June 1, 2020
by Elizabeth
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Palomacy’s New Bird Care Coordinator!

Update December 1, 2020

A Special Message from Palomacy Bird Care Coordinator Jill McMurchy

Since I became lucky enough to start working as Palomacy’s paid Bird Care Coordinator on 6/1/20, we are helping and placing more birds than we ever have. This rescue work we are doing (despite a pandemic) is non-stop. The calls/emails/texts from surrenders, shelters, volunteers and good Samaritans needing help for injured, starving, lost and/or displaced pigeons and doves is ongoing and continuous. I get paid for half time work, four hours a day but in reality, I am available every waking hour. When a life is at stake, how can I not answer a call? When someone with compassion wants to help, how can we not respond with the same?

Not only am I assisting with rescues and adoptions daily, I am supporting and coaching our team of 60ish foster volunteers (scattered across all of Nor Cal) who provide the ongoing 365 days a year customized, individual care each of our caseload of 180ish adoptable (and hospice) birds needs. New fosters are always needed and require lots of coaching and assistance. Although it is easy to care for pigeons and doves, they are not common pets and Palomacy has a lot to teach regarding restoring and protecting their health, keeping them safe, what their behaviors mean, how to connect and bond with them… I do all of this with enormous love and passion for the birds and for the people who appreciate them. I love my job! I have been learning and doing this with Palomacy for free since I rescued my first pigeon in 2011. But now I am not only a helper, I am also a leader and a builder and much needed staff. I am learning more and faster and we are all benefitting. Palomacy needs me. I know it, I see it. You know it too. So please know that when you donate in support of Palomacy, you are getting everything we can possibly give you in return and then a bunch more.

And a Brief Afterward by Palomacy Founder & Director Elizabeth Young

Jill speaks the truth. There is no way in the world we could be saving as many birds (387 so far this year!) & helping so many people as we are without her on staff. We planned this Bird Care Coordinator role as an experiment. Half-time, for 6 months to be tested & evaluated. Does it work? Is it effective? Efficient? Can it improve our ability to meet the firehose of unmet need for bird rescue that we confront all day every day? Will it further our cause? Yes. The results have been conclusive. The test has been wildly successful. The Bird Care Coordinator role is absolutely essential. It needs to be made permanent and expanded to full time as soon as we can make it happen. And we will. And I know you’ll back me when I say: We are all so, so lucky to have our amazing, brilliant, indefatigable Jill in this most critical and central of positions.

Update December 10, 2020

I am so proud, grateful, energized and inspired to report that yes, this half-time position is being made permanent! We are changing the title to Care Coordinator because it requires a great deal of people as well as bird care to fulfill. And we will be pursuing strategies to make this huge role full time when we can. It is absolutely essential. Thank you, Palomacy!

Palomacy’s New Bird Care Coordinator! June 1, 2020

The world needs more Palomacy. The demand for our life-saving service is constant and increasing. Palomacy is growing from a local rescue into a global movement and we need more help. Thanks to your support and a generous grant from Craig Newmark Philanthropies, we are getting some! We’re thrilled to announce that our amazing Jill Shepard McMurchy will be taking on the newly created position of Bird Care Coordinator. Given her extensive experience and unique qualifications, we’re very excited to have her in this critical role.

The Bird Care Coordinator (BCC) position is half time, paid and currently funded for 10 months starting today. Jill will be responsible for coordinating Palomacy’s response on behalf of birds & the people involved from inquiry through care coaching, referral or intake, foster, vet care & placement including ongoing adopter support.

Our volunteers, more than 100, are the life blood of Palomacy, powering our rescues, help group, foster care, outreach, humane education, advocacy, website, adoptions, retention and more. This cutting-edge, culture-changing work is intrinsically hard and our volunteers, constantly facing new challenges, working remotely without the benefit of shared space to collaborate, need expert support on demand. Jill, long a mentor to fellow volunteers and our right hand go-to resource, will now have more time to help people help birds!

Please join me in celebrating the addition of our new Bird Care Coordinator- the amazing Jill!

Email Jill@PigeonRescue.org

May 31, 2020
by Elizabeth
Comments Off on How Can We Help Grady’s Pigeons?

How Can We Help Grady’s Pigeons?

Pigeon Rescuers & Adopters, Animal lover Grady has passed away and his pigeons need our help. Approximately 100 birds in Mina, NV, used to being fed daily, currently being helped by kind neighbor Jeff who is pulling the eggs he finds and reaching out for assistance. Who can help us help these pigeons? Please contact Elizabeth and/or Jeff to help! We need a sanctuary or farm or lots of adopters. (We’re connecting with Ovo-Control as well to further reduce their reproduction.)

Grady’s Pigeons

Guest Post by Jeff Barrow

I live in Mina, NV. An elderly neighbor, Grady, hand raised pigeons for years here, but passed away a month ago. He was a lover of all wild and domestic animals. Cottontails, Jack Rabbits and Wild Burros flocked to him for his loving attention.

I helped the old gent for the last year or two to feed all of his beloved critters when he was too weak, and failing, but now have been in the process of placing all of the animals to help his widow, who is crippled with severe arthritis and cannot care for them.

I’ve already placed their 19 chickens, a turkey and three ducks, to local families and a ranch. Then, adopting out 23 of their 34 cats (trapping feral cats that hunted his birds and placing them in an out-building) through the Sparks Humane Society, and a horse and four burros to a good legitimate equine rescue organization I used to work with.

