March 16, 2017
by Elizabeth
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Lois & Alice

Guest Post by Lynn Eaton

I have never been a bird person. Period. When I was a newly-wed a hundred years ago, my then husband brought home a Quaker parrot. It was a hate/hate relationship that lasted about two months before I insisted it be brought back to where it came from. Never understood how anyone could have these flighty, pecky, noisy, messy, and destructive little creatures in their homes. And I’m talking about birds not men. Although…

A few decades later, I currently have two indoor rescue pigeons that I would fall on a sword for. And it happened quickly. Almost like there was plan in place to shake me out of my coma-like existence when it came to pets.

A little over a year ago, I was very content with my two pedigree elderly Ragdoll cats. Enter Janice, a co-worker at a newspaper office I worked at in Malibu. Under “bunny-hugger”, there is a photo of Janice. She only worked at the paper a few hours a week and sweetly asked if I would mind assisting in the care of a “white dove” she found. She had received approval from the owner of the paper to keep this “dove” at our work place. She made it sound fun! We could have a contest at work coming up with a name! Keep it in the accounting department and listen to it coo softly all day! On and on and on.

Janice had found Lois Lane (contest winner name) stranded and unable to fly in an area of Malibu that is very tranquil and apparently, a perfect place for celebrations and dove releases. She gathered up the “dove” and took it immediately to the wildlife center where they promptly put it in with some chickens. This niggled at Janice for several days and after gaining approval to keep the bird at work, she re-rescued Lois (for which the Center hilariously charged her) and brought her into the office.

In short order, I realized Janice nor I knew almost nothing about the care and feeding of this bird. We had a cage, some seeds and water and this pretty little bird that didn’t so much as make a peep. I’m not certain when I came across Palomacy, but I’m almost sure it was on that first day. I was totally panicked. Elizabeth was the first and ONLY person to return my frantic calls.

Elizabeth calmly told me what to do and after describing what the bird looked like, burst my bubble by informing me that what we had was a pigeon. A “homer” at that. I fought that tooth and nail. I did not want a mere pigeon, I wanted a sweet-cooing dove. The Peace & Love and married for life kind of dove. It took me weeks and tons of research to realize yes, Lois is a homer. Not even a King. A homer. Dumb name. As in “Homer Simpson”. I didn’t realize that homer meant HOMING PIGEON.

Poor Elizabeth was then my new best friend and I called frequently. Everything made me a nervous wreck. Was the cage big enough? How much should we feed her? Doesn’t she need another pigeon friend? Is it acceptable to leave her ALL ALONE ON WEEKENDS???? It didn’t help that Lois was going through a soft molt.

This went on for a few months and during that time Lois really was the calmest, quietest bird. So bomb-proof. We moved her cage around the office several times to find better locations, were constantly buying new and improved cage stuff (dishes, toys, mirrors and nesting thingys) and just futzing in general with her environment.

Lois at the office

In my on-going research and constant conversations with Elizabeth, I determined that Lois needed to spend time outside in the sunshine and fresh air. Lois just seemed so complacent; not unhappy but resigned. I was very twitter-pated about this. So, I purchased an Easy Up. Which is basically a big enclosed play pen for camping. Not predator proof AT ALL but we made do. Lois now got to go outside every day. I was happy. For a few weeks.

It’s hard to believe but we rarely if at all touched this bird. We would move her cage from the office to the easy up outside, open the cage door, put a large bowl of water for her to bathe in and then take her back in at the end of the day. Janice and I were pushing hard to rescue another pigeon friend for her as she was left alone so much – especially on the weekends. We were met with a lot of resistance from the staff. We literally did not have the room in the office for a larger cage and building an outdoor aviary was not going to happen as it took tons of begging and cajoling to even erect the Easy Up outside our office space.

Lois bathing in the Easy Up

Around this time, I decided to finally move closer to my children in Tehachapi CA. A small mountain community 175 miles north of Malibu. As I was giving notice, I burst into tears and emphatically stated “AND I’M TAKING LOIS WITH ME”!!! Like a 5-year-old. I still can’t believe those words came out of my mouth. I was met with no resistance – more like, THANK GOD. Can we help you pack up and put the bird in the car for you? Humph!

Very quickly, I moved and installed Lois in my home where she has a Rolls Royce of a cage that she resides in only at bedtime, poops on organic bird cage paper and can fly up to specifically installed corner perches in my office/indoor aviary all day and every day.

Now it was time to adopt her a buddy! With the assistance, once again of Elizabeth, I adopted sweet, sweet Alice from Palomacy. (We each drove a couple hours and met in Fresno.) Yes, another female homing pigeon. Suffice it to say, there was a brief period of time where I was convinced Lois was a male – even renamed her Lincoln. Unfortunately, that brief period of time coincided at the exact same time I was adopting Alice. Hence, the two females. It’s not perfect but we make it work. I’m the official mate of both these girls.

L-R: Lois, Lynn, Alice

Lynn and her clever self-rescuer Super Lois

Lois & Alice meet

Thank you, Elizabeth, Palomacy and all the pigeon/dove rescuers out there. I read every single post you guys make and have learned so much this last year. My ignorance of pigeons and birds in general proves how wrong I was and how truly adaptable these guys are. They fumble right along with you while you’re learning and never complain. That does not stop me from continuously trying to make their habitat fun and entertaining. I love the phrase: You will not save the world by adopting a pigeon, but you will save that pigeon’s world.

Lois & Alice share a double-flight cage & Lynn’s office

In conclusion, these sweet little misunderstood birds have changed my life for the better. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t laugh out loud at them. I love them, love them, love them.

Now if I could just find a male that could take on two females…

Rescued pigeon Lois, wearing pigeon pants for the first time, leads Lynn around for a stroll. (Please note that pigeons are very vulnerable and shouldn’t be walked in unsafe locations where they could be attacked by a playful dog or hungry hawk. Pigeon pants are diapers and can’t be trusted as a safety harness. Pet pigeons have been startled and busted right out of their pants. You can learn more about pigeon pants at here.)

Lynn retired from a 35-year Mortgage Banking career and begin enjoying life from the moment she quit smoking, drinking and finalized the sale of her company in 2012. She took on a very fun clerical position at The Malibu Times for a brief period but more importantly was introduced to the rescue pigeon Lois.

She lived in Malibu for 30 years before moving, snatching up Lois and high-tailing it to rural Tehachapi to be closer to her grandchildren.

She now resides in condo on a very remote golf course and is spending most days checking out the wildlife or as she says, “living the dream smack in the middle of a Walt Disney movie set.”

She pinches herself daily.

