◦Safeway Manager calls Jill: “There’s a pigeon running wild in the parking lot!”
Jill texts kiersten: “Hey. Domestic pigeon at Safeway Livermore needs rescuing. Can you help?”
kiersten tells her team she’s going out for an extended lunch meeting and heads to a busy Safeway parking lot
Introducing the artful dodger
First Attempt
– kiersten arrives armed with a cage, a large towel, seed, and a growling stomach;
– The agile, artful dodger was a black and white German Owl Pigeon with a two-week Safeway Evasion Course under his plumage. Two hours in, “The Little” continues to evade capture, darting under cars and around shoppers exiting the store; eventually, it flew around the building and disappeared;
– The Little won the round, and Safeway shoppers aged me a few years, but this wasn’t over.
Challenges:
Too many people were trying to help, causing it to fly off and return repeatedly. I needed another pidge person with me since scurrying under parked cars in a busy shopping center was his skill.
Outcome:
Shoppers and the Safeway Manager were educated about Palomacy’s mission, so Attempt 1 wasn’t a complete wingfu.
Lessons of the day:
Add a net to your kit, bring a flask, a friend, an abundance of patience, and always keep the Elizabeth mantra in the forefront of your mind: YOU ARE AMBASSADORS OF TRICKLE-UP COMPASSION, so…
Lowe and behold, it’s a funny looking bird in the rafters
Here birdie birdie birdie
– Lowe’s employees point out the funny-looking bird in the rafters near the lumber entrance. Here birdie birdie birdie…nope, he stretches and takes off toward Safeway; we pack up the gear, jump in the van, and head for Safeway;
– Safeway shoppers gather as the puddle jumping begins
– Back-and-forth negotiations ensue for more than an hour between Lowe’s and Safeway parking lots with a non-caffeinated friend as he flits and flirts;
– Is this Mission Impossible? Will I be one friend short after this? Come on, you scruffy, scrappy little weasel, aren’t you hungry!
Q: How do you coax a funny-looking little pigeon into a cage who moved more like a bull?
A: Take a swig, towels up, string in hand, cage door set, seed trail laid, SUCCESS!
No more greasy water or dodging cars, carts, and feet
– Next, a warm home, spa music, a degreasing bath, food, clean water, and a health check for Punky, and Birthday Margaritas for kiersten.
Punky rests safely in cage looking out onto foliage
Punky is very tired and a little cleaner
His feathers still have greasy remnants of the parking lot
Punky’s Air-BnB for the night
The next day, Punky was picked up and transported a couple of hours away to Jillville for intake. I already had a flock of four and was getting ready to embark on a cross-country trip, so I could not foster him, but he left indelible marks on me: parking-lot grease from his feathers and others on my heart, so weeks later, I told Jill I would be interested in adopting him upon my cross-country return, only to learn a month later that he coupled with a scrappy she-bird at Jillville, “Shrimp” is her name. She is a very small roller with no problem wrangling Punky’s spit-fire, and they adore each other.
This one little bird touched more than 50 humans in a day, got me out of bed before 7 a.m. in the rain, no less, and his antics resulted in educating the public further and providing a safe home for two more pidges instead of one.
The newlyweds arrive at Pooville
Honeymooning at the shore
Punky and Shrimp in new digs
Spa day
No more parking lots
The Littles: Shrimp and Punky
kiersten incognito from social media Paparazzi
This community is truly incredible; it’s a rare coalition, and together, we are far-reaching.
I could share thousands of stories of birds and their humans, but I’ll leave that to the Palomacy calendars and Facebook group. When we extend a helping hand to a pigeon or dove in need, we spark ripples of change that reach far beyond one life, inspiring hope and humanity in ways we might never fully see, and sometimes, we show up on social media wearing our PJs and looking insane in random parking lots.
This is a story about Cosmo, he’s a king pigeon that I found near my office. I decided to go feed the pigeons by the beach during my lunch break and I was enjoying my time when I noticed a white pigeon emerge from the rocks. He seemed extremely unsure. He was dirty and frail. I knew something was off when all the pigeons took off due to being scared and he kinda just waddled away. When I got closer, it didn’t seem like he could fly so I picked him up. He was extremely scared but calmed down when I put him in the car with the heater. He was timid and seemed extremely confused. I brought him to my mom’s house because I needed to go back to work. I had an old parrot cage to park him in for a while until I finished my work. I texted my little brother (he’s 15) that there was a pigeon in his bedroom and asked if he could check on him when getting home. He happily accepted and when he came home he asked what he should do next. I told him the bird needs a bath, so he gave the bird a bath in the sink. He came out looking so clean.