We now need to find homes for about 100 pigeons, to avoid just letting them go to the wind… and coyotes, hawks, ravens, etc. The folks in our small mining/RR town are not amenable to just letting them range. One fellow here traps and eats them.

I also have to find homes for 7 remaining “barn” cats, not wild but not house friendly. But, the pigeons are the hard ones.

Anything y’all can do to help me with this now seemingly daunting task – placing pigeons, which I know nothing about – would be gratefully appreciated.

Jeff Barrow

h 775-573-2535 c 916-201-5585
jrbarrow@iglide.net
P.O. Box 588 (Mailing ddress)
600 Front St (Physical address)

May 29, 2020
by Elizabeth
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Remembering Patty Blau

Patty & Valiant volunteering with MickaCoo 2013

Patty Blau had many passions and we were blessed to connect with her through a shared love for birds. Patty volunteered with parrot rescue Mickaboo and, when we hatched MickaCoo (Palomacy now) in 2007, she quickly opened her heart to embrace pigeons and doves too. She was great with the birds, a wonderful outreach ambassador and a very generous, talented supporter. Patty and her trusty partner Bob always made whatever they joined better with their presence.

Patty & Bob working the phones for the birds at KRBC in 2012

Patty was a talented artist and generously created many iconic images for us through the years.

Sparks & Alejandra by Patty Blau 2011

Pigeon Rock Band Art by Patty Blau 2013

Patty & Bob at This Flock Rocks 6/8/13

Guitar Pigeon by Patty Blau

Patty helping terrified King pigeon Gemini feel the love

Dove Portrait, Patty Blau 2010

Patty & Bob celebrating Mickaboo + MickaCoo Holiday Party 2012

Patty & Valiant shharing the love at Woofstock 2013

Vincent, Jim, Elizabeth & Patty outreaching

Patty’s Stripper Pigeon!

Patty made this for me, Pierre & Piper

We didn’t hear from vibrant, brilliant amazing Patty for a time and we missed her. In May 2019, we learned why. She had early onset dementia. She was making the best of all her time and was very fortunate to have wonderful support from her loved ones and the professional caretakers who came to love her too. We learned of her passing in September. We miss her a lot. Patty remembered us with a generous gift from her estate and so she continues to help us even still. We are all better for having known the amazing Patty.

Pigeon Ballerina by Patty Blau (Cesar’s Blanca)

We love you, Patty

May 18, 2020
by Elizabeth
Comments Off on Craig Newmark Philanthropies says, Approved!

Craig Newmark Philanthropies says, Approved!

Craig Newmark & Palomacy-rescued pigeon Miu

Palomacy Pigeon & Dove Adoptions is thrilled to announce we are the proud recipients of a $20,000 gift from Craig Newmark Philanthropies. Bird watching, entrepreneurial philanthropist and founder of craigslist, Craig Newmark generously supports grassroots organizations driving civic engagement and advancing American ideals of fairness, opportunity and respect. Craig Newmark Philanthropies focuses on strengthening trustworthy journalism, voter protection, women in tech and support for veterans and military families.

Since our first meeting in 2013, bird lover Craig Newmark has supported Palomacy’s unique mission to save the lives of pigeons and doves that would otherwise be killed. Closing this deadly gap within the animal welfare community aligns with Craig Newmark Philanthropies’ commitment to “make sure everyone is included and treated fairly and respectfully.”

Every day Palomacy helps unreleasable domestic pigeons and doves found injured and lost, surrendered to shelters (or turned away by them) or displaced by circumstance. In the SF Bay Area, we directly serve more than 400 birds each year through fostering and adoption and we coach, refer and coordinate on behalf of thousands from all over the country (and beyond) via our online Palomacy Help Group. The demand for our services is constant and ever growing as knowledge and understanding about these birds steadily increases. All the resources needed to meet those demands – the volunteers, adopters, publicity, partnerships and funders – require strategic, proactive relationship-building and ongoing stewardship and cultivation. Palomacy is honored and grateful to have this generous, continued support from Craig Newmark Philanthropies.

May 12, 2020
by Elizabeth
Comments Off on Emergency Support for Cookie

Emergency Support for Cookie

Cookie & Joe, best friends

Joe rescued pet pigeon Cookie as a nestling back in 2009. Cookie’s parents had built a nest in the apartment garage and his twin had fallen out and been killed by a cat. That broke Joe’s heart and so he brought Cookie in to live with him. They’ve been best friends ever since.

Cookie!

Cookie in flight

Along the way, Joe rescued another pigeon he named Girl and Cookie and Girl were a happy married pair until she died in January, 2020. Joe reached out to Palomacy to adopt a single lady pigeon for lonesome Cookie and while we were working on that, crisis struck. On the morning of April 18th, Cookie pooped blood. Joe called me in a panic. My first thought was that Cookie might have eaten dyed bird seed which was making his poop look bloody or maybe that Cookie had parasites and needed to be wormed. I asked Joe to text me a photo. Cookie had pooped a lot of blood. I don’t get alarmed easily and I know that pigeons can lose a lot of blood and still be fine but when I saw this, I knew it was 911.

Cookie pooped a scary amount of blood

Joe was distraught, terrified that Cookie was dying. Out of work due to COVID19, Joe had no money for a vet bill and, even if there had been, his car would never make it all the way to Medical Center for Birds (MCFB). His best friend was in trouble and he was stuck. Cookie was not Palomacy’s bird but he needed Palomacy’s help. I dropped everything and rushed to pick him up. I called MCFB on the way letting them know I was bringing in an emergency. Despite their being fully booked on a busy Saturday, they said, Drive carefully, see you soon.