March 15, 2017
by Elizabeth
Comments Off on 10 Tips for Finding Your Lost Pigeon

10 Tips for Finding Your Lost Pigeon

Guest Post by Molly Fox and Leslie Crawford

If you ever lose your pet pigeon, don’t despair. Pigeons want to be home and you just might be able to get yours back. Our shy and kind King Pigeon Guru flew up and into the skies above San Francisco one early evening and we thought we would never see her again. As Palomacy’s Elizabeth Young said to us that night as we walked the streets of our neighborhood looking for Guru and posting flyers, “You never realize how big the world is until you lose a bird.” Looking up at all those buildings, street after street, that’s when you think you will never again see your bird. What are the odds?

But after seven days of worrying, searching and much crying, we received a text message from someone who wrote, “Hello. We found a bird that looks like yours. Please call me.” We were stunned and only cautiously hopeful, because we knew that the survival rate for King Pigeons is only hours to days. They are big, heavy, white domestic birds bred for meat and raised as poultry and they don’t have the survival skills the scrappy, wild Rock Pigeons have. They don’t know how to forage for food or water and are easy prey for predators, including racoons, hawks, gulls, ravens, cats and dogs.

It seemed like a miracle that Guru was returned to us, and it was. But miracles happen with the help of a lot of well-meaning people and great organizations. Our miracle happened, too, thanks to Elizabeth’s calm and wise counsel. Here’s what we learned to do to have a chance of finding and saving our bird:

1. Guard against loss Of course, you never want your bird to be lost. Protect her! Take great care with doors and windows to keep your pet bird safe. Know that clipped wings will not prevent a startled bird from flying (even a heavy King Pigeon can still fly with clipped wings) and pigeon pants are more diaper than safety harness (though much better than being outside without any protection). Our Guru startled and flew right out of her pants. When outside, always keep your pet bird safe in a carrier, an aviary or harnessed and held close in your arms. And make sure you have photos of your bird. This saved us, since someone recognized our bird from the flyer we posted with her photo.

2. Keep an eye on your bird At the place where your pigeon flew away (and with any future sightings), keep your eyes locked on them to see which direction they flew and where they land. They often change course (ours did), but getting a sense of their direction can help. If your bird escaped from home, keep checking the surrounding house ledges, roof tops and power wires (they rarely perch in trees) as they are likely to come back and want to get in to their home. (They’ll be spooked and nervous, though, so don’t chase them. Lure them into an open aviary or home with food or their mate safely caged). If you see your bird at night, the pigeon will be tired and, with poor night vision, likely stay put till dawn. If your pigeon can be reached, catching them where they are roosting at night is a possibility. If it’s during the day, use food or run the hose (they will be thirsty and recognize the sight and sound of water) to get the bird to come to you. If your bird has a mate, bring him or her with you. If you find your bird, this will help ensure your bird doesn’t fly away since they have a strong connection with each other. If your bird doesn’t have a mate, but you have other birds, bring the closest member of the flock, whichever one it gets along with best. Remember: Time is of the essence. The sooner you do the following steps to try to find your bird, the better a chance you have to get your bird back safely.

3. Get (and keep) the word out on social media Post messages (include photo of lost bird, location last seen including city and state, date lost and your contact info) on as many social media sites you can, such as your Facebook page, Twitter, as well as other websites such as craigslist (the first place many finders of lost birds post), Nextdoor (a fantastic resource for anyone looking for a lost pet) and even an international bird-finding site we discovered called Parrot Alert.com. Keep re-posting so that your lost bird post is seen by as many people as possible. The more people who are looking out for your lost pigeon, the more likely she is to get home.

4. Contact Palomacy They can advise you about your specific situation. A pigeon who gets lost by flying out from her home or aviary is more likely to return home than one lost elsewhere and will need a different kind of assistance. Some pigeons (Homers, Racers, Rock Pigeons) have excellent homing abilities and are good flyers and have better odds of getting back home safely. King Pigeons, Fantails, and many of the fancy breeds have poor homing and flying skills and will need extra help to get home. Palomacy will also post on their Facebook pages and help alert the pigeon rescue community, which will notify lots of bird lovers to be on the lookout and to share on their pages

5. Post & distribute flyers Put flyers up around your neighborhood (this is where photos that you lovingly took of your bird come in handy), including at your local pet stores and vets, which is where the animal-loving folks will really spread the word. Given that we found our bird about two miles from where she flew away, if possible, flyer beyond your immediate neighborhood.

6. Contact your local pet adoption organizations & rescues We live in San Francisco, so we alerted WildCare (they rescue lots of pigeons) and Animal Care & Control (SFACC). SFACC is an amazing open-door shelter that takes in several rescued pigeons every week, including two King pigeons found stray the week Guru was missing. (By comparing photos of their faces, we could tell by their eye rings that they were not ours.)

Guru- lost 2/13/17

Boots- rescued 2/14/17

Fennel- rescued 2/16/17

Our bird Guru had been taken to SFACC when she was first rescued as a baby and that is where she was when Palomacy took her in on 6/19/14. They also are the reason we found her! We had posted a flyer there and someone had seen it. He later happened to be walking by the couple who had found our weak pigeon and told them he recognized our bird. They went back home, looked on the SFACC website, and contacted us. We answered immediately and drove in our PJ’s to their place to recover our bird, with plenty of happy tears.

2/20/17 REUNITED! GURU IS SAFE!

7. Walk the neighborhood every day We kept returning to the spot where Guru had flown away. On the way, we would talk to a lot of people (and educated them about rescue pigeons and Palomacy) and put up flyers around the neighborhood. Several people sent us text messages saying they’d seen a bird or asking how they could help. Just having this moral support, and added faith in humanity, helped us, even if we still hadn’t found our bird.

8. Get a humane bird trap Elizabeth brought a “one-way” humane trap to our house that she set up in front of our aviary in case Guru flew home during the day. She put food inside the trap so that if Guru could find her way back home, she’d go into the trap and be held until we returned. If your aviary is outside, another possibility is to lock the other birds in predator-proof carriers inside and leave the aviary door open (during the day only, not safe at night!). As Elizabeth reminded us, pigeons want to get back home.

9. Worst-case scenario If after an extended amount of time (about a month), your bird isn’t found, talk to Palomacy or your local pet shelter about adopting a new mate for the widowed bird (unless you had a single).

10. Best-case scenario: Your bird is reunited with their people and bird family! Check them over as stray birds are often injured and feathers can hide a lot. Give them a lot of nutritional food and water. Never let their bowls go empty. Make sure they have a clean bowl for bathing. They are so happy to be back in a safe sanctuary and are ready for a pigeon spa. Our bird was so dirty and it took lots of baths until she was back to her pristine self.

Molly & Leslie with Pax & Guru- found!

Finally, we aren’t including this in the list, but we made an offering to the universe that if we got Guru back, we’d donate $100 to Palomacy and not eat chocolate for a week. We were thrilled to have made the donation and every time we were tempted, but didn’t eat chocolate, it reminded us of how lucky we were to get Guru back. But we also realized that getting Guru back wasn’t pure luck. It was thanks to a lot of people and great organizations that act as a safety net for lost animals. Palomacy, our local animal shelter, and caring people who rescued our bird worked together to get her safely back to her nest.

