I had a lovely interaction with a feral pigeon whilst waiting for a train recently. I was giving him tiny bits of my seeded bread. He ended up on the seat next to me and even let me stroke his chest. I've been researching getting one or two pigeons ever since!
So a little over a month ago my girlfriend brought a little white pigeon over that her daughter found at a playground. It'd fallen from the nest, and hit something on the way down and cut her head open really badly. We took her in, and have been rearing her since before she had much of a tail to show for. She's now the most loving pet, and is finding her voice (no more baby cheeps, now she's started cooing and her cheeps are sounding more husky.) So of course I just stumbled across you last night while looking for help and info and it's been fun learning more of the behaviours she exhibits. c:
I rescued a pigeon that was elderly and too weak to fly on my balcony. I new it was only going to be a few days and it was. I got the proper food and a heat mat. She was a great pet for ten days. I now want pigeons as pets! And I wish I saw this video beforehand, not least for the name - Penny would have been Tallulah!
@@blablahguy Best of luck, and I mean it! I have had more arrivals this year and getting them back up to strength with a decent meal pays dividends. My overnight stayers have managed to depart and come back again the next day. The key bit to get right is to get them fed before they are too weak to fly, and to have some warm shelter outside (cardboard box will do, although mine has a heating pad, just in case). If you do have to feed them and they fly off weakly, then do so a couple of hours before dusk, thereby giving them enough time to fly back, tuck into some food and either fly off or stay over. Preparation is key. And that includes preparation for it going wrong, any loss of life of any sentient being comes with a heavy heart, the more you love, the harder that can be. Hence preparation, mistakes can be made (accidentally scaring off a weak pigeon) and you don't want to be blaming yourself for casualties! Whether you believe in god or not - they are all god's messengers - keep up the good work!
@@pdsnpsnldlqnop3330 well I put them in my old cat cage and. I put them in on top of the roof at late night when we first saw the pigeon it’s was soo injured it’s could not fly so we put it’s in the vet and get some medicine for him and after that the vet said the pigeon may Stay here for 7 days now 6 days to go
@@pdsnpsnldlqnop3330 also I forgot to tell you that the pigeon was bit by some *cat and some small instincts bit it’s too it’s lost some fur and the head was wounds and the legs and the back too
After my dad graduated from WWII, he raised rooftop pigeons above his mom's NYC apartment. One day, one of his birds was caught by a peregrine falcon. Though the pigeon was clearly limp and dead, its mate chased that hawk until it was out of Dad's line of sight on the horizon.
My dad rescued a baby pigeon around the time my dog died. I like to believe that my dog sent this pigeon to us from heaven because I took his death real bad and it was his way of soothing me. They are both the same white color. We’ve been taking care of this pigeon for about a year now and we really love her!
We lost our dog in november, and when that month approached in the following year, we were all in a very gloomy mood. Until a storm toppled a pigeon nest and we ended up with a little pigeon chick. Her sibling died and parents were gone as well for the duration of the storm, which took several days to calm down. We've had the Snib for a little more than 2 years now. Most passionate fighter I've ever seen.
I believe people/animals who pass send animals to help too. my friend anthony died and then a few days after i found a kitten that was dying and i took her to the vet and she had to have a procedure and get on meds. shes 2 now i still have her and i named her smidgie since that was anthony's nickname and i believe he gave her to me
There are Morning doves and Eurasian Collared doves that have chosen my house as their place, they even help keep the cats and other garden destroying pests away by dive bombing at them all. 🥰🕊️🕊️🕊️🕊️ They see me as a friend (I give them seeds and other treats at the center of the garden where it is safe) and I see them as free garden patrols. Win-win for everyone is the best.
That sounds amazing! Your very lucky to get to see them every day❤️🕊. I have friends with morning doves on their land, but the only Columbidae around my place is Tallulah 😂
When I first got my two pigeons from a shelter, the male one was chasing the female one all around my apartment and pecking at her. I thought he was being aggressive to her, but after a few months, they became mates. He was just courting her, and she finally relented! A lovely and loving couple they became.
