What to do if you find a lost or injured pigeon

[Mark Stafford]

What to do if you find a lost or injured pigeon

Our lost pigeon officer can be contacted at >>> stray_pigeon_officer@pigeontalk.org.au

If you have found a pigeon or a pigeon has found you, then chances are that something has happened to it, such as, it’s injured, exhausted or just simply lost.

Many factors determine why a pigeon is injured or becomes lost. It may have had a collision with a tree or a power line, it may have been attacked by a hawk or it has just become disorientated because of hunger and dehydration.

When a pigeon becomes disorientated, especially if it is a racing pigeon, it loses many of its built-in, self-protection instincts, which is why a lost or injured pigeon becomes an easy target for hawks, cats, dogs or even cars.

Most pigeons, when they are in a disorientated or injured state, are very likely to take refuge near humans, mainly because they tend to associate humans with their home and subsequently, safety.

Domesticated pigeons do develop a certain amount of bonding with their humans and this is another reason why they posses such a strong homing instinct.

If you have caught the pigeon, that’s good for the pigeon. But if you can’t catch the pigeon, don’t worry too much! It may only need to be given some food and water for a few days, possibly for up to a week, then it should head for its home on its own accord, when feeling better.

If it is injured and you can’t catch it, it will not try to leave the relative safety of your place, because it knows that a predator or some other danger will have no problem in catching it. When a pigeon remains out, especially at night, they become very easy targets for cats.

Pigeons are very easily caught at night because they cannot see very well in the dark. Shining a torch into a pigeon’s eyes will normally dazzle it enough to catch it quickly in a landing net or by throwing a towel or sheet over it.

Pigeons are not aggressive birds and they don’t bite, scratch or peck in self-defence.

If the pigeon that you have found has a plastic coated, metal band (or life ring), on one of its legs, then it is most likely that this pigeon is a racer and there is much that can be done to help this bird and to locate its owner.

If the pigeon that you have found carries an anodised coloured aluminium ring with the text prefix of NPA, then it is a fancy or show pigeon. The contact number for the Australian National Pigeon Association is
(08)8584 1339.

The most comprehensive and up to date listing of Australian pigeon ring prefixes can be found at The National Ringlist Register - (see the list in this forum section). A search of this list will give you the contact details of the club or federation to which the pigeon is registered.

If it has no band whatsoever is on either of the pigeon’s legs, then it is either a feral pigeon or somebody’s pet, which has become lost and as such, its owner is untraceable

Although racing pigeons are well trained and prepared by their owners for training flights and racing, they occasionally become lost due to fatigue, de-hydration and disorientation. A tired, lost racing pigeon needs protection, some food, water and hopefully after a day or so of rest, it will usually have been able to recover enough to continue on its way home.

If the pigeon is injured or if it cannot or will not fly away, when you try to release it or if you would rather attempt to return the pigeon to its owner, then the band on the pigeon’s leg will help. This band was placed on the pigeon shortly after hatching, at about five days of age and it cannot be removed without cutting the pigeon’s leg off.

A racing pigeon’s life ring will carry an identification number, a year (year of hatching), a pigeon racing club prefix and it may carry a telephone number. Generally this telephone number will connect to a pigeon-racing club’s ring secretary, who will contact the pigeon’s owner and arrange for the owner to recover the bird. It is important to supply the ring secretary with the ring’s identification number.

In addition, a racing pigeon may carry another ring on its other leg.

This is either a rubber race ring or a microchip electronic scanner ring, both of which are put onto the bird for racing purposes. This ring, if it is rubber, will be taken off the leg of the pigeon when it arrives home from a race, but it is of no use for identifying the bird’s owner. The microchip ring stays on the pigeon and the pigeon is recognised by a computerised scanner when it returns to its home. It carries no printed information.

Caring for a lost bird is relatively easy, whole uncooked grains which are typically found in most kitchens will serve as emergency rations; rice, dried split peas, lentils, pearl barley, un-popped popcorn, sesame seeds are all alright to give a pigeon. Canary and budgie food is okay to give to.

When giving a pigeon food, they must also have access to water. You’ll need a small bowl of water (a margarine container is ideal). A good way to help the pigeon to see the water is by initially splashing some water in the bowl.

The pigeon can be housed temporarily in any container that a dog or cat can't break into. An old bird cage will hold the pigeon for a day or so with no problem, as will a cardboard box - a wire screen on top of such a box is better than simply closing the flaps, because there needs to be enough light for the bird to see to eat and drink. A floor of straw or newspaper sheets (something absorbent) will be really nice for the pigeon

Place the pigeon in a secure, quiet place away from people, other birds and animals, especially cats.

If the bird is not badly injured or sick, it will eat and drink and rest while recovering its strength and can subsequently be released if no owner can be located, or alternately, sometimes can be tamed (especially young ones) and they make great pets.

If the pigeon you have is un-banded (and there is no way to trace the owner), or, if after searching and not finding the owner, you decide you'd like to keep the pigeon as a pet, by all means do so. Pigeons make fun pets. Many will become extremely attached to you - and you to them. More information about how to care for pigeons can be found in this forum board.

You can obtain further information about what to do with an un-banded pigeon from your local R.S.P.C.A. office or the nearest animal shelter; the contact details for which can be found in the local white pages telephone directory.

If you require more help, then please email us at >>> stray_pigeon_officer@pigeontalk.org.au and our lost pigeon officer will contact you by return.