My little sister (age 10) came in after a while and helped dry the bird. That’s when my brother noticed the wound where the bird’s armpit was, covered in feathers it was semi hidden but the hole was the size of a quarter.
I asked him if he could gently clean up all the seeds and gunk stuck to his open wound and to let him rest after the cleaning. I came home about two hours later to find my sister snuggled up with Cosmo in a chair.
I then took him to my house in Castro Valley and got him situated in a small bird cage. I didn’t want him moving too much so the cage was pretty small. He rested for the night and by morning I checked on him. He was relaxing and he was probably exhausted. I went to work and when I came back I washed him with dawn dish soap and really cleaned out the wound. I knew he wouldn’t last much longer because of the crop tear so I called the pigeon rescue Palomacy. I’ve known about this rescue since I was 11 and I’m now 19. I love pigeons with all my heart and I knew they would help. They explained that the crop tear was very extensive and needed surgery ASAP and they set me up with an appointment at an avian bird vet they said would be able to help him. Me and my boyfriend drove an hour and a half to Medical Center for Birds and dropped Cosmo off. Palomacy’s donors made his $1,265 medical care possible.
They said its a crop tear in an awkward spot but they could fix it, they also said he had an ulcer in his eye. They told me Palomacy’s Care Director Jill would be the person of contact and she’d be in touch with me. After three or four days with no info, I got a text from Jill and she said “I didn’t know Cosmo was a baby!” I won’t lie, I started tearing up learning he was ok.
Jill said she took him home. He had some pain meds and eye drops that needed to be given to him twice a day. I came to Jill’s house and she showed me what to do. Her life seemed so beautiful. I took Cosmo home and got him situated in a temporary medium size cage as his stitches needed to heal.
When he started getting his energy back you could really see the fire in him. Though he’s still nervous about people and hands, I completely understand. He freely flys around my house now and follows me and watches me cook (from a safe distance). He’s an amazing companion and his favorite place to rest is on top of the ceiling fan. (It’s never turned on dont worry). His story is definitely something amazing and I’m glad I could give this bird a good home.
Jazmine
Hi I’m Jazmine Hernandez. I’m 19 years old and have always been fond of birds since my childhood. I love all animals and will always do my best to save them all. Small or big they deserve a chance!
November 18, 2024
by Elizabeth Comments Off on Pigeon on a Shelf Holiday Auction 2024
Palomacy volunteer Heather Hamilton writes, First, I want to express heartfelt gratitude on behalf of myself, Palomacy, and each and every bird whose life was saved and enriched by the work of Palomacy Pigeon and Dove Adoptions. Palomacy’s life-saving organization is sustained by supporters like you, and we cannot thank you enough for supporting our mission caring for pigeons and doves.
Today, I am reaching out to you, once again, sincerely asking you to consider donating another treasure (or two!) for our upcoming online auction fundraiser, Pigeon on a Shelf. Bidding starts Friday December 6 at 12:00 noon PST and runs through Friday December 13 at 6 pm PST.
Please use this link to add your item to the catalog (or go to Donate Item in the auction menu at ). As we receive your Donate Item forms, we’ll be adding descriptions and photos to the auction website until the bidding starts on December 6. Bidders will be able to view your item(s) in the auction catalog before the bidding begins.
Please note, for efficiency, we ask our donors to hold on to their donated treasure(s) until the winning bid is declared on 12/13, and then ship directly to the winning bidder (with labels from Palomacy and postage paid by the winning bidder).
Our summer auction held in honor of National Pigeon Appreciation Day raised $7,785.26, thanks to 74 donated treasures from our amazing donors (YOU!) Our fundraising goal for Palomacy’s Pigeon on a Shelf Holiday Auction 2024 is to raise $7,786! The money we raise through this auction, like all the donations we receive, goes directly to the pigeons and doves we serve.
For any questions related to donations, please contact me at heather.m.hamilton19@gmail.comor by phone at (415) 595-1837.