I've always kept chickens. A wood pidgeon flopped to my back door a week ago, peeping and ineffectually flapping his wings. He let me pick him up. No eye, nose, or beak drainage, good balance, no wounds. He actually looked fully formed, except for a few little baby feathers on his neck. Well, I used a silicone boba straw to feed him baby bird food, which he did not like. We went to peas. He's a big fan. Corn not so much. Started with seeds. He can handle the small (parakeet) ones, but not regular bird sized. He won't try something unless I pop it into his crop a few times. Eating about half or more on his own, can drink from a cup after some prompting and demonstration. We had diapers for our house chicken, but again, only for outings in their stroller. My concern for this little guy is that he LOVES petting and cuddling. I'm trying to teach him to be an outside pidgeon, but I'm not sure what HE thinks about it. It was hot today, found him splayed on a sheepskin on the floor with my chihuahua (who loves birds) in front of the fan. I found that,in four days he can fly anywhere in the house he wants to be which is where I am. For a bird to be able to fly this well but not eat on his own is kind backwards. I'm going to continue to include new foods, but mostly provide them so he can get them into his crop by himself. I thought he drank water a little over-enthusiastically, so I'll watch the dish depth. Started insects tonight. I put him out on the ground to peck at tiny pebbles and such, but I'll begin to include grit as well. I wasn't exactly trying to bond him TO ME like I used to do with the chicks. Should I just begin leaving him outside in a birdhouse for a little each day?
I would keep him. He’s bonded to you. He thinks of you as his flock. His family. Too many predators out there. He will be much better off with you and happier
I’ve had a rescue pigeon for over 2 months already and he’s truly the sweetest bird. They are so quiet compared to any other bird out there, and their coos are actually so soothing. Thanks for the tips on the harness to reduce the poop problem! This has been the only downside 😅🐦❤
I just rescued a pigeon hit by a car on a busy road, and left to a gruesomely gate. I was in the right place in the right time, for a change - it was not her day to die. I expect her to make a full recovery and will return her to her home. I am sure she misses her flock.
did you train her to go somewhere specific to go to the bathroom? or pigeon pants? im just wondering how you deal with her pooping everywhere or places you dont want? im glad you rescued her tho!!
long time chicken owner moving out of home soon, id love to have a pigeon companion in the future. i have experience with aggressive males like that, handraised cockerel who was unfortunately rehomed after he became aggressive and defensive with everyone but myself, so the idea of a single male doesnt daunt me at all, i’ve always found them to have wonderful personalities. of course this is chickens, but i hope that ill be able to have a similar relationship with a pigeon friend no matter their gender. tallulah is gorgeous! her tail is wonderful!
Lifelong NYer. I never for a second considered a pigeon for a pet. I always thought they were feral. They also looked like they weren’t too bright. Fast forward to 3 months ago. My MIL finds a baby bird on the street. Brings it to me a month later. Its in poor health, its foot is curled. At that point it should have been a full grown pigeon but she didnt know it needed crop milk. I took him in, fed him eggshells, gave him D3, better seeds…he’s healed and happy and fully grown and in his first molt. He’s my boy and he loves me.
In the city I live in there's lots of pigeons everywhere. My brother in law found a severely injured one on the roof terrace and brought it to me to see if I could save it. Sadly it passed away in my hands from it's injuries and we had to bury it. I just love birds and animals and try my best to look out for and want to help them. 🥺
Sadly enough feral pigeons tend to live really hard lives, they need all the assistants they can get. It’s wonderful you’re keeping an eye out for them. Good job for trying to help, thanks to you they got to pass while warm and safe.
