


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## AnnB

What's the latest news this morning - is he still with you?


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## WoodWitch

Hi AnnB....

Yes, he is still here! I think he likes me :lol:

He perched on an upstairs sill all night. I put food out there for him.
This morning, he's flown down to the garden again and is walking up and down, filling up on grain. I've also put a very big bowl of water out for him because, looking at racing pigeon internet sites, it says that they often get lost, hungry and dehydrated and just need a couple of days to gather their strength before they fly off.

I find it fascinating that the pigeon landed in _my_ garden, where grain is readily available (but hidden in the shed). If he'd landed next door on either side, they wouldn't have had great sacks of grain ready to feed him..........


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## Tinkers Mousery

my grandad used to keep racing pigeons and one got lost. try and hold some corn on your hand and see if he will land on you. if not give him a couple of days to re-couperate and he may well fly off back home.


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## WoodWitch

Here he is........
The colouring in the picture do him no justice at all......


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## AnnB

Hopefully the grain you're giving him will help his recovery. Trouble is, he won't want to leave if you treat him so well.


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## Kallan

Pretty bird!

You didn't happen to hear a thump before you found the bird? May have flown into a window.

If you keep feeding it, he may stay. Then you'll have your own pet bird! :lol: I remember raising a feral pigeon last year, tried to release it but it kept coming back. Ended up feeding it until it flew off to find a lady bird!


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## WoodWitch

Well, as it happens, the pigeon took a scare from a cat this evening and flew away.

I'm sad to see him leave. 
I became rather fond of him over the two days, but I did my part. It's up to him now. I hope he will be ok.

Now I'm just left with alot of bird poop to clean up :roll:


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## SarahY

Oh, sorry to hear that sweetie!

Sarah xxx


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## WoodWitch

He knew when he was onto a good thing...........he's back!


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## SarahY

HUZZAH!! Sensible bird  

Sarah xxx


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## laoshu

:lol: 
I love this thred. It would be lovely if he stuck around ... can you build him his own shed to live in


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## tinyfish

Hi!

I am glad he landed with you, and you were there to do all the right things! I think it may be worth catching him to check the ring number and reporting him, you can always tell them to tell the owner you are happy to keep him if they are just going to kill him, that's how I came by my first pigeon! Some owners will put birds down, but not all the time, and some are very happy to have them back.

This http://www.homingpigeons.co.uk/straypigeons.htm has all the info re. how to report. To catch him if he's not tame, I have used an upside down laundry basket in the past, propped up with a stick on one side, long string tied to stick, grain under basket, you lying in wait some distance away holding the string, pigeon goes to eat grain, pull string, pigeon caught!

Good luck!


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## The Village Mousery

haha i love this thread, i think you should call this pidgon Peter


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## Kallan

tinyfish said:


> This http://www.homingpigeons.co.uk/straypigeons.htm has all the info re. how to report. To catch him if he's not tame, I have used an upside down laundry basket in the past, propped up with a stick on one side, long string tied to stick, grain under basket, you lying in wait some distance away holding the string, pigeon goes to eat grain, pull string, pigeon caught!
> 
> Good luck!


Haha! Seriously? :lol:


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## tinyfish

Yep, works every time!


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## laoshu

Kallan said:


> tinyfish said:
> 
> 
> 
> This http://www.homingpigeons.co.uk/straypigeons.htm has all the info re. how to report. To catch him if he's not tame, I have used an upside down laundry basket in the past, propped up with a stick on one side, long string tied to stick, grain under basket, you lying in wait some distance away holding the string, pigeon goes to eat grain, pull string, pigeon caught!
> 
> Good luck!
> 
> 
> 
> Haha! Seriously? :lol:
Click to expand...

I used to do this to catch black birds in my garden just for fun! I was one of them kids that animals hated because I would have to catch and hold them, I couldnt just watch them being wild animals


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## WoodWitch

He flew away again lastnight but is back again this morning!
Third day now......

He doesn't sit in a tree or anything, just right there on the path. Gotta do something soon because my poor cat isn't allowed out anymore and the weather is nice.

I like the washing basket idea, seems like it might work. I might give that a go, but not anytime soon as I have to work till 10pm today.


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## The Village Mousery

Did you get him?


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## ccoryjohnn

Haha I think he likes you!


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## WoodWitch

No, I didn't get him.

He stayed a couple of weeks and treated the place like a hotel. Then his visits got shorter and shorter until they eventually stopped. He doesn't come now.


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