Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
A
This birdisprobably ahoming pigeon. This breed belongs tothe same species ascom-
moncitypigeons(RockPigeons),buthasbeenraisedincaptivity,soittrustsanddepends
on people. Like city pigeons, racing pigeons can be a variety of colors. Pure white hom-
ing pigeons are often raised for “dove releases,” to be let go at a wedding or other event.
All of these homing pigeons usually find their way home directly.
But sometimes a homing pigeon gets lost or exhausted on a long journey, and rarely
one gets injured. These birds often turn to strangers, as yours did, for food, water, and
shelter.
Tracking down the bird's owner can be a genuine kindness, both for the bird and the
owner. Homing pigeons never wear the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service bands used on
wild birds. You can locate the owner through the pigeon racing organization that pro-
duced the band, bylooking forthe letter code onthe band. InNorth America, most bands
haveoneofthesecodes:AU(AmericanRacingPigeonUnion),CU(CanadianRacingPi-
geon Union), IPB (Independent Pigeon Breeders), IF (International Federation of Amer-
ican Pigeon Fanciers), NBRC (National Birmingham Roller Club), or NPA (National Pi-
geon Association). These organizations' websites will give you the information you need
to find the owner.
Q What should I do if a bird crashes into my window?
A
About half of the birds that initially survive a window collision end up dying from
their injuries. They may be captured by predators while they are stunned, or succumb to
broken wing bones, bruises, and serious internal injuries. But about half do survive.
If a bird gets knocked to the ground and lands upside down, it may lie there, unable
to right itself for many minutes, and the entire time it's on the ground it's vulnerable to
predators; so the best thing is to go outside and pick it up. That may be all the attention
it needs — it may fly off instantly. If it pecks at you but can't fly away, it is probably
fairly seriously injured and should be brought to a wildlife rehabilitator immediately. If
it is rather lethargic and can't fly, it may have a minor concussion but may still be able
to perch and balance. If that's the case, place it in a nearby shrub and leave it to its own
devices.