I was relieved when I picked up Cookie to find him seemingly stable and not visibly bleeding. I was hopeful we could get to the vets’ in time. And Cookie was so brave. He’d only met me a couple of times and he’d never ridden in a car and yet here he was, whisked away from his home and Joe.

Cookie watched the scenery speed by the whole 60 miles

Once we arrived, MCFB welcomed us, at a social distance, in the parking lot and checked Cookie in. I knew he was in the best possible place and I also felt bed for the guy. Nobody enjoys being hospitalized. I told him it would be okay and headed back home. Joe was sick with worry for Cookie and I felt bad for him too.

Vet care in the time of COVID-19

Health care is expensive for everybody, birds included and I immediately started asking for donations to help Cookie. (Did you know that many medicines used by vets are the same used by doctors? The COVID19 crisis is driving up the demand and cost for all kinds of drugs and supplies, including many used by vets.)

Cookie was hospitalized at MCFB until Wednesday the 22nd. It was Joe and Cookie’s first time apart in their 11 years together. Cookie was very anemic with a red blood cell count of 20 (45-50 is normal) meaning he’d been bleeding internally. His white cell count was 30,000 so he was fighting an infection too.

Cookie hospitalized

Cookie charmed all the vets & staff

Dr. Galusha did a barium study which showed that his intestines were displaced by a big, unidentifiable mass.

Cookie during the barium study

The big mass is displacing Cookie’s GI system

The vets suspected cancer and Dr. Speer donated x-rays to refine the diagnosis. They showed a very large testicular mass, likely cancerous. Cookie was given a Lupron (hormone) shot in order to try and shrink the mass. His internal bleeding had subsided but it was a puzzling symptom. Pooping blood didn’t really make sense in his case. Finally, five days after his emergency arrival, he was ready to go home. His bill, after our rescue discount and with the donated x-rays, was $1,404. Together, Joe and five generous Palomacy donors have raised $560 towards it. (You can help Cookie by donating here.)

Cookie was stable and the best place for him would be back home with Joe. I picked him up and it was much more fun driving Cookie back than it was driving him away. He and Joe had a very happy reunion. Joe was nervous about the meds he’d have to give twice daily but knew it had to be done. Cookie had a good week and when he went back for his recheck on April 29th, his red blood cell count had doubled! He was a rock star!

Socially distanced Dr. Speer

Cookie says, Get me home!

And then, on May 1st, Cookie pooped blood again. I rushed him back to MCFB and he was hospitalized again. Dr. Speer suggested that maybe Cookie was peeing blood rather than pooping it… A fecal exam proved that to be the case. And it made much more sense for a testicular tumor to cause blood in the urine. Cookie’s mass was invading his ureter. Drs. Speer and Galusha conferred and after conversations with Joe, it was decided tha Cookie would receive chemotherapy in the hopes of shrinking his tumor and extending his life. Cookie tolerated the delicate intravenous process well and I picked him up and delivered him back home to Joe on 5/5. Today, two weeks later, Cookie is doing great. He’ll be going back for a recheck to assess the mass and likely another chemo treatment. Cookie’s vet bill is currently $2,405 and will go up again. How much is a best friend worth? Cookie’s person Joe writes,

hello my name is joe bertolucci,in my apt garage in 2009 two pigeons who had deformed feet gave birth to 2 baby pigeons on top of our garage door motor,one baby fell off and was eaten by a cat it broke my heart so i took the other pigeon in my apt and have had him ever since.how i came up with the name cookie i dont remember.he has been my best friend for 11 yrs he even sleeps with me sometime in 2009 i came down with pigeon lung diaease since then i have diabestes and heart disease. i’m 61 now doctors have told me to get rid of him for many years because of damage to my lungs but i couldnt do it because of my love for him.my lungs are not good but i have no regrets and would do it all over again.he has been my best friend including humans for 11 years.saturday i noticed blood in his stool called an angel of a lady named elizabeth what she did for me and for my cookie not many would have done.she drove to the vet hospital in oakley about 70 miles where she lives she gone and forth from there to home many times for me.cookie has a large mass first the doctor thought it was in his stomach which there would have been no hope to save him.more tests were done today and found the mass was in his testicles which the great doctor holly galusha said would him a better chance in surgery but he is anemic and 11 yrs old so there is still a risk that he might not make it thur surgery but i love him with all my heart so im willing to try.i work as a letter carrier for 31 yrs in sf but have been off work for 3 months doctors order,he said with my lung condition and low immune system i would be at high risk to get the coronavirus.i am barely living pay check to pay check and cant afford to pay for the surgery to try and save my cookies life.he is my life i would rather die myself than to see him die.i humbling ask all of you caring pigeon friends to please donate whatever little you can to help pay for my cookies surgery,i know times are very tough for everyone right now but whatever you can give to save my best friends life i would be most grateful to all of you the rest of my life.sincerely joe paul bertolucci.

Joe, Marie & Cookie — doing well together

We need to raise $1,845 to pay off Cookie’s bill (to date). If you can help, this is the link to our donation page. Thank you.

UPDATE May 27th, 2020

Cookie on the way to his appointment

Cookie is doing great! I transported him to Medical Center for Birds for his recheck and second chemotherapy treatment of Carboplatin with Dr. Speer who said, “This bird simply appears to be doing fabulously!” I took him straight back home to Joe and they are so happy to have this time together. Cookie’s next treatment and re-imaging will be in mid June. Cookie’s outstanding bill is $2,056. Please donate if you can help.