With Sincere Appreciation,
Heather, Palomacy Volunteer
November 18, 2024
by Elizabeth Comments Off on Bluesky & Leroy Jenkins
On 11/8/24, I received this message:
Good morning. I recently joined Bluesky which is a very welcoming and kind version of Twitter, similar to how Twitter works. I saw several animal rescues over at Bluesky and thought of Palomacy. Just thought you might like to check it out to get more exposure for the rescue. Believe it or not, 10 years ago this week I emailed you the first time for help with a self-rescuing pigeon that I named Leroy Jenkins. He is doing wonderfully well and still delights us everyday. Cathy
I loved getting an update on Leroy (see his original story here) and have signed Palomacy up for Bluesky (@palomacy.bsky.social). Thank you, Cathy and Leroy!
Leroy Jenkins
Cathy Webb lives in North Texas with her very tolerant husband who immediately fell in love with Leroy and a shelter dog named Bailey. She has had birds all of my life but Leroy is their first pigeon.
October 30, 2024
by Elizabeth Comments Off on Palomacy’s 2025 Calendar is Here!
Palomacy 2025 Calendar Cover Photo: Will Feral by Adrienne
Palomacy is honored to present our 2025 Wall Calendar! Much has changed since the first issue was published in 2013- our name from MickaCoo to Palomacy; our team has tripled in size from one to three; the birds showcased and the photographers contributing have changed over the years; our look has shifted from colorful to elegant; the graphic design from primitive to sophisticated; but our cause has never wavered- to inspire life-saving help for pigeons and doves.
MickaCoo 2013 Calendar Cover Photo: Yuzu by Elizabeth Y
2015 Palomacy Calendar Pages
Palomacy 2020 Calendar Cover by JZ
Is there anyone out there (besides me) who has all 13 years? What an epic collection of beauty and understanding! Such a huge flock of beloved bird faces photographed and their stories shared, celebrated, honored. But that’s enough looking back, here’s to the future. Palomacy wishes you and yours a truly wonderful 2025.
Congratulations to the photographers whose images were selected, with great difficulty, from among 336 submissions.
January: Sardine & Valentino by Adrienne
February: Mariposa by NJ
March: Turkey by Jenna
April: Breeze & Mackenzie by Elizabeth
May: Macaroni by Ruth
June: Pickles by Dion
July: Rango by Cynthia
August: FP by Robert
September: Lewis by Lauren
October: Abby by Heather
November: Rigor Mortis by Kathryn
December: Heihei by Adrienne
Thank you all for helping us to help birds every day of the year. Palomacy can’t save birds without you! Your support in so many ways- entering our yearly photo contest and buying and sharing our annual calendars; volunteering for outreaches, aviary care, transport, rescues, fostering, data management, story writing and so much more, contributes to every life we save. Our Phone Team assists hundreds of callers every month. Our Facebook Help Group will assist more than 35K members this year alone. Our fosters have 260 rescued birds in their care today and our adopters, stretching all the way back to our start in 2007, have provided safe, loving forever homes for thousands of pigeons and doves who otherwise would have died. Your support absolutely makes the critical difference.
And special thanks to our brilliant calendar volunteers Heather Hohlowski and JZ and to me.
You can order your 2025 Calendars, both this 12 page Wall version and the 365 day Virtual subscription here.
October 11, 2024
by Elizabeth Comments Off on Pigeons Deserve Better! Trust me. I fed one.
Pigeons: we know them, but do we love them? Historically, yes. Currently, no. In the 21st century, pigeons are colloquially referred to as “the rats of the sky,” “trash birds” and, most fondly, “damn nuisances.” Sitting on a park bench in the heart of Rome this summer, I found myself unable to look away from the small, gray birds that sat mere feet away from me, ruffling their feathers in the rain and looking for their next snack.
I once heard that Rome was one of the dirtiest cities in the world, and I was inclined to agree as I wandered; it didn’t strike me as odd that its most frequent fliers, the birds in front of me, littered the streets — dirty city, dirty birds. Feeling particularly emotional and somewhat romantic in the light August mist, I couldn’t help but wonder how the useful carrier pigeon was reduced to what we know them as today: filthy little aves.
Exploited for centuries for their magnetoreception — their ability to sense earth’s magnetic field — pigeons were once treasured as couriers. They were used to deliver messages and warnings on battlefields, and they soon became representative of increasing globalization as early as 3,000 B.C.E.
Pigeons were used in both World Wars to aid communicative efforts; they were taken to one side of a battlefield and then released back to their home coop on the opposite side, delivering potentially life-saving news. Their efforts earned them the unyielding admiration. And, captured in paintings throughout the years, most notably by Picasso, pigeons were once thought to be symbols of peace, tranquility and unity.