Pax & Guru so happy to be reunited

So, if there were a number 11 on our list, the tip is to keep trying and keep hoping. After a week, we had almost lost all hope, but still kept looking. Then, we were reunited. Guru was exhausted, thin and very hungry, but uninjured. She was so lucky! She had actually gone two miles in the wrong direction. Her mate, Pax, who had missed her so much, was so mad at her when she returned (“Where were you!?”), he pecked at her and made angry cooing noises. But within a half hour, all was forgiven and she was sitting on his head. True love.

Molly Fox is the proud friend and guardian of four King Pigeons: Guru, her prodigal bird; Pax; Johnson, and Ajax. She is a fierce defender of pigeons, an animal rights activist, and Palomacy diplomat. Leslie Crawford is the proud mother of Molly.

March 7, 2017
by Elizabeth
Comments Off on Pigeon with a Broken Neck Recovers at WildCare

Pigeon with a Broken Neck Recovers at WildCare

I have seen a lot of pigeon rescue stories and this is one of the most amazing. The incredible staff & volunteers of WildCare treat thousands of sick & injured wild animals including more than 600 pigeons every year (the vast majority of whom are saved & released back to their wild lives). Palomacy, created to save domestic & unreleasable pigeons & doves from shelter euthanasia, is extremely grateful to have such an amazing & dedicated rescue partner for the wild pigeons of the Bay Area.

Reprinted with Permission from WildCare

March 6, 2017 By Alison Hermance

Pigeon with broken neck... before and after. Photos by Melanie Piazza — Intake Day 1. Photo by Melanie Piazza

When this pigeon’s rescuers saw her lying in a contorted position on the sidewalk in Oakland, California, they thought she was dead. But then she tried to move, and rescuers realized the bird was alive. When they picked her up, her neck was hanging to her feet with her head twisted upside down.

Knowing that WildCare is one of the few centers that treats injured Rock Pigeons, they quickly drove her across the bridge to San Rafael.

Upon arrival at WildCare, the fledgling pigeon was rushed into intensive care to determine what was actually wrong with her and what, if anything, could be done to help her. Pigeons can suffer from a virus called Paramixovirus (PMV) which causes neurological symptoms and loss of motor control. Unfortunately this virus can also mimic numerous afflictions such as poisoning and head trauma. WildCare Medical Staff needed to determine the cause of this pigeon’s severe neck twist in order to determine the best course of treatment.

The pigeon was given pain medications and anti-inflammatories. Radiographs (x-rays) were taken and they clearly revealed that this bird did in fact have a compression fracture of the neck so we could rule out PMV and poisoning. We will never know whether the pigeon injured herself in her first attempt at flight from the nest, landing improperly on sidewalk below, or if she had been resting on the sidewalk and a passerby caused her harm.

A broken neck is a very serious injury for any species but this pigeon had a lot going for her. She was young (growing baby animals can heal very quickly) and despite her injury, she still had use of all her limbs. And of course, she was here with us at WildCare!

We need YOUR support to help injured animals like this one! Click to become a monthly sustaining donor to WildCare and know that whatever amount you can give every month makes a real and tangible difference to injured wildlife!

It was clear that this case was a long shot and was going to require intensive, around-the-clock care so Director of Animal Care, Melanie Piazza, took on the challenge, applying techniques learned from past cases of nestling songbirds with similar neck injuries.

piazzamelanie_different-neck-brace — Day 4 (trying a different splint design using a trimmed toilet paper roll). The bird can already somewhat hold her head up. Photos by Melanie Piazza

Melanie worked to design a neck brace that would keep the bird’s neck in alignment so it could heal properly, but that wouldn’t be so heavy that the bird couldn’t remain upright. The brace also had to allow enough space for the pigeon to be tube-fed four times a day, and also to allow her crop (located at the base of the bird’s neck) to hold food without causing regurgitation.

Melanie tried many iterations of neck braces which changed as the pigeon’s strength, activity level and size changed. She tried adapting various items to create what was needed, including a padded toilet paper tube roll! Her most successful design was the most minimal. The base layer was the soft bandage material called cast padding, which was then covered by “vet wrap,” a flexible wrap that sticks only to itself, not to the patient in care. This brace provided the stability required.

As light as Melanie made the brace, it was still too heavy for the bird to hold upright on her own. Melanie devised a wrapping technique that brought a strap of the vet wrap from the neck brace over the bird’s back and under her wings, creating a sort of “figure-eight” suspender system that took the tension and weight of the brace off of the bird’s neck. These “suspenders” allowed her to hold her head up and walk normally. The bird’s caging was a pet carrier with lots of rolled padding on all sides and a ramp pillow of sorts to keep her from being too active and to help her rest and support her neck whenever she needed it.

In addition to pain medications, the pigeon was also put on a course of calcium to assist her healing and growing bones. She was tube-fed four times a day as she could not eat with the contraption on. The brace was changed every two days and the bird’s weight, pain medications and general progress were closely monitored at WildCare during the day, and she stayed in home care with Melanie through the nights and weekends.

In the video below, taken four days after the brace was first applied, although she is obviously still wobbly and somewhat crooked, the pigeon is already starting to be able hold her head up on her own!

On day 5 another set of radiographs were taken to check her progress and Medical Staff was amazed to see the degree of healing that had taken place in such a short time! Melanie started leaving the brace off overnight, to give the bird time to build her strength and also to do some much-needed grooming. As the days passed, she became increasingly able to hold her head up with less shaking for longer periods of time and the padding was removed from her carrier, allowing her more space to move around.

While her neck fracture was still healing we could not risk placing her in a cage with other rambunctious fledgling pigeons. We put a mirror in her carrier with her and her carrier was placed next to others, but this wasn’t enough interaction for such a socially developed species. By day 10 the bird was strong enough to be introduced to other pigeons her own age in a much roomier cage!

In the video below, you can see the first meeting of our patient and her two new friends. To everyone’s astonishment, she watched them self-feeding from a dish and almost immediately copied their behavior, eating out of the dish on her own with the neck brace on! This was something Melanie had been trying to get her to do but assumed she could not because of the brace. This is one of the reasons WildCare always raises orphaned baby animals with members of their own species– they learn so much from each other.

On day 14, just two weeks after her debilitating neck fracture, the brace has been removed and the pigeon is fully functioning! She is currently growing and learning with her new friends and soon the trio will be graduating to an outdoor aviary to learn how to fly. Watch the video below to see our pigeon patient now looking sleek and healthy. We’re so pleased with her amazing recovery and so happy she has a second chance at a life in the wild!