Cookie getting his second intravenous injection of Carboplatin

Cookie happy to be going home!

UPDATE September 30th, 2021

Cookie is still doing great & his family is so grateful!

May 12, 2020
by Elizabeth
Comments Off on Saving the Gilroy Birds

Saving the Gilroy Birds

The Call

On March 25th I received a voicemail that all rescuers fear: 39 doves and 1 pigeon needed a new home. Their person had late stage cancer with not long to live. Her good friend Karen was also an animal rescuer and had found safe new homes for the dogs, chickens, even a 30 year old horse, but the doves’ only option seemed to be “set free” which was no option at all for the helpless birds.

As you probably know, Palomacy is always full. Overfull. The demand for our work far exceeds the capacity to do it. Every new bird in need of help is a new challenge. Let alone 40 birds. As much as these doves needed a place to go, we had no space to offer them. It is an awful feeling. Sometimes we can surge here or there. Or sometimes we can work with a shelter for emergency housing but we had no such option this time.

My conversation with Karen the animal rescuing friend was heartening. She totally understood our situation and was committed to helping us to help her friend’s birds. When she told me she was on her way to a horse rescue, I asked her to please ask them to help. And everybody else, I said. Please reach out to everybody! Doves are lovely, not hard to care for and we help every step of the way. Karen promised she would. I asked her to send photos of the birds. Their situation was bad.

Many of the overcrowded doves had bald spots from fighting

They were living in filthy conditions

There were 4 Eurasian Collared doves housed & fighting with a pigeon

The Visit

On April 9th, given access to the property, Palomacy volunteers Jill & Nath met in Gilroy to assess and assist the birds. There was a big aviary with five compartments but all the birds were crammed into just two. The four Eurasian Collared doves (ECDs) were in a compartment with a pigeon and the 35 domestic Ringnecks were all crammed into another. The wooden walls of the aviary (unlined with hardware mesh) had big holes chewed into them by the rats who were eating all the babies and weak or injured birds. We call this a “survival of the fittest” flock meaning there would have been a lot more if not for the predators who were killing off the most vulnerable birds. Jill and Nath spent the day helping to improve the birds’ safety and well being. First thing, the unnamed pigeon, now called Marigold, was removed from the ECDs’ compartment for transfer to Jill’s pigeon aviary for fostering. Pigeons are two to five times bigger than doves and conflict between them means injuries for the smaller doves. The four ECDs were more bald than feathered from their fighting. Next they worked to seal up and block off the many holes and gaps the rats were using to raid the aviary. Then, to provide some much needed relief to the overcrowded Ringnecks, they cut out mesh dividers into two adjacent vacant compartments so that the doves could spread out across three times as much as space as they’d had. Finally, they swapped out real eggs for fakes and gifted the doves with some long grass stalks for nesting. They were ecstatic.

Jill took pigeon home to foster with pigeons

Rats & other predators chew through wood that isn’t lined with hardware mesh & kill birds

Wood that isn’t lined with hardware mesh isn’t predator-proof

Working together to help the doves

Jill & Nath cut out interior dividers to give the badly crowded doves 3 times the room while they waited for rescue

Filthy nests of real eggs were replalced with clean nests of fake eggs

The safer, less crowded doves were thrilled with their gift of nesting materials

The Adopter

When I asked Karen to ask the horse rescue (and everybody) for help with the doves, she took my plea to heart. And she did ask and Dennis Barwick, founder of The Backstretch Equine Rescue said, Yes! Oh my goodness! What an INCREDIBLE life-saving, hope-inspiring difference saying yes to a rescue aviary makes! We were thrilled to have Dennis’ help and quickly started figuring out how we could, during this most challenging of times, work together to make a safe, happy new home for all these doves as quickly as possible. The first thought was to try and move their old aviary from its location in Gilroy to the Backstretch Ranch in Aromas and then fix it up there but ultimately that just couldn’t work. The structure, even if we could have moved it, just wasn’t salvageable. So then we had to quick figure out an emergency interim solution.

Rescue Day

On April 15th, Palomacy volunteers Jill and Nath and I met in Gilroy to catch and transport all the birds to their new home. We caught everybody, triple checked that no one was over looked and then, all boxed and podded up, we headed for The Backstretch Ranch.

Jill catching doves on moving day

Nath & Jill & birds ready for transport

Doves on their way

The Backstretch folks had a temporary solution: a great big dog kennel (15′ long x 5′ wide x 6′ tall) set up right next to the ponies. The kennel provided a good, sturdy frame but needed to be carefully and completely wrapped in .5″ hardware mesh to be made safe. Caged birds attract rodents and predators and nothing keeps them safe- not guard dogs nor motion lights nor having what one considers a “predator free area” except for an inpenetrable enclosure. If the enclosure is safe, the birds inside are too. If not, they are not. I hope you never come outside to discover the carnage rats, racoons, raptors, etc. can create when birds aren’t safely enclosed. (Pro Tip: Chicken wire is completely worthless for keeping predators and rodents out. Stuff should be illegal!)

Dog kennel provides a sturdy frame …

… but the giant openings are unsafe. All kinds of predators – rats, raccoons, hawks, cats, etc. would pass or reach through and massacre the doves trapped inside.

So we got busy cutting .5″ 19 gauge hardware mesh from a 100′ x 6′ foot roll to fit the sides, top and bottom and attaching it tightly with lots of zip ties. We carefully overlapped all the corners and seams because any gap means the enclosure is no longer predator-proof.