In an interview with The Michigan Daily, Elizabeth Young, director of the “Palomacy Pigeon & Dove Adoptions” rehabilitation center, detailed the way pigeons exist in the modern world.
“(Pigeons are) victims of their own success.” Young said. “(Pigeons) have managed to survive in our human world. And even though they are always on the verge of starvation, they’re repopulating, you know, they’re hardy.”
Because of their resilience, pigeons became nuisances once society no longer had use for them. It wasn’t that a singular pigeon committed some horrible, unforgivable act against a human and we never forgave them. No, it’s that in the wake of our advancement as a species, we left pigeons behind.
Much of the contempt that we feel towards pigeons has come from the idea that they are dirty. We see them walking the city streets, click-clacking their way through life with their dull coats and beady eyes, and we call them vectors for disease — an idea that has become entrenched in our cultural consciousness.
The last time someone contracted a fatal disease from a pigeon was in December of 2023. The disease, pigeon avian paramyxovirus-1, is a viral infection that is typically spread by pigeons to pigeons. It is unlikely that humans can contract this specific strain of paramyxovirus, but when they do, it typically causes, at most, mild conjuctivitis. In this case, though, a 2-year-old toddler suffered fatal neurological symptoms, continuing to reinforce the idea of the malevolent pigeon. However, according to the volunteered-based rescue organization, Greenwich Wildlife Network, what we conveniently leave out is that other diseases, such as salmonella and psittacosis are only spread by pigeons, or any wild bird, roughly 0.2% of the time — meaning that 99.8% of salmonella and psittacosis outbreaks are not pigeon-related in origin. And, believe it or not, pigeons are oftentimes not carriers of avian influenza, or otherwise known as the infamous “bird flu.”
I wanted to know more about the true nature of pigeons, and not just what the zeitgeist has claimed to be universally correct. I joined a Facebook group titled “The Michigan Pigeon Club” and searched for answers there. I yearned to know how pigeons got such a bad reputation, and I wanted to know why we hated them so much. What better place to learn the answers to these pressing questions than from the pigeon enthusiasts of my state? Pigeons really couldn’t be all that bad, could they? I mean, if you look at them from the right angles, sometimes they might even be cute.
I got an overwhelming amount of responses, and more than half of them directed me to Stassia Fulmer, the owner of Stassia’s Pigeon Pants Shop. Before I even begin to unpack Stassia’s take on pigeon pants, it’s worth mentioning that she is the go-to pigeon rescue and rehabilitation expert in eastern Michigan. To answer my questions, I took a trip out to Jackson to see her pigeons, and hear what she had to say about these birds.
Fulmer’s pigeons sit and fly in their pen in Jackson Monday, Sept. 30. Riley Nieboer/Daily.
Upon my arrival, Fulmer brought me straight back to her pigeon pen, which was carefully constructed to ward off potential predators. There had to have been at least 15 pigeons in there. She had named them all. Between holding Midge, one of her birds, and explaining how she got to be the foremost pigeon rescuer on the east side, I realized that I really didn’t know anything about pigeons at all. With the birds flapping about the enclosure and cooing their way into my heart, I listened as Fulmer told me about her first pigeon, Fran.
“So my first pigeon, Fran, she became bonded to me to the point where she would cuddle me. She was like a dog,” Fulmer said. “When I came home, she was excited to see me, to follow me around everywhere. She had a little nest next to me in my bed, … but that’s not abnormal, actually.”
I could not believe my ears. Pigeons … as pets? When I think of what a typical pet looks like, I picture my own cat, curled up in my lap or dozing in the mid-afternoon sun. One typically thinks of a furry, mammalian companion as the best and most customary pet, but I knew that Fulmer’s love for her birds was real, and that these critters loved her right back, just like any good pet would.
Throughout our interview, Fulmer apologized continuously about the state of the pigeons’ feathers, explaining how a couple of her birds were a little under the weather (pigeon feathers can dull when they don’t feel well, apparently). I marveled at her affectionate fussing. I, personally, had never seen a pigeon look better, but Fulmer cooed nonetheless.
You hear stories about people rescuing the underdog shelter animal: the mangy, skinny dog or the feline missing an ear. You don’t often hear about rescuing the real underdog, or should I say underbird: pigeons. Historically, this species has been through hell and back, but there I stood, watching a pigeon, against all odds, cuddle with a woman who had given it a chance.