March 6, 2017
by Elizabeth
Comments Off on Miu the Emotional Support Pigeon

Miu the Emotional Support Pigeon

Guest Post by Cynthia Zhou

Cynthia & Miu

Many people may have heard about Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) through stories of strange animals on airplane flights, such as pigs or turkeys. Recently, there has been an increase in websites that claim to certify your pet as an ESA so that they can fly for free. While these websites undermine their credibility, ESAs have a very real and strong impact on people with symptoms of a mental or emotional disability that may not necessarily be visible. They are not service animals and do not require specialized training. They provide benefits through companionship, affection, and their existence.

Miu makes a difference

Miu is a Palomacy rescue that caught my eye when I wasn’t even looking for a pigeon. They’re not popular birds for companionship, but I think it would surprise most people to know how affectionate, emotional, and even entertaining they can be. My history with birds is limited to paired diamond doves and I love their presence, but they don’t like interacting with humans. Imagine my surprise when I saw Palomacy post about a homing pigeon who, despite everything she had just gone through, was tame and friendly. As soon as she arrived at our apartment, she showered everyone with pigeon kisses. She came to me at a really low point, and I’d like to be honest about this to show just how much impact her presence made. As a college student, I hadn’t been able to attend most of my classes that semester. I had been spending the majority of my days in bed, unable to find a reason to get up in the mornings and exhausted at the thought of simple things, such as eating or even just walking to the kitchen. I know it’s not something that makes much logical sense, and I was very aware of how illogical this was. I still am – I just couldn’t do anything about it, no matter how hard I thought or how much I wanted to. For me, this is what major depression looks like.

Miu at school

The reason that these stories often sound trite or cheesily motivational is because people only talk about it after something changes. I wouldn’t have been able to tell anyone at the time, because time was one long period of staying in a dark bedroom and not much else. Miu was the light for me. She gave me a reason to get up in the mornings, to stay up throughout the day, and the most surprising of all – when I had my first panic attack after she arrived, I locked myself in the bathroom to wait it out and heard flapping wings outside. I opened the door a few minutes later and found her sitting right outside. The comfort that she brings is indescribable. She’s calm when I’m not, she’s something to hold and love even when nothing else appears to be working. She exists. Sometimes all I need is for something to exist with me, and she does that constantly and without complaint.

Miu radiates love and gentleness

Although she fulfilled all of the requirements for an ESA since she arrived, I decided to get documentation for Miu before traveling home for the holidays. They’re always a difficult time of year, so I wanted to take her back on a flight with me. This involved having a licensed medical professional confirm that she is a necessary accommodation, among other requirements found here.

Miu, ready to board the plane

I expected some judgment or hostility from people who may dislike pigeons at the airport, but it is a testament to her gentle nature that the reactions were overwhelmingly positive. Several security officers were delighted when I held her for our private search, and one of them even followed her on Instagram! Many people told me they had never seen a pigeon at the airport, and they were delighted at how calm and serene she was in the noisy environment. Young children stared at her with wide eyes, their parents told me she’s beautiful, and a flight attendant even asked me to go to the back of the airplane so she could take a picture of Miu, then a picture with Miu. She told me that she hadn’t seen a bird on her plane in 20 years, and that we absolutely made her day. Through it all, Miu was well-behaved and made many friends both for herself, and pigeons in general.

Miu has a window seat

Miu flying the new-fashioned way

I hope that pigeons are able to gain more attention as calm, loving pets. They make wonderful companions and Miu is such a bright light in my life. She’s helped me more than I could’ve imagined. It may be naive to think that one bird can solve everything, and that’s not what I’m saying – but sometimes, one bird can be the push that begins the enormous and exhausting process of improving. She’s on my side and helping me along, and that’s more than I could’ve asked for from a small, beautiful pigeon. (See Miu’s rescue story.)

Cynthia is a 4th year student at UC Berkeley, studying Molecular Biology with a concentration in Animal Health. Her claim to fame is living with (and cleaning up after) several Tumblr-famous birds. Despite poor attendance, she managed to get good grades last semester and is still on track to graduate on time. She credits Miu with providing good company and encouragement during finals week, and hopes to dedicate her post-grad life to wildlife rehabilitation and rescue work.

February 3, 2017
by Elizabeth
Comments Off on 2017: Palomacy’s Breakthrough Year?

2017: Palomacy’s Breakthrough Year?

Taylor met & fell in love with rescued pigeon ambassador Sochi (Photo by Patti Delaney)

Thanks to all of your very generous contributions, large and small, personal and financial, Palomacy stayed aloft another year, continuing our work of simultaneously responding to the constant, high demand for pigeon and dove rescue while also building the organizational capacity we need to be sustainable. We are, though, struggling right on the edge- we need more funding, more adopters, more people-power.

With your help, we rescued 336 birds (directly) in 2016, placed 199 into amazing (non-exploitive) forever homes, helped countless others across the country (and beyond) with our coaching, referrals and education. We begin 2017 with 124 birds in our foster care and a waiting list of many more who need our help. The world needs more Palomacy.

In 2016, we pulled off a miracle that saved the lives of 108 birds that were displaced when a Bay Area rescuer was priced out of his home. We participated in a rescue group volunteer program assessment I am thrilled (and a little surprised) by how “healthy & highly functioning” the assessment indicates Palomacy is. They said that we received some of the highest satisfaction scores seen. Yay! We saved the life of a true rock star pigeon named Prince when no one else would. We mobilized a team to help an elderly man and his flock of 53 doves when he had no where else to turn. And so much more…

Gem, Flitwick, Avery & Lucky LaRue (Photo by Liese Hunter)

We’re honored to again be a Top Rated Great Nonprofit with 124 five star reviews including this one: “I first encountered Palomacy when I was a wildlife rehabber new to pigeons. I was given helpful advice and encouragement – and I was inspired to build an aviary and start my own pigeon and dove sanctuary! Not only does Palomacy help specific local birds, but Elizabeth and core volunteers have built a positive, supportive community that connects and assists people across the country to care for birds in their area. Thanks to their network and online group, I have been able to find wonderful adoptive homes for several of my rescued birds, and help coordinate foster homes for others. Palomacy is a necessary resource and safe place I can refer people to. I can’t say enough good about this organization!”

Our fast-growing social media presence is making a life-saving difference. In May of 2015, we welcomed our 4,000th fan to our Palomacy Facebook Page. Today, we’ll surpass 22,500! As a result of our growing reach, we are inspiring, connecting and educating pigeon and dove people all over the world. Through Palomacy, a group of pigeon rescuers in Las Vegas has formed to help each other help birds. Another group has formed to catch and untangle the stringfoot pigeons suffering in San Francisco. We inspired 101,098 likes for rescued pigeons and doves on our Instagram account in 2016 and we and our volunteers and adopters are making many new friends for the birds!