Thanks to several hard-working volunteers from both The Backstretch and Palomacy, we had the doves’ temporary aviary secured and comfortable with nest boxes (made by Jill) and branches, a smooth barnmat floor and partial siding and roofing for shade, privacy and protection from the elements together in a few hours.

And then the best part. We got to move the doves in. They were pretty amazed at their new lifestyle upgrade!

This is all for us?!

It took the doves a few minutes to unclump…

Backstretch Rescue founders & dove adopters Dennis & Janeae

SUCH LUCKY, HAPPY DOVES!

Proud dove team: Janeae, Dennis, Jill & Nath

This is the doves’ emergency home. Next comes their forever aviary!

Fundraising campaign coming soon: Help us make the Backstretch Doves’ Educational Rescue Aviary dream come true!

May 11, 2020
by Elizabeth
Comments Off on Escape! (Read this BEFORE an Escape Happens)

Escape! (Read this BEFORE an Escape Happens)

Guest Blog Post by Juniper & Her Mom

Flint & Bloom

Editor’s Note: If you have pigeons as pets, they are not well suited to survive on their own and need to be safe at home. Here is an article about how to catch a pigeon or dove in need of rescue and below is Juniper’s story of pet pigeon Flint’s textbook-successful recovery.

On Saturday morning, I was cleaning the pigeon cage in our living room. When I took out the water, I left the door open so I could put the water tray back in. Our two pigeons have never tried to get out the doors of their cage — the doors are really small. But when I came back, Flint was standing right at the back door of our house, with a little stick in her mouth. And the door was wide open.

TIP #1: Don’t underestimate your pigeon’s ability to escape.

TIP #2: Don’t open the cage when nearby windows or doors are open.

I was terrified of what Flint would do. But I also didn’t want to scare her away. I called to my mom with a shaky voice.

When she came, our pigeon Flint was standing between us and the outdoors. There was no way to get to the door and close it without going directly toward her. The best thing my mom could think of to do was grab a light blanket and try to throw it behind or over her.

But Flint was super fast and as soon as mom moved toward her, she flew right out onto the back deck. Then my mom tried to get her again and she flew up on our roof.

TIP #3: If your pigeon is in the doorway or a window or outside, don’t chase or try to capture her unless you KNOW she can’t fly away from you (ie there’s a way to corner her).

As I was saying, when my mom tried to get her, she flew onto our roof. So my mom went up to the roof, too, thinking she could get her. Then Flint flew to the house across from us.

I felt incredibly guilty that I’d left the cage door open. And now she was out there with all the predators. And we didn’t know how to get her back.

Flint considering the possibilities from a neighbor’s rooftop

The first thing we managed to do right was to call Elizabeth at Palomacy and she started to walk us through what to do next. (If this happens to you and you’ve read this story, you won’t have to call Palomacy!)

Elizabeth told my mom to give me a big hug and say this has happened to a lot of people. She said the most important thing now was to stay very calm and get organized.

I pulled myself together and managed to be positive so I could help Flint get home.

TIP #4: STAY CALM

Elizabeth told us that Flint was definitely going to want to return home and we needed to make her return really inviting and easy. (Pigeons are all about home and they want to come home!)

TIP #5: CLEAR PATH OF RETURN! Prop open the door or window they escaped through. Make sure there is nothing obstructing your pigeon’s way home. Once out, they are spooky and nervous. They are most likely to fly back in if they have a clear, easy line of flight in. No swinging door, blowing drapes, no person or pet between them and their home. Lock your other bird(s) (and pets) up but keep everything as normal as possible with a clear, easy way for them to fly back in. (Don’t stand outside in front of the door yelling, ‘Come here!” like we did. You can be outside talking to them just NOT between them and their way back in.)

We made sure that Bloom, Flint’s mate, was safe inside the cage with the doors closed. And we moved the cage so it was even closer to our back door and Flint could see it (but still come easily through the door). Then we sat out of sight as we could while still keeping an eye on the rooftop where Flint was.

TIPS #6 & 7: As much as possible, try to keep eyes on your pigeon. If not yours, then your neighbors. Tell everyone you can that your pigeon is missing and make sure people understand she is a dear pet (since lots of people don’t understand pigeons as pets). Get the word out immediately to your neighbors that your pet pigeon has gotten lost and to contact you if they see them. (The NextDoor app is wonderful for this!) Make sure to tell people NOT to try to chase or catch your pigeon – just to call or text if they see her.

For the rest of the day, I sat in the very corner of the window looking out to where Flint was. He was standing on a rooftop near a dove, who was cooing. Then the door of the house he was on opened, and Flint got scared and flew away.

We also sent out a note to all the neighbors on the block and our friend posted it on NextDoor.

Juniper watching Flint. Can you spot him?

First he went to another neighbor’s porch and he let my mom go onto his deck with some food to see if she could get Flint to come to her. She failed again and Flint flew out of sight.

So my mom started going around looking on all the rooftops of the neighborhood trying to find her. At first, we put out food on other people’s porches. But then we realized that was a mistake because Flint might go to other people’s porches to get food, instead of ours. Which was bad because we wanted him to come home.

TIP #8: Don’t leave any source of food outside. Make your pigeon’s regular spot in the house be the only place she can get food and water. When your pigeon has escaped (or when you’re trying to rescue one in need), hunger is your friend. Use the lure of food and water to coax them indoors to safety.