I felt all of my biases against the birds slip away; I wanted to cuddle with a pigeon now. I almost asked her where I might acquire one of these guys. Which, actually, isn’t all that hard to do.
White pigeons, sometimes indistinguishable from doves, are released and then rescued quite often in the Ann Arbor area, Fulmer told me. She explained that a lot of the rescues she gets notified of are birds that were used for ceremonial purposes on wedding days. Unfortunately, the newly betrothed typically don’t think about the fact that they’re releasing domesticated animals, like trained pigeons, into the wild — unable to survive.
Fulmer’s pigeons sit upon wooden boxes in their pen in Jackson Monday, Sept. 30. Riley Nieboer/Daily.
One of Fulmer’s pigeons sits on a makeshift branch in the pigeon pen in Jackson Monday, Sept. 30. Riley Nieboer/Daily.
In light of these malpractices, Fulmer told me about her own efforts to keep pigeons safe and happy while I crouched down to feed the bravest of her flock who dared to nibble from my palm.
“I’ve rehomed several pigeons in our area. Someone finds one and they’re like, ‘I don’t know what to do with it.’ I’ll take it off your hands and I will help you get it to the next home. I’ve done that several times,” Fulmer said.
Fran, Fulmer’s first rescue pigeon, was actually a wedding release. According to Palomacy, the “dove release” industry is surprisingly harmful. Even under the best circumstances, these trained doves and pigeons are hurt, lost and killed. Not many, if any at all, will survive.
Carelessly releasing these domesticated feathered friends has created the need for pigeon rescue groups. Dedicated individuals like Fulmer and her one-woman show, and rescue nonprofits like Palomacy, are constantly working towards educating the population and breaking down stereotypes that perpetuate pigeon vileness.
October 3, 2024
by Elizabeth Comments Off on Honoring Hero Heather Ho(lowski)
Friends of Palomacy know that it takes an incredibly dedicated, generous flock of volunteers to do all the rescuing, healing, rehoming, educating, coaching and caring that we do to help so many birds! There are lots of superheroes in our flock, and then there are a few extra, extra-super volunteers who go even further above and beyond!
Inspired to up the matching fund amount? Email Elizabeth@pigeonrescue.org
A generous anonymous donor has pledged $5,000 towards a matching campaign to honor our hero Heather Hohlowski!
Between now and October 26th, our appreciative anonymous donor will 100% match every donation, up to a total of $5000, made to this link to honor Heather.
Whether you know Heather personally or not, if you know Palomacy, you have been supported by her many incredible contributions. (She has been with us from the very beginning, 17 years ago!) Do you love our logo? Heather created it! And our MickaCoo logo before that.
Is your heart warmed when volunteers foster abandoned pigeons waiting for their forever homes? When rescued birds are lovingly cared for every single day, fed and watered, their aviaries cleaned, their conditions monitored, their injuries treated and medications administered (not to mention the 65 miles each way trips to the vet!), and supported in every way all the way to their forever home? Heather has been doing all of that for years for her own fostered pigeons as well as a couple of years for our communal flock at Ploughshares aviary in Alameda. (And she created How to Welcome Pigeons Into Your Life AND our Ploughshares handbooks too.)
Do you appreciate having aviaries built to house birds in need? Heather has designed, funded, and/or built at least four that I can recall off the top of my head. And created this comprehensive guide for us: How We Built Our Aviary!
Heather does SO MUCH for the birds and people of Palomacy! She does outreach! She does graphic design and social media! She speaks out against pigeon racing with stories like A Pigeon’s Tale. Heather goes out to rescue birds in trouble, transports them to helpers, screens their potential adopters… and so much more! She paints custom portraits and donates the proceeds to support Palomacy! Heather is actually one of our most generous donors and she has kept us out of the red more times than I like to remember. Heather herself led a matching campaign to honor her best friend of 32 years Jim Stone.
Are you one of the many supporters who have ordered Palomacy calendars? Chances are, Heather packed, shipped and donated postage to get yours to you!
Or are you one of many fans in love with Palomacy’s 365 Page Bird-A-Day Desk calendars? HEATHER CREATED THEM! She researched, sourced, negotiated, designed, edited, produced and funded every page of every one!!! Heather’s incredible investment of so many hours, dollars, and brain cells has enabled Palomacy to share the beauty of pigeons and doves, to tell their stories and to delight our supporters around the world every day!
So please, donate in honor of amazing Heather and let’s show her our love and heartfelt gratitude!