One of the 2016 developments that I’m most proud of is that our Palomacy Facebook Group achieved the critical mass needed to become a valuable destination for people in need of pigeon or dove help. It has become a wonderful source of crowdsourced information, referral and education. In prior years, I couldn’t reliably refer people to the Group for help because there weren’t enough active members to respond. Now there are and it is a go-to destination for collaboration and assistance. Something urgently needed in this overlooked and under-served animal rescue space.

We have many accomplishments this year but we are struggling against an organizational limit that, despite my best efforts, I have not been able to break through. We need more help to break the bottle neck I have become to maximize the good that we can do. I am spending too much time on tasks that others could do and too little on those that need me.

I am writing to both thank you for supporting us in 2016 and to ask for your support for 2017. This has to be a breakthrough year for Palomacy and I really need your help to make it happen. Please- if you can, make a generous donation right now to help us do this work! And please, consider becoming more involved on a day to day basis. There is so much good that needs doing!

You are such compassionate people! Thank you! Your kindness is truly making a life-saving, culture-changing difference.

With heartfelt gratitude,

Elizabeth Young, founder & director

Palomacy Pigeon & Dove Adoptions

Elizabeth at our Ploughshares Nursery foster aviary (Photo by Heather Finnecy)

January 27, 2017
by Elizabeth
Comments Off on Pigeons of Peace

Pigeons of Peace

Guest Post by Olivia Street Verdugo

Olivia & April

It all began with an unexpected text, one unremarkable day in April, 2015. Little did I know how much answering that text would change my life!

It was my friend Alistair, and she had a pigeon in her backyard which had been there for hours and hadn’t tried to fly away when she let her dog out that morning. One picture was all it took, and I picked up and left the office to scoop up the pidge, and bring it to the local wildlife rescue. I found her huddled by a trashcan, severely emaciated, exhausted, and yet still standing proud, and something in my heart just cracked and melted all at once.

We named her April—she was a racing pigeon, going from the band on her ankle, and who knows how long she had been lost. I contacted Elizabeth at Palomacy who put me in touch with fellow local bird-lover and pigeon parent Dan Featherston (now my good friend!) and after April spent some time recuperating under his expert care, I adopted her and brought her HOME! The rest is history.

Rescued racing pigeon in the loving arms of her person

The day I brought April home

While I’d always loved pigeons from afar, April was the first pigeon I’d known so well. Almost two years and several pigeon rescues later, my love of pigeons is still going strong.

Pigeons are amazing! They thrive all over the world, side by side with humans, and share a rich history intertwined with ours. As such, they’ve made appearances as iconic symbols in many cultures throughout history. Some cultures believe they represent the spirit, others love, but arguably they are most well-known today as a symbol of peace. “But wait!” you may be thinking, “isn’t the symbol of peace a DOVE?” Well… yes, and no. The bird we commonly picture when we picture the symbol for peace is a white rock dove, also known as a rock pigeon.

La Colombe by Picasso

Why is it that we revere the white “dove” of peace and revile the “sky rat” with whom we share our cities? This has always struck me as such an arbitrary conferring of value… based merely on feather color. My “peace pigeon” pins were created out of a desire to shift the way people view these intelligent and kind birds, no matter what the color of their feathers.

petit à petit, l’oiseau fait son nid

And so I created Peace Pigeon pins. Le Petit Pigeon was inspired by the beautiful French idiom “petit à petit, l’oiseau fait son nid”, which literally translates to “little by little the bird makes its nest”, but also may be interpreted to mean “every little bit helps”, or “with time and perseverance goals can always be accomplished”. To me, it means “little and often make much”. Even the seemingly insurmountable may be accomplished when tackled bit by bit! I really try to cling to that when times are tough! Just baby steps, one foot in front of the other, etc. it still all ads up!”

And now I am pleased to announce that I am selling Pigeon of Peace hard enamel cloisonné pins for $12 each or a flock of 7 for only $75.60. 20% of the price is donated directly to Palomacy to support their rescue work! This pin features the classic dove of peace shaped-bird (which we all know is a white pigeon!) in classic blue-bar coloring and holding an olive branch. Shop here and Palomacy supporters will receive an extra discount through through February 7 with coupon code: XAIPE70Y

Olivia Verdugo is a graphic designer, loves urban wildlife (especially pigeons!) and lives in Philadelphia with boyfriend Joel, two pidge babies April and Charlie, and two wonderful foster pigeons Poppy and Beatrix.

January 27, 2017
by Elizabeth
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Pippin and Pidgie

Ellie & pigeon racing survivor Mr. Vivian

Guest Post by Ellie Paterson

The first representative of the Columbidae family I ever helped was a downed feral pigeon sitting in the middle of a sidewalk in downtown San Rafael in 2001. A lady asked me to help take care of the bird since she was late to work. I’d be late to work as well, it turned out, because I put him in a box and carried him down the road to WildCare. I don’t know what was wrong with him or what happened to him, but I am grateful that there was an “expert” out there who I could call on to help the little thing.

Fast forward several years and I’m volunteering at a regional wildlife center. There, I had fallen in love with birds, particularly the baby birds – and most particularly the baby mourning doves (of course). One day, someone brought in a downed white dove, with a very strange bald spot on her head and pulled back eyelids. We all looked at her “bad plastic surgery,” perplexed: It looked almost symmetrical – could it be genetic? She was fully flighted and healthy otherwise. She was a very quiet and calm bird, occasionally giving strangely guttural coos. The center thus planned to release her back into the wild (their charter precludes helping domestic animals). I didn’t know much at the time, but I was concerned that a white dove would not fare very well in the wild (as, indeed, she already had the marks to prove). So I took her home!

Pippin

Thus Pippin the white ringneck dove became my first bird. A vet visit confirmed she was a she, and quite healthy too. And the vet educated me about her stylish head – she had been hawk-struck, and the tissue had somehow healed well. But as it did, it pulled away from her eyes, and she also lost some feathers permanently. How she managed to heal and survive I don’t know. But now she has a wonderful hairdo and disconcerting eyes.

At first, Pippin lived in a small, borrowed cage in front of a window in our study. She was very quiet and calm as she watched my partner work at his desk all day. Occasionally she would make her odd guttural coo, and we would bring her out for a perch on a finger and a pet on the chest. She was very calm but not terribly interested in us or in exploring her new world. After about one month, I thought: she’s happy, but surely she’ll be much happier with a bird pal. But, where to find a pal? (It had to be domestic and I wasn’t going to buy a bird.)

Google search! Palomacy’s website immediately popped up: There were so many doves and pigeons! All with descriptions of their personalities, their individual stories, and who they were looking for in a home and a mate! When I contacted Elizabeth, she began her pHarmony right away as we talked about Pippin’s personality.