I just don't know why in Home Alone 2, Marv was so afraid of pigeons. Pigeons are a very radiant bird and they are not noisy and they are very loving and they are not scary. And yet Marv manages to scream like an opera singer when he has pigeons all over him
Hi your video is excellent. Let me tell you my story. I have a ringneck dove named Bilbo and a pigeon named Becka. Both of them are four years old and definitely, they've made my life much better. A few months ago, I had a problem with Becka. As always, I took her out from her cage. Let me tell you that, I happen to be a blind man, but of course, I was immediately aware that something was terribly wrong with her, because she was acting weird. And unfortunately, She ended up falling down from the roof of her cage. To shorten the story, I took her to the veterinary, and it turned out that she had a serious decalcification. We focused on healing her of her decalcification and we accomplished it. But the thing is that I disregarded the hit she suffered in her wing, when she fell. And now she's not able to fly. The veterinary said that she doesn't have any broken bone. But I don't know... She is very healthy right now, but she doesn't longer fly. I'm trying she to exercise her left wing because I spotted that she can't move it properly. I make her stretch her wing very softly, and she seems to move it much better. Hopefully, she can fly again. I can't help feeling terrible for that because if I provided her with less Grit than necessary, it would have been my fault. But my vet said that she may have problems with calcium absorption, so we're gonna try to figure it out. You have a new subscriber, your content is awesome. Next time, I'm gonna share all the beautiful experiences I have with my beloved Bilbo and Becka. Hopefully, we can sort it out this as soon as possible, because I want her to fly again. But the good news for me, is that Becka's health is perfect again. I apologize for my English and for my comment which was very long. Warm regards to you and to all people who love animals, from Quilmes Buenos Aires.
Tallulah is TOO CUTE, such a sweet and feminine-looking pidge!!!! I love this video, super informative and helpful! I have recently adopted a pigeon (she's a fantail cross with a capuchine, she has a crest similar to Tallulah's!) but she's not as docile as Tallulah. I really would love to pat her and give her scratches, but she gets very angry and bitey when I try to. I was wondering about that blue bowl that Tallulah was eating out of? Is that to prevent seeds spilling out? My pigeon (Lily) is such a messy eater, she'll toss her seeds everywhere, and I'm not sure what she is trying to dig at but every day I end up vacuuming endless amounts of seed! Thank you for this video!
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed the video and found it helpful. Congratulations on Lily! She sounds adorable. When I first adopted Tallulah she was also not tame and was terrified of humans. It took a while for me to earn her trust, which is quite common, especially with rescues. I’ll be making a video on how to build trust and bond with pigeons in the near future. The bowl is a large-dog slow feeder, it both helps reduce mess and acts as a foraging dish. There are definitely ways to help reduce mess, but there will always be some seeds spilled, they naturally flick their beak when eating as a layover from foraging in the wild, I find it’s better to work with that urge and give them forging opportunities versus trying to contain the food so effectively that they can’t/won’t do that. You’re more likely to succeed if you work with their instincts versus against them. I’ll be making a pigeon food dish/foraging/mess management video as well. Congrats again!
Yes that’s correct. Teflon is a brand name for Polytetrafluoroethylene, which when heated release toxic gases and particles that are colourless and odorless, so we have no way of knowing it’s there, but it is deadly to birds due to their highly sensitive respiratory system. Teflon can be in many things in addition to pans, other cooking equipment, hair dryers, hair straighteners, space heaters etc…. So it’s important for bird owners to make sure they have brands that don’t use it. Incense, candles, and many cleaners also release fumes/particles that can be deadly to birds.
I have 4 in a very large cage. I wasn't sure about some things and learned a lot about how to take even better care of them in this video. I would enjoy learning more about the harness in the video because I worry about mess and the ceiling fans. They escaped a few times while I was working. Chuckle... They are very sweet.
I love my dover-doo. He is my baby. And your right about the fact that he is very weird about ANY other birds coming near me. He HATES my conure. Very jelly of him.
Male pigeons sound like terrific assholes haha. I guess it makes sense because they're always chasing female birds and beating each other up. I am looking forward to raising my first pigeon pair!
They’re definitely not for everyone! Through just like with any stereotype there are exceptions, i’ve got friends with gentle, calm males and others with highly aggressive very territorial females. The individual personality and life experience definitely plays a part. That’s very exciting, I wish you luck with your new pigeons!