This is Brad and Madeline Mardelle’s story. Pictures help to tell their relationship and life during their time with me.
On August 11, 2020, I received a text from the Bradshaw Animal Shelter with a picture of a very cute pigeon. It said he was injured and needed immediate veterinary care. I stopped by the animal shelter on my way to an appointment at Medical Center for Birds (MCFB) for a foster pigeon, Olivia. The condition of this pigeon was shocking. I couldn’t tell what the debris was that was stuck to his nose and beak and wondered how he could breath. I tried to remove the debris. It wouldn’t loosen, and I feared I would hurt him. He had a band that indicated he hatched in 2009. I called my avian veterinarian, but she couldn’t see him for a couple of days. I called MCFB, and they were booked too. They instructed me to drop him off when I arrived for Olivia, and they would get to him when they had a chance. When Dr. Rachel Baden saw his condition, she dropped everything and gave him immediate attention. They asked what his name was, and Bradshaw Animal Shelter came to mind, so he became Brad. Brad’s eye was saved from the ruptured cornea, but he was blind. It didn’t seem to bother him at all.
On March 26, 2021, a neighbor captured and brought to me a Homing Pigeon that had been hanging around their home. They named him Danny. At first I thought Danny was a hen because Brad was very interested in him. But DNA proved Danny was male. Every morning when Brad’s crate was opened he would fly to the floor. His feathered feet made a shuffle sound as he traveled from the family room, through the kitchen to the dining room and flew to Danny’s crate. He would spend all his time with Danny only leaving to eat and drink in his own crate. I eventually moved his crate to be next to Danny.
Since Danny was male, I started thinking about Brad’s behavior. I was treating him as a handicapped pigeon due to his eye, tiny beak, and age. However, it was demonstrated he wanted the company of another pigeon. He had been living in a room with two hookbills and an imprinted pigeon. I contacted Palomacy to see if we could be put on a list for a short-beaked pigeon. We were in luck.
On April 2, 2021, an injured pigeon at Oakland Animal Services was picked up. She was named Mad Maple because she hated her injuries being treated. She was missing her tail and right wing feathers along with an injury above her tail.
On April 30, 2021, she was ready to come home and meet Brad. Also, picked up was a rescued feral, Tess, to hook up with Brad’s best buddy, Danny.
Mad Maple’s name was changed to Madeline Mardelle after a dear friend. We still called her Maddie. It was a concern that no female pigeon would be interested in Brad due to his short beak. Madeline Mardelle was definitely more interested in Danny. A drape was placed so she could only see Brad. To hook up pigeons, crates are placed next to each other with a nest basket or box in the male’s crate. It usually makes the male irresistible. For Brad and Madeline Mardelle this was no different. On May 16, 2021, they were married.
Madeline Mardelle in June 2021
Madeline Mardelle in October 2021
Brad and Madeline Mardelle, November 2021, exploring
A favorite picture of Brad, November 2021
Madeline Mardelle being protective of Brad
Twice a day or more, Brad’s nostrils and mouth were checked for debris. His beak was so small that he would inhale seed up his nostrils when he ate. He was always monitored for sinus infections.
Madeline Mardelle wanted to know if we were almost done.
Brad and Madeline Mardelle found clean nest baskets on the table
During dusting chores, Brad found the stacked logs
Madeline Mardelle and Brad visiting paralyzed Frank
Bath time
Madeline Mardelle just hanging out
Brad and Madeline Mardelle and friends attending an outreach event
At outreach events, Madeline Mardelle was Xena and Brad was Captain America
Madeline Mardelle and Brad sunbathing
Brad loved sunbathing at the slider
Madeline Mardelle came to visit
Madeline Mardelle and Brad were always up for an adventure
Occasionally Madeline Mardelle would get poop balls attached to her under-fluffies. This was right after I removed them which is a bit intrusive to her privacy. She flew to my shoulder as if to say thanks.
Madeline Mardelle and Marian, my imprinted feral wife.
Another welcomed visit by Madeline Mardelle
Madeline Mardelle visiting Travis, a houseguest
Brad and Madeline Mardelle visiting a houseguest, Steve. This is not typical pigeon behavior. Sometimes males oppose their wives social calls to other pigeons. Brad allowed Madeline to be a very liberated pigeon hen. She had her best life with Brad.
