I’ve been thinking a lot about pigeon aviaries and their design. There’s a bit of money in pigeon lofts and accessories – especially in the racing pigeon circle. The pigeon supply companies sell different food for the different times of the year and for the different conditions the pigeons are in (e.g. moulting, breeding, etc.), however, I have a sneaky suspicion that the seed/grain/pulse mix are pretty much the same – just add a different label and an extra charge for ‘high performance’ versus ‘maintenance’ and you can make a bit of money.

Anyway, I digress. I haven’t designed anything yet but ideas and images are in my head for the perfect pigeon loft and aviary. A while back I bought a book on pigeons that had some photos of good aviary designs but I haven’t seen anything online that has taken my fancy.

I would love to have a home with lots of land to have aviaries for pigeons and other rescue birds, and I’d love to keep donkeys, goats, pigs, dogs, cats, guinea pigs, gerbils, rats, rabbits, turkeys, ducks and chickens. Not sure how they’d all get along – we would probably have to pen off some of the area – but there’s too many animals I’d love to have (all rescue animals of course. There’s no need to buy animals when there are so many in rescue centres waiting for a good home).

Oh, there I go again, going off subject. So the perfect pigeon aviary would have to be ma-hu-sive! It would incorporate a few living trees and have a natural setting with logs, small bushes, sand pits and rock piles – all there for the pigeons to play on. And of course some low water dishes for pigeon baths (we all know how much they love to bathe!). I think the actual pigeon nesting area (pigeon loft if you will) would be in the aviary itself, seeing as the aviary would have to be quite tall to cover the trees. All this would be made possible when we win the lottery. (Fingers crossed everyone!)

I’ll have to spend an evening drawing out my ideas. That way when we do win the lottery I can start putting things into action.

In the beginning of April this year we received a young pigeon at work (I work at a wildlife rescue centre) that had been caught by a cat. The little pigeon had blood coming from her nose and a small wound on her chest, and at first we were worried she’d fade away, however, she made a full recovery!! We named her Peaches.

Here she is a week after treatment:

At first we thought we’d release Peaches but on second thought we decided against it. In general, fancy pigeons don’t do well in the wild since many have reduced preditor avoidance instincts. Many have unusual feather growth that could hinder quick flight or shorter beaks that can make it difficult for them to feed in the normal way, so it is never a good idea to release unusual fancy pigeons.

We then thought we’d rehome her, however, after I pointed out that we needed a few more females in the aviary Dora lives in, we decided to put Peaches in with the resident pigeons, hoping that Peaches is female (otherwise we would have to find her another home). … After observing the behaviour of the male pigeons towards Peaches I can say with almost 100% certainty that Peaches is female. Yay!

Horatio, our speckled single male, has been pursuing Peaches and today I saw her following him, so I think we have a new romance blossoming! I really could watch the pigeons in the aviary all day. I am obsessed I admit. I’ll try to take photos soon of the two together.

Nearly everyone has seen an ill, injured or orphaned pigeon in their life – be it in a city, town, park or a garden. There are a lot of predators, disease and harmful things out there that affect pigeons, and sometimes people don’t know what is the right thing to do when they come across a baby pigeon or an injured or ill pigeon.

First, let me just say that pigeons do not carry millions of diseases that humans can contract. That is just scaremongering, mainly from pest control companies (that are out to make money) and ignorant people (who either hate pigeons or are afraid of them). All living beings carry disease – humans included! – and some do pass on to other species, however, if everyone just used a bit of common sense, such as good hygiene measures (e.g. wash your hands after coming in from outside), then this myth that pigeons are infested with disease that will kill you and your family wouldn’t be as big of a problem as it is. You can contract disease from a dog or a cat but are they hated as much as feral pigeons? Makes little sense to me.

A pest or vermin is defined by people as any animal that is unwanted or destructive, such as rats, mice, pigeons, foxes and racoons, but this term could very well be attributed to cats, dogs, parrots and songbirds, depending on which country and area you are in. ‘Pest’ and ‘vermin’ are not synonymous with ‘disease’.

The following website supplies good points on the subject (particularly the last paragraph): Pigeons and disease

Ok, back to what to do when you come across an injured, ill or orphaned pigeon. First, after you have correctly assessed that the pigeon is indeed in need of rescuing (a broken wing or foot is pretty easy to recognise, however, read the following about Recognising a sick pigeon and Rescuing a baby pigeon), you need to safely capture it and place it in a box, cat carrier or other secure container (make sure there are air holes!). Put an old towel, cloth or tissue paper in the box so that the pigeon can grip onto something and to also keep it warm.

After you have the pigeon in a secure box and put it in a quiet place, contact your local animal rescue centre or wildlife hospital and ask if they can help. Unfortunately, some places do not treat pigeons (since they may consider them as pests) so you need to find a pigeon friendly rescue centre. The best place to find your local rescue centre is to search for it on the internet or look in a phone book. Your local vet or pet shop may also know of an animal rescue centre in the area.

You can take the rescued pigeon to a veterinary surgery, however, many will simply euthanise the bird unless you are willing to pay for its treatment and care. Ask before handing the pigeon over. Some veterinary surgeries will transfer the pigeon to a wildlife rescue centre.

Please read the information on these websites as they contain good instructions on pigeon rescue and first aid: Pigeon and Dove Rescue, Pigeon Aid UK and Pigeon Recovery.

The following link contains a list of wildlife hospitals, sanctuaries and veterinary surgeries around the world that are pigeon friendly: Matilda’s List

This website lists pigeon friendly places in the United Kingdom: Pigeon Friendly Rescue Centres in the UK

The main thing is to not panic. Find someone who can give you advice and help you and the pigeon. Hopefully you’ll feel good about rescuing a pigeon in need.

Feral pigeon caught in netting. Photo courtesy of Dave Risley.

Baby feral pigeon - few days old

2 baby feral pigeons - few weeks old

Richard’s uncle found a feral pigeon in a carpark that was unable to fly. He picked it up and called us. We collected it that evening and the next day I took it to work (a wildlife rescue centre) for care and treatment.

This is her the day after she was admitted:

10th March

At first she couldn’t lift her wings up very far and could only hop a bit off the ground. She wasn’t particularly ill (droppings fairly normal, no other symptoms). She was very tolerant of being handled and wasn’t afraid of people. She came from a town and was obviouly used to having people around. We named her Misty (a mutation from “Miss T”; the T stands for ‘Tony’ after Richard’s uncle).

Misty received medication and loving care, and two weeks after being rescued she was fit for release. Richard and I wanted her to be released where she was found, however, at the last minute this wasn’t an option so we decided to release her from our home in the hopes that she’d join the flock of pigeons that visit our garden. Here’s her release:

A few days later we recognised her in the feral pigeon flock (by her colouring and behaviour). It’s nice to see her and know she’s found a new family.