We took all the food off our porch and the neighbors’ porches and, instead, put it inside the house, near the cage but as far from the open back door as possible. That way when she came in to eat and drink, we could close the door.

We saw Flint a few times during the day, flying a lot farther and faster than we thought she could. But each time she saw us, she would fly away.

All afternoon, neighbors would tell us they’d spotted her. Some of them sent photographs: like, Flint perched on the top of a roof looking totally happy.

When it was almost dark, one lady sent a picture of Flint flying halfway out of the photo. First she wrote ‘my porch.’ Then ‘your porch.’

While those texts were coming into my mom’s phone in the other room, we were in the kitchen, watching the window and hearing crows. We were getting really scared the crows would get Flint. Or that Flint would stay out all night (Elizabeth said if it got dark while she was still outside, she would roost somewhere and not fly anymore until morning).

Then suddenly, Flint just flew in and landed on top of her cage! We were super happy!

TIP #9: When your pigeon returns to your home, stay SUPER cool. Do not scare her or move toward her. Wait until she is out of the way of the door and you can close it behind without scaring her out again.

My mom wanted to go to the door right way, but I didn’t want her to scare him away all over again. I was whispering to her, “Not yet! Not yet!”

Then my dad yelled from the other room, REALLY LOUD: “You guys, the neighbor just called to say Flint just flew in our door!!!!” We all said, “Shhhhhhh!”

Flint was on top of her cage, looking down into it where Bloom, her mate, was waiting. Then Flint flew down to the floor and started drinking water and eating the seeds next to the cage. She was thirsty and hungry. That’s when my mom went calmly and quickly over and shut the door.

Then we all cheered!

The whole day felt like a dream. Or a nightmare. And then we woke up and Flint was safe.

Flint safe & home in Juniper’s loving arms

Flint back safe with Bloom

I hope this story will be helpful to you if your pigeon escapes.

April 3, 2020
by Elizabeth
Comments Off on Pigeons & Leg Bands

Pigeons & Leg Bands

What Do Leg Bands Mean?

Starving, lost pigeon racing survivor, now named Woot, found help & love.

The vast majority of pigeons with leg bands are domestic birds, unable to survive on their own, that are bred, sold, exploited and endangered for “sports” such as racing and roller flying and businesses such as “dove release“. If a banded pigeon is hanging around or catchable, they need to be rescued.

The information on most banded pigeons is coded and only intended to record “winners”, not to recover “losers” which are what the lost, starving, injured leg-band-wearing pigeons are considered to be. If returned to those who endanger them, they are more often than not culled for being both a failure and a threat to the other pigeons’ health and bloodlines. Pigeons used for sports and business are treated as disposable. As soon as one gets lost, hurt, blown off course, hawk-struck, etc., they are worthless and unwanted. Pigeon breeders pride themselves on their tough culling (killing, selling, rejecting) of “inferior” birds. They will kill a weak or runty baby pigeon in the nest. They expect to lose many young birds in their training flights and many more in the competitions (“let the basket cull for you”). Many kill the pigeons themselves and/or sell “surplus” pigeons to be used for “dog training, falconry, target practice, meat, whatever”, as they say in their online ads.

Rescued pigeon racing survivor in animal shelter kennel

Pigeon racing survivor found grounded, too weak to fly, lucky to be taken to a shelter

Pet pigeons are sometimes banded with just a phone number or, as with Palomacy’s bands, “PIGEONRESCUE.ORG” so as to truly help the lost bird get home. You can order our bands here or find vendors who will customize bands for you. (We use www.BirdBands.com) Some bands are just untraceable plastic clip ons in various colors or with a two digit number and are used just to help differentiate birds within an owner’s flock.

Various bands removed from rescued birds, the biggest from King pigeons used as breeders for squab, the medium sized are mostly from rescued racing pigeons and the smallest from rescued rollers.

Rescued racer Finn with his racing band removed, Palomacy band put on

Palomacy PIGEONRESCUE.ORG bands are inexpensive, easy to use, come in dove, pigeon & giant pigeon size & can help your lost bird get expert help ASAP.

Should I Return a Banded Pigeon?

It depends. Pigeon rescuers have learned the hard way that it is better to provide a safe, non-exploitive home for rescued sport/business pigeons than to return them to their exploiters. If you find a pigeon whose band says “pet” or “rescue” or has a name or phone number, the odds are more likely that the bird could be returned safely but not always. White Homers, bred, used and lost for the “dove release” business sometimes have phone number bands and returning them is no favor to the bird. You don’t have to figure it out alone. If you find a banded pigeon, please join our Palomacy Help Group and post a photo for quick help. We can help you to care for the bird you’ve rescued and/or to find help. Usually, when a pet pigeon is lost, their person looks for them, posting on craigslist, Nextdoor, social media, lost and found sites, contacting local rescues, etc. and whenever we are contacted for help with a lost pigeon, we do our best to help them get home. (Learn about how to find your lost pigeon here.) People who use their pigeons for sport and business never contact us looking for lost birds. They don’t want lost birds.

Rescued pigeon racing survivor Clive has both a coded green racing band & a purple clip on band

Sport bands are coded with the club’s name, the bird’s hatch year and the bird’s ID number. They are designed to record who wins, not help those lost.

Clive’s racing band removed (this is his ID number, not his hatch year)

Pigeon racing is a cruel & deadly “sport”. Click this photo to learn more.