In the meantime, I had brought home a juvenile feral pigeon, named Pidgie, who lived with us for two months that summer. I loved Pidgie: Pidgie wanted to stand on my head, Pidgie didn’t want to be grabbed, Pidgie wanted to know what I was doing, Pidgie wanted to explore explore explore, and Pidgie wanted to fly! But, Pidgie wanted to mate with Pippin, Pidgie didn’t like his cage at all, and Pidgie drove us nuts. Pidgie needed to be FREE: to sow his oats, to find a mate who would love him back. So, knowing it was a risk, I let him outside (I didn’t know then that group releases are much safer. It didn’t even occur to me to take him to WildCare. Isn’t that odd? In retrospect I may have been too attached to think straight).

Pidgie and me

The story of Pidgie that summer won my heart to all pigeons and doves forever. Pidgie learned how to come and go from the house. First he perched on the porch railing, and then took off like a jolt. Two hours later he was back. Then he graduated to sitting on the roof before take off. Then, one day, there was a hawk in the nearby tree! I called for Pidgie! Here he came, fast as a bullet! But here came the hawk too! Pidgie made it to the porch railing, alighting beside me just in time. But the hawk came too! I batted her away with my arm while Pidgie took off again – this time into the house, down the hallway, into the bathroom, and behind the toilet, breathing hard. Poor Pidgie! He stayed home all the next day. But then, he was ready again. This time, he perched on me at the threshold, while for the first time he peered carefully at the skies above him. And off he went! Where was he going? Did he find food? Did he find other pigeons? Every day he came home just before sunset; but then, he started staying out overnight. The first night without Pidgie, I was bereft: “Pidgie has been eaten by the hawk.” But no – the next day he was home! So tired, he stayed home all day. Then off again! This continued for several weeks, with the nights spent away increasing in length. Finally, it had been five whole days and nights away. This time I was sure that Pidgie was gone for good. My boyfriend had been patient with Pidgie but was relieved he was gone: After all, Pidgie was only a pigeon. And Pippin was still here – gentle, patient Pippin. Then, literally out of the blue – in flew Pidgie!!! And landed in his favorite spot to go to bed. I beamed!!! My partner beamed!!! Pidgie was okay!

Pidgie stayed with us for a few more days. The last time I saw him was on a normal, sunny afternoon. He came from nowhere and landed near me. I said Hi! and calmly continued gardening. He looked at me for a minute or so, and then was gone again. I haven’t seen him since. Now, I always hope for the best: that he learned how to survive; that he found a flock, and a nice girl. Now, every feral pigeon I see is a Pidgie, and I dream of Pidgie flying free.

Pidgie getting ready to fly!

Pippin – who will always be with me – went on to get married to Lief from Palomacy. They share their own big aviary with Beethoven and Muriel, also from Palomacy; and Cassie, a disabled Eurasian-collared girl. Lief-y Boy, flirt that he is, also married Cassie about six months ago, after a year-long courtship; Cassie chases Pippin, but because Cassie can’t fly, Pippin gets around her just fine. Pippin sits on her nest all day, comes down for safflower seeds, and gets regular attentions from Lief. She is still not very interested in people, and still she hardly ever says a single coo. Silent, gentle and abiding is Pippin.

Pippin and Lief Introductions

These two birds, Pippin and Pidgie – their yin and yang, their confidence in such small bodies – opened my eyes. They taught me that each has a big, big life to live, each in their own ways and with their own needs. For the first time, I appreciate that I, too, have a big, big life to live. As do we all.

Pippin abides

Ellie comforts sick baby King pigeon Moose

Ellie Paterson is a long-time volunteer animal keeper around the Bay Area, and a frequent volunteer for Palomacy since 2014. She recently made her living in university management. She thinks that one day she would like to manage a sanctuary, where she can make pretty aviaries, garden with the birds, and clean poop. She lives in Berkeley, CA with Tim (her partner of 10 years), 2 cats, 5 doves, and 2 foster pigeons.

December 15, 2016
by Elizabeth
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Saving Miu

Miu is safe & happy now (Photo by Cynthia Zhou)

Miu was one of more than 40 birds displaced when their person, a San Jose resident, died in November. There were 20 finches, 10 budgies, lovebirds, rosellas, doves and two pigeons. (He had bred and sold birds for many years. In the past, he had hundreds.) The deceased’s family reached out to Mickaboo Companion Bird Rescue (the parrot rescue with whom we partnered for our first four years as MickaCoo Pigeon & Dove Rescue) to take the birds out of his backyard aviaries and into their rescue (except for the two pigeons which they just let out of the aviary). One of the pigeons was promptly attacked by their dog. The other eventually went back into an empty aviary. Michelle Yesney, Mickaboo CEO and one of many Mickaboo volunteers who worked on this big rescue, closed her in to keep her safe and contacted us.

All alone

We are beyond full… stretched to the breaking point caring for 130 birds in 27 volunteer foster homes/aviaries (and coaching, referring, counseling on behalf of many more) but every day, we have to figure out how to help the birds that no one else will. And so we stretched some more. I reached out to Faye, the volunteer who coordinates our Lobby Pigeons team at the Humane Society of Silicon Valley in Milpitas, who could transport and to Clare, our Leadership Team Chair who could short-term foster to put together a rescue team for this pigeon in need.

As soon as Faye arrived on the property and spoke to Michelle, the lonesome pigeon, from a aviary far down an empty row of structures and out of sight, began cooing, calling for help.

The smart, lonesome pigeon began cooing as soon as she heard voices

Her food and water- before

Her food and water- after

Faye took her home to stay overnight while she waited to go to Clare’s the following day. It was a big improvement in her situation!

Pigeon happy to be getting some affection

Getting some love from Faye

Pigeons will vocalize to communicate with people just as they would call to one another. She’s saying, come here. Be with me. Stay with me.

This is the behavior of a very tame, bi-cultural (pigeon/human) bird. She’s preening Faye’s hand with affection, the same way she would preen a mate.

The next day, the little Homer went to Clare’s house. She took to wearing pigeon pants with ease. And just as she had quickly won Faye’s heart, she won Clare and Bob’s too.

Wearing pants for the first time

The little Homer and Bob made quick friends

In the meantime, I posted about the little lonesome Homer on our Facebook page in search of a foster or forever home…

Facebook posting

And Cynthia, a bird lover and Palomacy supporter who’s been thinking about fostering a pet pigeon for a long time was moved to complete our foster application. We talked through the requirements and what goes into caring for a pet pigeon and Cynthia set about getting ready. She suggested the name Miu which means “beautiful feather” and “kind-hearted” and so Miu she is. The following week, on November 27th, Cynthia went to Cupertino to pick up Miu. And they have been having a love fest ever since.