More visiting by Brad, this time with Frank and Steve
Ten days before Brad passed away, Madeline Mardelle started picking on him, injuring the eyelid on his blind side. She probably wanted him to go on adventures with her as usual, but he didn’t feel good. After this, they were separated in side by side crates. Lab work indicated pancreatitis. Unfortunately, the lab work also indicated he had kidney failure issues too. This is not unusual for a pigeon 14 years old. The medication to treat the pancreatitis was an additional strain to his kidneys. Considering his age, pancreatic cancer is probably what took his life. We lost our dear, beloved Brad on March 3, 2023.
After Brad died, Madeline Mardelle waited in Brad’s crate for two days for his return. When that didn’t happen, she started courting me. This is when I found out Madeline Mardelle preferred being called Madeline Mardelle, not Maddie. Unfortunately, Marian, my imprinted wife, would attack Madeline Mardelle.
Madeline Mardelle courting me
The decision was made to find a new mate for Madeline Mardelle. She visited an aviary full of eligible bachelors. She immediately was attracted to Kenji, an Old German Magpie pigeon.
On March 24, 2023, Kenji and Madeline Mardelle were married. It was wonderful watching her show Kenji the expectations in the house. It wasn’t wonderful that Kenji would not allow her to go on adventures with him. She assumed her new role without complaint and was a dutiful pigeon wife to Kenji.
A year later, April 2024, Madeline Mardelle seemed to have trouble flying. This was strange since she was only 6 years old. She was given a daily dose of glucosamine. It worked like magic. When I gave her the glucosamine on May 10, 2024, she was acting odd. I took her into the house where she just went limp and died in my hands. She was placed back into their nestbox for Kenji to realize she was gone. Madeline Mardelle had an abnormal ovary. She had a three inch ovarian cyst along with cysts in each of the egg follicles.
It is comforting to think Brad and Madeline Mardelle are together again for eternity. They travel happily on endless adventures bringing joy to all the souls they encounter.
Patti Delaney is a long-time bird lover. In 1992, she met and purchased a 5-year old Umbrella Cockatoo, Lacy. Wanting to learn more about bird care, she became a member of the Capitol City Bird Society. When Lacy died unexpectedly in 2009, she found and adopted an Umbrella Cockatoo, Georgi, from the bird rescue, Mickaboo. This is when she met Elizabeth Young with Palomacy (previously MickaCoo) and became knowledgeable and passionate about stopping the exploitation of domestic pigeons and doves.
September 27, 2024
by Elizabeth Comments Off on Donovan
On September 2nd, we lost our beloved Donovan and I want to (share a little bit) of his story.
Donovan first arrived at my home in July 2020. Jill McMurchy had spent much effort persuading his owner to surrender him to Palomacy, as he had been living outdoors in a dilapidated aviary for some 26 years, and I believe completely alone for the last nine. Alone outside for years. I lost my phone from that time, and I’m grateful that I no longer have the pictures of that aviary, although I’m sad to say that I have seen much worse.
Handsome and charming, Dono was adopted to a wonderful woman who wanted him as a companion for her elderly dove. I don’t know much about his time in his adoptive home other than they loved Donovan very much but in 2023 his owner developed HP, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and to protect her health, all her birds needed to find new homes.
Of course, I welcomed Dono back into my flock of elderly and disabled doves. When he arrived, I was shocked at his appearance, his weight, and his general health. But at age 29, what do we expect and what is the goal? In general, the life expectancy of a domestic dove is 12-15 years. Twenty-nine years is not what we expect, and for all our friends and family, the most important thing is quality of life and comfort. After a couple of days of Dono not eating or pooping, I made the difficult decision to tube feed him. The decision was not made lightly, and I consulted with my dear friend and dove expert Ashley Dietrich every step of the way. Thankfully, Dono tolerated the tube feed, and after a couple of days, he started to perk up and take notice of his oddball flock: Stella Marie, Rory, Larry Bird, Scoop, Atom…then he began to interact with them. And then one morning, I tube fed him, and he looked me squarely in the eye (with his one sighted eye) and regurgitated the entire feed back onto the ground. I knew he was letting me know he didn’t want to be fed any more, but I wanted to be certain, so I tube fed him one last time that same evening and he did the exact same thing, and I promised him I would never ever tube feed him again.
Donovan 2024
I prepared for him to pass, but instead, he started to eat by himself. He started to interact more and more with his new flock. This elderly bird was blind in his right eye, could not fly, weighed about 110 grams, and despite being the frailest of birds, became the flock’s much loved and informal leader. Definitely not large, but very much in charge.