You would probably have a better then average chance with that combination, since the size difference isn’t to extreme, they are both dust birds, and cockatiels are notoriously more on the gentle side for a parrot. Yet it would be wise to not let them physically interact. Most pigeons are still significantly bigger then a cockatiel and if they were to wing slap one (you can look up the RU-vid video: “A pigeon and a rooster get into a fight” to see how effective those are, even against large opponents) there would be a pretty high chance of the cockatiel getting injured (pigeons are also notorious for killing smaller dove breeds, such as ringnecks, which are a tiny bit bigger then a cockatiel), and at the same time a pigeons beak is a terrible defensive weapon and many pigeons are severely injured or killed by even a tiny parrot due to the discrepancy in beak strength and sharpness. They also don’t have exactly the same behaviour and social norms which increases the chance of a miscommunication resulting in a fight. Some people do have both successfully, but preventing them from coming in contact with each other is highly recommended to say the least.
the only time i had a pigeon was for a few hours as a dehydrated juvenile. they were so docile and gentle, and didn't mind me picking them up too much. they quietly sat in my makeshift nest until they could fly again. i really want a pigeon one day!
I was quite surprised to hear that pidgeons lay eggs every month :o So... I need to ask - what do you do with the eggs (if you're not breeding them ofc) - I guess you could eat them like a chicken egg? :O
You can think of them as small chicken eggs and use them in all the same way, you can eat them or could could give them to any egg eating pets you have. Though since in the culinary world they are very rare and valuable and considered to be an exquisite delicacy or edible gemstone, it’s probably worth trying for yourself before giving them to an animal. If you look up “Ingredient: Pigeon Egg” you’ll find some interesting info, including a Michelin article on the topic. Tallulah is not laying at this time, but if she were too, I fully intend to try them.
i had a wild one once, for a few years, it was a great bird, used to karate chop my hand with this weird part of his wing i didnt know pigeons even had any offensive capabilities :O i named him tyson, cuz the motion looked a lot like a jab/cross punch boxers use lol, i never "kept" him really, it was in california and he could go any time he wanted, he just never did, i dunno why he died tbh, never looked sick, or slow, or acted hurt, he hadnt stopped eating or drinking or anything he was fine and then he was passed away. i was pretty bummed out, he used to chill out with me while i played grand theft auto 3 on play station 2 (i dunno how long they usually live for)
This is an excellent informative video. I do have a question, why shouldn't someone pick up a random pigeon on the street? They are a domesticated species living a feral life; they are not protected by wildlife laws in the US, but maybe there are laws elsewhere that protect them and I am just unaware. It seems no different than picking up a random feral cat. Is that advice tailored specifically towards new keepers (who wouldn't be prepared to deal with a bird that's potentially infected with a terrible disease, for example) or is there another reason that I'm not familiar with? I wonder this because I see many pigeons around here, and they never look like they are in good condition. Always skinny and ragged. I have raised birds before but not pigeons specifically. I think about picking a couple of the pigeons up sometimes, and maybe that way they can live a better life with medical care and good nutrition. But I don't want to do that if it will do more harm than good. Thank you for taking the time to read this and for answering if you choose to do so
I have a wild pigeon that comes in my bedroom, sleeps over night then goes back out. but lately she's not wanting to go out at all. even when yesturday I lifted her out, and she flew onto my neck lol
Hey girl I rescued two baby pigeons about 7 months ago. They are so lovely. But about a month ago I had a bad sinus infection and shortness of breath, and I'm actually currently in the hospital with pneumonia. The doctors are kinda trying to blame my pigeons even though I test negative for any of the tests that would point to bird sickness. I was wondering if you've ever heard of pigeons causing pneumonia. I love them very much and don't want to "get rid" of them. Thanks, loved your video.
I have two cockatiels and want to have a flock of pigeons in the future, thank you for this video! it's one of the most informative and easy to understand vids on the topic I've seen :) and Tallulah is absolutely beautiful!
You say feeding is easier than parrots meanwhile I just have seed mix for my parrots and give them whatever I have in a fridge be it eggs fruit or vegetables. And here you go with some supplements, certain seeds, grits, calcium. Like wtf.