Pigeon and her adopter to be meeting for the first time

Miu and Cynthia meet

Mako, Cynthia and Miu

Last night I asked Cynthia for the Miu Report and she writes,

The Miu Report is looking bright! She seems to have settled in very quickly and already claimed a few favorite spots around the room. The doves have left her alone, although they once flew over to a table near her food and I saw her give a warning peck in their general direction. She’s done this less with me, but she often flies over to Mako to land on his head or back, and it’s the cutest thing. We’ve had several friends meet her, and they all adore her. She’s something of a minor celebrity at the moment, and several people have asked to visit us so they can meet her. It’s finals week for us, so we’ve been spending a lot of time at home but we’re usually focused on studying, and she’ll sometimes walk over our keyboards to get our attention. We would love to adopt her, because fostering is going well (and Mako and I are very attached – we consider her part of the family already). She’s made herself right at home and our daily routine involves so much time with her that it’s hard to believe she came into our lives less than a month ago. I hope she gets to stay for a long, long time.

Nighttime Miu

Miu studying up on birds

So, with the help of a whole team of dedicated volunteers and supporters, Miu has been saved. She is safe, loved. She is home. Thank you for helping rescues like Palomacy (and Mickaboo) to help birds like Miu. We couldn’t do this without you!

See more Miu! Miu the Emotional Support Pigeon

November 28, 2016
by Elizabeth
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Charlie Girl

Ashley Kinney of the Silicon Valley Wildlife Center & Charlie

Ashley Kinney, Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley with Charlie

On July 28th, two wild, unreleasable pigeons came in to Palomacy’s care via the Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley.

Charlie had been found as an orphaned fledgling and surrendered a couple weeks earlier. A couple of days after Charlie arrived, fledgling Pirate, with his obvious head trauma and bashed in eye, was brought in. It wasn’t until then, when the fledglings were housed together, that Charlie’s blindness was recognized.

Blind pigeon looking intently at the viewer

Charlie

Pirate

The Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley counts pigeons amongst the many creatures they help

Charlie and Pirate comforted each other as fledgling pigeons always do and it was thought the childhood sweethearts might grow into a married couple but, as they matured, one-eyed Pirate grew impatient with blind Charlie. She couldn’t see his cues and appreciate his displays. They had to be housed separately. When Palomacy took them in, Pirate moved into my foster aviary and Charlie into her own cage in the special needs bird room. Charlie’s inability to respond to the constant visual cues pigeons exchange makes her strange to other birds and a target of bullying. She needs to be in a safe environment. And, she’ll need a very gentle, patient mate who will see her for who she really is. We haven’t found him yet, but we will.

Pirate & Charlie share a quiet moment

Special birds JJ, Bug & Charlie hanging out in the bird room (with my dog Ruby)

In the meantime, Charlie savors life. She is an inspiration. She loves to soak in a bathtub, bask in the sun, shower in the rain, flap her wings with joy, amaze people with her serenity at loud, hectic outreach events (she is an amazing ambassador!), snuggle in loving arms and fiercly attack the ears of too-chatty humans.

Anne & Charlie

Making new friends

Laughing person with pigeon on her shoulder

Charlie’s pecks make Jill crack up

During the day, she hangs out in the gentle-enough-for-now Littles’ aviary. The other pigeons housed there haven’t really befriended her but they don’t bother her either. She hangs out listening to the world turn around her and at dusk I bring her indoors to her own cage.

Charlie spends the day with a gentle flock

Charlie (far right) with the Littles flock

Charlie making new friends

Once back in her own cage in the bird room, Charlie can totally relax and not have to worry about anything unexpected. She’s in charge of everything in her cage, where everything is always in the same place and nobody else ever gets in the way. Then, in the morning, she commutes back outside to the aviary for her day with the flock.

Charlie in her private space

Sighted pigeons choose each seed they eat deliberately and eat all their favorites first (usually safflower) and then all their second favorites, etc. but since Charlie can’t see, she doesn’t have that luxury. So, in addition to her regular food bowl which has pigeon feed made up of many seed types, I gave her a special little food bowl that I periodically fill up with treat seeds only (usually safflower) so that she can have the fun of “choosing” and always getting a favorite seed.

Pirate has grown up in to a beautiful bird and while he and Charlie grew apart, he is currently courting a very lovely self-rescuer named July in a foster-to-adopt home.

Handsome Pirate the Pigeon Man

Meanwhile, Charlie is content. She trusts that the future holds good things for her. She’ll do best in a home as an indoor pet pigeon. She needs a little time to learn her way around her environment but she’s very clever and once she does, she gets around great. Ideally, her people will chaperone her through a courtship with a gentle male (we’ll help with all that) so that she can eventually have the best of both worlds- people and pigeon. (Apply here to foster or adopt Charlie.) I love all her endearing ways and so when I took this little video of her being cute and sleepy and beak-smacky, I almost didn’t post it but I’m glad I did. She nearly broke Instagram with all the views and shares she got! Clearly I’m not the only one who sees her charms.

One of Charlie’s very special friends, Ellie, writes,

Charlie sleeps indoors in a house of her own where she knows the location of her food, water, furniture. On most days (when she’s not at an outreach), she visits with the “smalls” in the outdoor aviary, listening to the world around her, basking in the sun, and feeling the fresh air. Sometimes she seems to be paying attention to something only she can detect. Perhaps she can “see” something (with her UV sight), or hear something (with her infrasound hearing) that we cannot. She is a content bird. Charlie knows her name and loves people, preferring to perch on shoulders or a head, like a quiet parrot. Charlie is our zen pigeon, accepting her life and yet living it on her terms too. Charlie is calm, capable, happy, in spite of her challenges. She wants what everyone wants – a place of love.

Ellie & Charlie at the Oakland Fall Plant Exchange 10/8/16

Palomacy is here for Charlie (and all the other birds who have no place to go), we are that place of love, because of you. I can draw a direct line from your support to Charlie’s life. Without you, Charlie wouldn’t be here. Palomacy wouldn’t be here. We are so grateful to you. Thank you for making Palomacy possible.