Some pigeons are banded with clip ons that are blank or have just a two digit number. Those bands are used more on “meat pigeons” like Kings (who never get out of their breeding coop except on the way to the butcher) or by hobbyists. They aren’t traceable at all.

Note the untraceable orange spiral band on this rescued King pigeon’s leg

Dumped & rescued King pigeon in the shelter with 2 untraceable yellow spiral bands

Some pigeon-keeping traditions include bells & “jewelry”

Rescued pigeon Pick wearing hhis Palomacy band

Pigeon racing casualty’s band says, No mercy

Racers will likely be culled for being “losers” who didn’t make it home quickly. Look closely at this band – it reads “No Mercy.” This was Anna, a lost racer who arrived in respiratory distress, was treated and given O2, and unfortunately could not beat her infection. This is the sort of thing (along with injury and starvation) that I see commonly happen to these birds. I’ve been criticized for not taking the time to track people down and ask if they want their bird. Anyone who thinks they deserve to go back to where they came from is welcome to look up all the bands I’ve saved and tell the owners how their birds suffered and died – and see if they want to pay their vet bills. I’m too busy cleaning, feeding, treating, and trying to save their lives.
-Pigeon & Dove Rescuer

If you feel like you have to contact the person who raced or rented out the bird you’ve rescued, please keep in mind that the hawks, cats, raccoons, dogs, cars, starvation, etc. that kill these birds don’t notify anybody. They just kill the birds, something pigeon sport and business people are comfortable with. It is expected. These birds are disposable to them. If a lost, starving and/or injured racing pigeon or “dove release” homer or roller is lucky enough to get rescued alive (most that get lost or hurt die alone, unhelped), they should be lucky enough to get a good, non-exploitive home. Also, most of the time, the banded birds aren’t claimed (because they aren’t wanted). Some racers will call back and tell you to give the pigeon food and water for a couple of days and then let it go as “it will continue the trip home” but the odds of the lost, weakened pigeon actually making it home alone are poor. It’s just something racers tell people so the “problem” is handled.

Banding Pet Pigeons (and Doves)

Pet pigeons should not be out flying around loose. Domestic pigeons and doves are easy targets for all kinds of predators and most who are allowed to free fly are eventually killed or lost as a result. Even a feral pigeon kept as a pet shouldn’t be out loose because, without the security and wisdom of a wild flock, they too are at high risk of being killed. After 12 years of full time pigeon rescuing, I can’t tell you how many sad stories I have heard that start with, “I used to have a pigeon…” You can give your pet pigeons a better chance of getting helped and home, if they ever get out or lost, by banding them with a rescue/pet type band. Palomacy is now banding all of our rescued birds with bright blue split aluminum bands that say PIGEONRESCUE.ORG to do exactly that. You can order our bands for your birds right here or you can order your own custom bands. We get ours from www.BirdBands.com

Rescued pet Ringneck dove Lily both wearing & contemplating Palomacy bands

Palomacy has commissioned these light blue split aluminum leg bands engraved with PIGEONRESCUE.ORG as an affordable way to help improve a lost pet pigeon or dove’s likelihood of being helped & getting home. If someone finds your bird, the band directs them to our Palomacy website.

The light blue aluminum shows up well on their pink legs, makes them recognizable as a pet rather than wild bird (so more apt to get help) & when found, improves their chances of getting home safely. If your Palomacy-banded bird is ever lost, notify us immediately for help & if we ever learn of a Palomacy-banded bird being found, we’ll be looking for their person.

CLICK THIS IMAGE FOR PALOMACY BAND ORDER FORM

Removing Bands

Many bands are clip on and can be opened and removed. “Closed” bands, slipped on to the feet of pigeons used in sports like racing, rolling, etc. are slipped on over the bird’s foot when just a baby and once grown, can only be removed by cutting them off. Closed bands can be carefully cut through with heavy duty cuticle nippers. They have narrow, one-sided blades that are slender and safe enough to slide between band and leg and also strong enough to cut/crunch through most metal and plastic bands with a couple of cuts.

Heavy duty cuticle nippers safely cut through most bands

Some bands are brass and too hard to cut off or a band can be too tight and need avian vet assistance to remove. They use dremels (carefully!) or specially designed bird band cutters. If a bird injures their leg, the swelling can cause the band to cut off circulation and it must be expertly removed as soon as possible or they can lose the foot.

Injured, swollen leg from which this racing band must be removed ASAP

Stranded Banded Pigeons Need Help

And Palomacy is here to help you help them. Please join and post to our Palomacy Help Group for fast help any time or email us. Rescued Scandaroon pigeon Shakespeare, found stray and too weak to fly and now happy, safe and loved, says, I’m so glad I got help, thank you!

Appreciate the work Palomacy does for pigeons & doves? Please support us with a donation if you can.

Donate online to Palomacy Pigeon & Dove Adoptions

Support Palomacy as a monthly donor (receive a full color Palomacy wall calendar every year as our thank you!)

Send a check made out to “CI – Palomacy” to Palomacy’s new address
P.O. Box 24585, SF, CA 94124

March 23, 2020
by Elizabeth
Comments Off on Palomacy in the Time of Coronavirus

Palomacy in the Time of Coronavirus

If you need help, please reach out, we are here.

If you can help, please let us know because we need it.

Our rescue work continues with 167 Palomacy foster birds currently sheltering in place. We don’t have a sanctuary to close. All of our birds are cared for in the homes and backyard aviaries of our volunteers. We are limiting our movements to only the essential, we are miming air hugs rather than giving the tight squeezes we usually share. There is no slow down in the number of new birds needing help but all of the adoption fairs and outreach events are cancelled…

I have been at a loss for words while deeply moved by the eloquence of many.