I just got a pigeon from my ex. She had it for 3 years, but as you had mentioned the dust was eventually too much and effected her breathing. She had it when we were living together so it knows me, but I don't think it likes me. It shivers like its -50° and flies to the farthest corner of the room. I know it will take time for it to get used to me but are there any tips other than just being around her, feeding her, and talking? I'm terrified of scaring her too much and never liking me.
just found your channel via recommendations and i love it so much!! ive been planning on getting a pair of pigeons once i move into an appartment that allows pets for quite a while now. so far ive mainly heard of barbary doves or diamond doves as apartment pets and assumed larger pigeon breeds would need more space than an apartment can offer? but if it works for all or most breeds then that greatly increases the chance to be able to provide a home to a rescue, since most rescues ive seen so far have not been small doves. also agree strongly with the part about fancy breeds and looking forward to a video about that topic! speaking of, do you know anything about tumblers and possible health deficiencies they might have? i cant imagine those traits being bred into an animal without causing it stress or disorientation, but ive never found any info on that.
Thank you! That’s great to hear! Pigeons are actually a pretty good fit for apartments, it really helps that they are so quite. For two pigeons you’ll need a minimum of a xL or xxL dog crate. Bigger is better, especially with two so I recommend going xxL. If you can fit there cage (xxL is 54L x 37W x 45H in inches) and have a decent sized room (living rooms usually a good place) they can fly in for exercise it should work quite well. I’ll definitely be making a video on the topic. For tumblers and rollers the action is involuntarily and can be triggered mid flight, and in some birds as soon as they take off, so they are at a much greater risk of being hunted, crashing, and potentially not getting the exercise they need. I only just started researching the topic so I don’t know much beyond that at this point.
@@animalpeople880 thanks for the quick response! :D thats really good to hear, especially since i was looking to build a cage myself and wouldve tended to go with something around that size if not bigger anyway so that info is a relief! ah yes i figured itd be something like that (and ngl i did look the topic up again since asking and while the first time i had looked into it months ago i had found nothing, this time i did find info that fully matches what you said). its just such a shame that this fascinating, rare trait had been bred into such a big hazard for the bird and then gets broadcasted in competitions for the human to win.... anyway i hope you have a great day and im very much looking forwad to you next video :]
I have had a wild pigeon come to my house and stayed for almost a month he comes every morning gets his fresh food and water I’m grown quite attached to him while they typically stay if they know there is food around we have made him a little home as well is there any tips or trick suggest?
Do you find the females spend a lot of time on their eggs? I'm trying to decide whether to get a male or female and my concern with females is spending a lot of time on their eggs.
I find having a female gave me much more interaction. Many people have different experiences, at the end of the day, might depend on the personality of the pigeon. On eggs, if you get a female and she has not been sexually stimulated, she might lay at all :)
i volunteer at a wildlife rehab centre in their songbird room and we've always got rock doves and mourning doves in for treatment, and they're such a delight to work with, pigeons have always been my favourite birds :>
platforms (not a lot of a perches because of feet type) mirror harness / pigeon pants healthy seed mix (seed should be alive) vegetables fruits sprinkle a bit of oyster shell on seeds (optional) can be alone or in a flock
We actually didn't had a pet pigeon but when I was like 9-12 yrs old there was a group of pigeon probably 20-22 in number always visits our house for food we gave them the normal rice grains that we eat and pigeons eatting at you house rooftop is pretty common in India . But I was very difficult to feed them in hands the always get scared by the slightest moment though there was a female pigeon in the group we named it tumpa she was the only pigeon in the group who trusted us completely she even sometimes took a nap on our hands without a fear she was a unique one she used to eat only the boiled rice and the water in which rice was boiled but unfortunately 8 months later the was caught and killed by the trible ppl and after that day that grp of pigeon never came to visit our house
Why’s ur dove so big and fluffy??? What’s the name of this type of a dove? Where can I find one like this 😭😭😭 and how big does a cage for a dove this big have to be? Can I get two??
That’s a pretty common situation. I have two completed videos coming next, but I’m currently working on a series on earning pigeons trust and bonding that I hope will help your situation. In the meantime I recommend thinking over how fluent you are at reading there body language. It’s important for you to to have functional communication in order to make headway. If for example they tell you something is making them uncomfortable, or they ask you for something, being able to understand that and respond accordingly will make you someone they will want to be around, it will also prevent you inadvertently going to far and backtracking on the progress you have.