Charlie thanks you for giving her the gift of life

November 22, 2016
by Elizabeth
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How a Little Pigeon Built a Big Aviary

Guest Post by Chris Arvanitis

A man with his rescued pet pigeon on his shoulder

Chris & Peteybyrd

On a warm spring afternoon, a little pigeon suddenly appeared on the edge of the roof above our deck. He was strutting and cooing as he peered down at us. We have many wild doves in our neighborhood, but have never seen a pigeon around here before. It was not long before he came down off the roof and was walking along the deck railing, coming closer and closer to us. We were obviously intrigued by this curious little guy. He had no bands on his legs and appeared to be a wild bird. We did a quick internet search as we knew nothing about caring for pigeons. We provided him some water in case he was thirsty. We had never seen a pigeon be so friendly with people before and came to the conclusion he was likely raised by humans, lost and tired. He continued to hang out on our deck for another hour or so and then disappeared for the night. We figured he had left, continued on his way and found a place to roost for the night. Early the next morning however, he was back on the deck, strutting and cooing again, now wanting to come in the house with us. We had to head off to work that morning so we left him some food and water on the deck, assuming that he may move on that day. That afternoon when we got back, he was still there. At this point we figured he has probably adopted us for his new home. We still were ignorant about him surviving in the wild as he seemed to do well for himself. We built him a little shelter on our deck (which we later determined would be very unsafe for him) and he took right to it, somehow knowing it was made just for him. He slept in there every night, still being able to fly free wherever and whenever he wanted. We started to become quite attached to him; he was very affectionate, especially to my wife, and had a special personality. We loved having him around as we never would have thought we would be friends with a pigeon. He was always there each night, sometimes waiting for us when we arrived home, sometimes later just before sunset, he would appear. Soon he moved into my garage and workshop and he could come and go through an opening we provided for him. We worried about his safety as we had seen him pursued by hawks in the past, but he seemed to be pretty savvy.

Petey in the workshop

Then, one night, he did not return. We were worried, but he had spent the night away from home in the past. Six days went by, still, he had not returned. We were devastated, fearing the worst. Thinking we would never see him again, I went out on the deck after dark hoping to see him as I had done for the past week, and there he was! Sitting in the little house we had built him when he first came to us. He was exhausted, emaciated, and covered in this sticky goo all over with pine needles and loose feathers stuck on him. We secured him in the garage; he drank a lot of water and ate, went to sleep and was very quiet all night. The next day, he was livelier, but did not know what this goo was until we tried to clean it. At first we thought it was pine tree sap, but it turned out to be from a glue trap! We felt so guilty and awful about what he must have been going through for six nights, likely only yards away from our home. We don’t know if someone freed him, or he managed to get loose himself, but he could barely fly with all the goo, one wing stuck to his body. Somehow he managed to survive with no water and food, likely because we overfed him since he first arrived. After getting free of the glue trap, barely being able to fly, he somehow made it home, to a place he must have known he would be helped. It took numerous mineral oil cleanings and baths in Dawn to remove the glue trap goo. I wish I had known better than to make the mistakes I made when I first encountered Petey, he needed help and was in danger and we should have immediately made him safe. (A lone pigeon, unconnected to a wild flock, is in trouble.)

Bathed pigeon wrapped in a towel in rescuer's arms

Petey recovering from his glue trap ordeal

After a week of rehab, he was feeling back to his old happy self. We kept him in our garage from then on fearing for his safety, but had a tremendous amount of guilt as he hated to be left alone. We would bring him in the house from time to time and let him fly free outside only when we were home. Looking for help, that is when I found one of the most special people I have ever encountered, Elizabeth at Palomacy. I sent her a message about our new friend, now named Peteybyrd. She was so helpful in providing advice and guidance regarding Peteybyrd. We immediately brought Petey into our home permanently, provided him his own room, my office. In talking with Elizabeth, we decided in order to provide Petey the safest and happiest home we could, we needed to adopt a lady pidge for him. She put us in touch with a local rescuer in our area, Terry Whatley, another angel for these amazing creatures. A couple of weeks later we purchased a large double flight cage and adopted Penny. At first it was a little difficult, Petey wanted nothing to do with her, still being very attached to my wife. With the incredible guidance and encouragement of Elizabeth and Terry, we were able to have faith that Petey and Penny would hit it off. After a long weekend away, we came home to find them in love. Our hearts melted to see them together.

Penny & Petey

Pigeons are very romantic!

Even after finding our Petey a loving and devoted mate, we still had feelings of guilt that they were confined to the double flight cage and the small home office. We decided to go all out. A large outdoor aviary was soon to come, all due to the inspiration of a little bird that has had a profound effect on our lives. At the time, we were in the process of building a patio and new driveway to our new garage and workshop, so we simply modified our plans slightly, adding a concrete slab for the aviary. I designed the slab to be integral with our patio and driveway. It has a raised curb, sloped floor and built-in drains for easy cleaning.

The aviary Peteybyrd built

It is sized 14 feet long by 8 feet wide and 9 feet tall at the highest point. We built it using pressure treated lumber for framing, bolted to the concrete and all galvanized hardware for durability. The back side is solid with exterior siding and sheltered corners for the nest boxes. The corners provide shear bracing for stability. We used ½ inch galvanized hardware wire mesh attached with galvanized staples. We then covered all framing and mesh seams with 1×3 cedar trim, all stained a dark brown. The roof is solid, made from 5/8 plywood, sloped 15 deg and covered with 40 year roofing shingles, leftover from my garage project. The door is attached with three spring loaded heavy duty hinges so the door can never be accidentally left open. We used two slide bolts, one bottom and one top with locks to keep predators out, although with our two large dogs in our yard, not many animals dare to venture in. Inside there is a built-in work bench for storage of food bins and supplies however the birds prefer to use it as a place to hang out and sleep. There are numerous flat perches all around the interior, a large natural branch that varies from 1-2 inches and a hanging flat perch as Petey really liked sitting on the ceiling fan blades in the garage and this perch kind of simulates that. A couple of pidgie baths finished it off.

We also installed a network video camera so we can check in on them from time to time on the internet when we are not home, a nice amenity for peace of mind. It is very easy to clean, scrape flat surfaces, sweep/vacuum, scrub and rinse all in about 45 min. All in all, we spent under $750.00 to build this aviary. Well worth the expense to provide a safe and happy home for these guys.

The moment of truth, the first day in the aviary, they loved it! They spent all day exploring, hanging out on their new perches, able to have a view of the outdoors and enjoy the daily sunlight. We actually just rolled the double flight cage right into the aviary as they seemed familiar and comfortable with it.

Nice job, Petey!

But the story doesn’t end there…We needed to adopt more pidgies in need of a home. So we have adopted two more pairs for now, for a total of six. It was a little contentious at first with Petey being a bit upset at these “intruders”, but it settled down and now we have a peaceful, comfortable, safe and happy home for all these little guys who love to play and flirt with each other. Ruffles, Little Red, Flannigan, Oscar, Penny and Petey! All because one spring day, we were visited by a sweet little pidge named Peteybyrd. This is Petey’s story and the house that Petey built!

Super Peteybyrd!

me-and-bonnie2 Chris and Bonnie Arvanitis have lived in Vista, California, coastal north San Diego County, for 40 years. Bonnie works as an executive secretary at a local hospital and Chris is an administrator of a condominium retirement community. They have one daughter, Chrissy and two rescue dogs named Buddy and Bella, both shepherds. They have always had rescue animals all their life, dedicated to providing a loving home to less fortunate animals. Chris enjoys photography, woodworking and hiking. Bonnie enjoys spending time with her dogs, and now her pigeon Petey, the beach and traveling.