GlobalGiving CEO Alix Guirrer, beautifully expressed in his Don’t Let a Virus Stop a Mission post what I struggle to articulate:

Most of our partners, however, aren’t directly involved in frontline efforts to stop the coronavirus. They’re deep in uncharted waters, too. Their economic struggle isn’t making headlines or mentioned in press conferences. But their work—to preserve the Amazon, to rescue stray dogs, to shelter the homeless—has never been harder, and it must go on. Suddenly, they must find a way to fundraise without a gala, educate without a classroom, rally their staff without four walls to unite them…

And so it is.

The Cat Town team, a rescue who, like Palomacy, focuses on adoptions for the “unadoptables”, changing minds and winning hearts all over the state, country and beyond writes:

In difficult times, we turn to family, friends, and the familiar comfort of our favorite places. Cat Town is all of these things for many of us. Thank you, as always, for helping us remain a safe refuge for cats who have no place else to go, and our deepest gratitude for anything you are able to do to help us weather this pandemic.

Our Palomacy family doesn’t have a homebase to share but we cherished our times together each weekend at outreach and adoption events– working and sweating together, hugging and laughing, teasing and consoling, holding each other up through the normal tough times which we of course all miss more than ever during this most awful and not normal time.

Palomacy is here. We are here if you need our help and, as always, we still need yours.

The thought that sticks in my head is of those ‘Take a penny, leave a penny’ trays. We are all in need and we all have much to give- in whatever form it may be.

Palomacy loves you. We are each others’ friends and family and no social distance can change that.

Please take very good care. Be healthy. Have hope.

You can reach me at Elizabeth@PigeonRescue.org and help is always available in our Palomacy Group.

Thank you for helping Palomacy to help so many! And please- adopt, volunteer and donate– so that we can help more.

March 19, 2020
by Elizabeth
Comments Off on For This One

For This One

With your support, she is who Palomacy helps.

Jay was badly injured, weak & emaciated

Exactly a year ago, we were contacted by a young man named Jimmie in Modesto, CA about a badly injured little pigeon who he found waiting for him at the door to the gas station where he worked. When he opened the door to go inside, she limped in with him. He knew she needed help but he didn’t have the resources nor knowledge to provide it. In her condition, she’d most likely be euthanized at a wildlife rescue. Jimmie contacted Palomacy and we put out the call for 911 help. Within hours, Melissa, a volunteer and experienced rescuer in the area, had gone to the station to meet Jimmie and pick up the little pigeon he named Jay. He sent along $100 to help with her vet care.

Jay was in rough shape, weak, skinny. Her head and eye were injured and swollen and she would neither drink nor eat. Melissa took care of her that night and another volunteer and rescuer, Daniel, arranged to get up very early the next morning, drive from Berkeley to Modesto (85 miles one way), pick her up and then head back west to Medical Center for Birds in Oakley to get her there first thing. We call that kind of emergency rescue going “lights and siren”.

Daniel absolutely fell in love with quiet little Jay on their ride together and he donated $1,000 towards what he knew was going to be a big bill. And it was. Others donated towards paying her vet bill too- Patti, Scott, Darren, Nath, and maybe you. Thank you.

At the vet’s office, Dr. Athena Gianopolous took over Jay’s care. In additon to the head trauma and ruptured eye, little Jay was severly emaciated (1 on the 1-5 body condition scale), had a broken leg, a broken bone in her wing and toxic heavy metal in her gizzard.

Jay’s radiograph told a painful story

She was given subcutaneous fluids, pain and chelation meds, x-rayed, leg-wrapped and tube fed and then, after all that, in her hospital cage, she stood up and did a little preening to arrange her mussed feathers and we all rejoiced in her toughness, filled with hope that this tiny, clever, brave little self-rescuing pigeon could perhaps recover and live a happy life.

Jay begins her long road to recovery

Brave Jay

And she has! When she was well enough to leave the hospital, she went to foster with super volunteer Jill who lovingly helped amazing Jaybird (as she calls her) make her incredible recovery! Jaybird’s broken leg healed up so well that you’d never know it was broken. Same with the bone in her wing. She flies great now! She’s a tiny queen bee ruling over a big flock in Jill’s aviary. (You can watch her and her flockmates live on our JillVille BirdCam!) Jaybird is an adorable, feisty, loving and very much loved pigeon! She’s married the cutest little manbird ever- Peewee- and today, together, they were adopted by their foster mom Jill! They are home!

Jaybird & her mate Peewee

We don’t know for sure how or why little Jaybird ended up in such bad shape but, based on the few clues we have, we suspect she is a feral pigeon who was found as a youngster, raised up by people and then lost or “set free”. Imprinted on people and deprived of the education and security that comes with pigeon parents and a flock family, she was starving and got injured, most likely struck a glancing blow by a car, and yet hurt and weak as she was, she had the presence of mind to ask for life-saving help. Together we said, Yes.

There are so many in need of help that rescuers often feel overwhelmed. I know I do. Recently I saw a dog rescue post about a dog they saved despite so many they cannot and they used the hashtag #ForThisOne and I really liked that. It’s like the starfish story, “It matters for this one”, and so it does. We placed 163 birds with adopters in 2019 and assisted hundreds of others. Every one we help matters. Just ask Jaybird.

Thank you for helping Palomacy to help so many! And please- adopt, volunteer and donate– so that we can help more.