Fizz & Star are exceptional. They survived what most “released” domestic pigeons don’t.

Star and Fizz are two of many domestic pigeons constantly being left at the San Francisco Powell Street BART station as if they could just join up with the free-living pigeons & be okay. Despite the fact that they are domestic. Completely lacking in survival skills. Descended from hundreds of generations of captive-bred pigeons. King pigeon fledgling Star was bred to be meat (squab), pulled out of his parents’ nest at just 28 days old & sold at a live poultry market to someone who thought releasing him to join the city pigeons would save him from getting eaten. It didn’t, at least not entirely. Before being rescued, he was caught by a hawk who started eating him alive, injuring him badly. Star got mega-lotto lucky and survived long enough to get rescued but most don’t.

Homing pigeon Fizz, descended from a long line of snow white pigeons, was bred for use in the “dove release” business but dumped/”set free” because of her black tail. The dove release business has no use for the multicolored pigeons that occasionaly hatch, despite their efforts to breed for all white all the time, and so they cull them. Some “hard cull” and kill the unwanted birds. Some “soft cull” and give them away or “release” them (which is usually a death sentence too since they can’t survive on their own and only a very lucky minority will live long enough to be rescued). Fizz was not even four weeks old and emaciated when she too got mega-lotto lucky and was rescued along with Star.

Rescued Is a Small Word for a Long Journey

So these two youngsters, endangered by their exploiters, were (1) caught by animal rights activist Zephan Wood (while destringing the litter-entangled feet of the Powell Street BART station’s wild pigeons) and then (2) transported more than 100 miles roundtrip to Medical Center for Birds by fellow activist Rachel Ziegler where their urgent (3) medical care was (4) paid for by Palomacy’s generous donors before they were transferred, in very frail condition, to Carole Craig for (5) supportive medical foster care and from whose home they now need to be transferred into a longterm placement – (6) foster or forever. If not for Palomacy, the only option for these birds was to be taken to San Francisco’s open door shelter, Animal Care & Control, where Star and Fizz likely would have either died or been euthanized as most shelters are not yet providing avian vet care to injured birds. Shelters depend on rescue to save the birds. Palomacy is the only rescue dedicated to serving domestic pigeons and doves in the area (as well as being unique in the US) but in Northern California alone, there are hundreds of breeders and exploiters endangering many thousands of these birds every year so it is no surprise that we are so outnumbered, that we are always in need of more support, more funding, that we are always beyond full.

Their foster mum Carole, returning to Ireland in a few days, wrote this about them:

When Fizz and Star first arrived, fragile and bedraggled as they were, they reminded me of a comedy team. Here was this huge beautiful King pigeon, squeaking to beat the band, hiding behind a little white Homer, who was barely half his size. And the tiny Homer, Fizz, emaciated though she was, would step to the front and beat off all comers with her wings.

It was funny and it was beautiful. I fell in love with Fizz because of her (I hope we realize that gender assignments are provisional) courage and because she took such good care of the frightened big baby that was Star.  

He had reason to be frightened. When he was rescued by the wonderful string foot group, he was discovered to have a wound that stretched from the back of his head, down his neck to his wings.  

“Something,” said Palomacy’s Elizabeth Young when she came to meet them, “had been eating him alive.” She was right, there was no flesh over the wound, only something like two square inches of  raw, red, muscle-like tissue.  They were so young, so thin and had been through so much, Elizabeth was not certain they would make it.

However Star, the one we were both most worried about, turned out to be a trooper. He took three different medications twice a day squirted down his throat, and silver sulfadiazine smeared on to his wound without complaint. The only thing he complained about was being separated from his beloved Fizz. Although he was the first to self-feed, when the seeds were put down he would squeak and nuzzle Fizz, trying to get her to open her mouth like a parent. When Fizz hopped to one perch, Star followed. When Fizz beat her wings for exercise, Star did the same. When Fizz began to try to bathe in their drinking water, Star got wet as well. You could see him watching her out of the corner of his eyes before he too submerged his head.

Growing fast, they are both still shy. Fizz will still bat at my hand when it goes into the cage but now I can pick her up and rub her tummy. I think she likes it although as soon as she is set down she walks, rather huffily, back into the cage. Star, who still has to have cream spread on his healing back, is less trustful, but does tolerate ear rubs.

Physically, they are beautiful young birds but I feel that in their friendship, in Fizz’s protectiveness, in Star’s love of Fizz, something even more beautiful shines through.

Now you can be the lucky one.

These two beautiful, smart, brave, funny childhood sweetheart birds are ready to start their happily ever after story. They need a long term placement to transfer to as soon as possible. Dramatic Star is 9 weeks old and protective Fizz is about 8 weeks. Star, once fully recovered from his ordeal, will be a big, beautiful all white King pigeon and Fizz the Homer will be sleek and petite with a dramatic black tail to highlight her snow whiteness. We don’t know their genders for sure yet (50/50 chance we’ve guessed correctly) but time will tell. We’ll keep them together unless, as they mature, they want to break up (though they seem pretty likely to stay bonded). Rescued pigeons make amazing pets (our fosters and adopters love their birds!) and they are easy to care for indoors with the family or outside in a predator and rodent-proof aviary. These pigeons can never be released. They are dependent on people for their survival and so the joy of having them is not diminished by guilt. They can’t be free. They can be yours. Learn about caring for pet pigeons here and apply to foster or adopt here. Join our Palomacy Help Group for lots of support and answers to all your questions (pigeons can wear pants?). And you can always email Elizabeth@PigeonRescue.org.

Thank you for reading Star & Fizz’s story. Please support Palomacy’s rescues with a donation- one time or recurring- here.

March 15, 2019 Update

Fizz and Star are both doing great! They are totally healed and growing up. After a whirlwind romance with Glory, Fizz has married gentle feral Beck and they are adoptable as a couple. Don’t worry about Star though as all is well. She (?) is loving doing outreach and making lots of friends- human and avian.