I saved and rescued an orphaned Pigeon a year ago, she was a chick of a feral pigeon and now she's been following me everywhere and has bonded to the point where she'd attempt to mate with me which is kinda funny, she also laid a couple of eggs but they were unfertilized.. and so far she's living healthy. But recently about a few months ago I picked up two more orphaned chicks, and this time they were a pair of siblings--apparently my Grandparents were chopping down a tree without realizing a pair of feral pigeons nested there.. so one thing led to another and I ended up with a flock of 3. And now they're capable of flight--not as well bonded with me as my first Pigeon but they'll panic when I vanish.. and they recently learned how to fly too but not too far away from me since we'll, they'll panic again pfft. So far my first bird is tolerant of the sibling pair and they would most of the time fight for space when it comes to perching on my.. but they don't have to every time because one would be on my head and two for each shoulder while I chill or work.
Thank you so much for making these vids! I’m going to put this comment on all of your vids to help boost your videos, but you’ve helped me SO much!!! It’s hard to find sound info on pigeons, and your channel has literally saved my butt when it comes to research. Again, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!
My sister found a baby pigeon outside all alone. It seem like it was trying to fly but failed. We bought it in and its been a week now. I dont teally know alot about pigeon care but it usually stays in the bathroom while im at school. What do you do if the pigeon tries to eat my hand like he would eat food from his mother
Hmm, say I want 2 pigeons, since I have school during the day, to keep each other company, but don't want any eggs since I don't want to just break them.. Am I able to keep 2 females or 2 males together without any problems? And if I was to, would a 30" cage be too small?
If you were to have a pigeon that laid you could eat the eggs when you swap them out for fakes (just treating them as a small chicken egg or look up recipes specifically for them since they are considered a delicacy) or you could feed them to any egg eating animals in your life. They don’t have to go to waist. That both would and wouldn’t work. It’s not uncommon for two females to bond, but when they do they are a mated pair and do all the same things a same sex pair do, including mating and laying eggs, only you get four a month instead of two. Some males will also bond, but it’s also not uncommon for them to fight pretty burlily. If you got two males and tried to introduce them it’s likely you’d end up with two birds that hate each other and need separate cages and out of cage time. I’d recommend only adopting an established male/male married pare that way you know they get along. In that case you wouldn’t get eggs. But heads up since it’s a bit less common for male pares then female or male/female ones it would likely be very hard to locate. 42″ wide, 27″ deep, 30″ high is the minimum size for a mated pair.
I found a young pigeon that had fallen from its nest here in Marseille. At first I thought it was dead but I touched it and it moved. I took it home, gave him some water and he perked right up. This is a big learning curve for me but so far it's a good experience, Im just wondering if he will become too dependent on me and and not be able to fend for himself when he's big enough to fly away.
what about the twisty beak bites? Many will grab your skin and twist. Pigeon dust is a huge deal and worse than any parrot. I have both and I have to use Air purifier for the pigeons they can cause COPD. You should see the seeds outside my pigeons cages. Parrot is messy but he doesn't flick his food everywhere on purpose. People with allergies can have birds as long as they keep air cleaners going. the machine will make the air cleaner than with no bird & no machine. However filters must be vacuumed every week wearing a mask.
erm some male pigeons lose their homes because they are very loud & neighbours complain. My woodies are very loud. Have to agree that cheeks, the macaw, is much louder and can pop your ears.. literally.
I have a pigon called Billie Jean I found her outside ingerd she was shot by a gun I took her in and nursed her back to helf now she is so nice I kept her and it was the best decision I ever made
❤ ooo manoknjeng boss maen sampe kekaamaeku ❤keren jeuga nurut to Hampir tak plingeteeng 😊❤ salam sahab merpati cantiknya jeng boa bisa menjadi kenyataan baik❤
I got mine from my employer, he raised it from hatchling n later on he got too busy with work. The neglected bird suddenly given care n attention almost immediately show its appreciation towards me. Its so clingy to me as if i was the one tat raised it. But wat does tat gurgling n walking around in circles actually mean? 😅
My pigeon has free run of my room, and even flys out with her wild pigeon mates if she so chooses. but to be honnest she doesn't seem to want to go out anymore and gets aggressive with other pigeons now, she sleeps on my bed, but im trying to train her to use paper for poo,