Dono served water
Every single day since then has been a bonus day with Donovan. You do not have a 29-year-old dove without being mentally prepared for him to pass at any time. But his life was full. He was too frail to be in the big daviary, but he loved being out in the sun, so I would take Dono and Stella out for supervised time in a small cage, now known as Moe’s, to be sure they had some sun time. I discovered that Donovan loved to perch on a rope, so I took a little holding cage and had it always available on the ground so that Dono could go in and perch when it was out-of-cage time. I noticed that all his friends would go in and hang out with him and started calling the little cage Moe’s. Donovan loved to take a little nap in Moe’s, then spend as much time as he could tolerate on the window ledge. Then he would go into Bill’s enclosure and eat all of Bill’s safflower, then he would do a little bit of wing flaps for exercise, then return to Moe’s for another nap. Repeat. I discovered recently that Dono loved millet sprays but NOT the brown ones, only the super fresh yellow ones, so I bought a huge bag from the feed store in Willow Glen and provided them to him every day. His auntie Adrienne Ruork got me hooked on bird cameras last year so I was able to check in on Donovan at any time, day or night, and honestly, those cameras gave me insight into more than I could have imagined.
Outside
The thing about being elderly and disabled is that it happens to all living beings who are lucky enough to become elderly. We accommodate these gifts of aging for ourselves- we wear glasses and hearing aids and use canes or hiking poles, and part of what I try to do to accommodate these gifts of aging for my foster birds, too. Mostly I determine what these birds want or need by watching them, communicating with other dove and pigeon caregivers and veterinarians and extrapolating from my experience with people. It’s not always easy to figure things out, but I want to believe that Donovan had an amazing extra year here with his flock. He had a very close relationship with Stella and went through a deep grieving process when she died. Afterwards, he developed a very close relationship with Larry Bird and then with Eleventy (Topaz). Larry Bird was beside Donovan all night long the night before he died, and I am forever amazed and moved by their staunch love for each other.
I love this picture.
BFFs Larry Bird and Donovan, August 2024.
Donovan had whatever he wanted. He had a great sense of humor and he didn’t tolerate any nonsense from his peers. He was pretty blind near the end and would walk all over his friends and they never, ever corrected him. When he held court in Moe’s, literally all the birds would gravitate towards him. I would step into the bird room and all the birds would be jammed into tiny Moe’s to be with him. It was hilarious to see, and it was all due to the magic of Donovan who had amazing energy and magnetism that I can only partially understand as a human.
Moe’s.
Larry, Dono, and Eleventy. July 2024.
Larry Bird and Donovan, September 1, 2024.
Donovan, September 2, 2024.
I knew that Dono was winding down on Sunday, and on Monday, some random things happened in the morning that delayed me starting my day. In fact, I was sitting in the bird room doing a dressing change when Donovan tumbled off his perch. He had been sitting there with Larry Bird, and he simply couldn’t hold himself up any longer. I had the greatest honor of holding him while he passed. I can’t think of a better way to go, and this is exactly what I want for my loved ones: a gentle passage after being at home with loved ones. I laid him out in Moe’s for his companions to process his death.
As terrible as it has been to break my knee and go through the surgery/recovery process, I like to think that the bright side was the time it allowed me to provide exceptional care for Donovan: getting him out in the sun, giving him lots of extra treats, and receiving his sassy response to his necessary care (lifting him in and out of his cage, pulling dingleberries off his bottom, and cleaning off the poo if Larry accidentally roosted above him at night) and honoring my promise to never tube feed him again. I loved this sweet old bird, and I was the luckiest person alive to be his forever home.
Donovan
1994 – September 2, 2024
We always want more time.
To live in this world, you must be able to do three things: to love what is mortal; to hold it against your bones knowing your own life depends on it; and, when the time comes to let it go, to let it go. – Mary Oliver
August 13, 2024
by Elizabeth Comments Off on Pigeon Wants String Off of Her Feet
Stringfoot is the cause of much pain and suffering in pigeon flocks, and without treatment results in the loss of toes, feet or legs. Stringfoot occurs when pigeons get human generated detritus such as hair, string, fishing line or thread wrapped around their feet. The more they walk, the tighter it gets. Blood circulation eventually gets cut off and the toe/foot/leg dies. Removing stringfoot is not difficult and the pigeons appreciate it very much. In many cases, once the string is removed the pigeon can be released right away and the foot heals on its own.
