Pigeon Talk

[backyard pigeons]

Me and little Jake have something going. His temporary cage isn't quite big enough for flapping, so whenever I go in, I take him out to let him flap. He now doesn't peck at me as much when I take him out...

 

[biophiliac]

Depends on what you call tame... He will sit on my hand, if I can get him out of the cage. He trys to bite and wing slap me alot. But we're getting there! I call him "he" because of the wing slapping...

He arrived with the name "little Jake" and it will remain

I would call that tame. My tamest ones just love to bite me. The don't seem angry, they just really enjoy it. They also like to peck at my shoes or grab the cuff of my pants and shake it like a dog toy! I'm not getting respect... :-(
That's a good name, now find him a mate!

 

[backyard pigeons]

I would call that tame. My tamest ones just love to bite me. The don't seem angry, they just really enjoy it. They also like to peck at my shoes or grab the cuff of my pants and shake it like a dog toy!
That's a good name, now find him a mate!

Mine peck at my shoes too! How intense is the biting of your game ones? Mine actually hurts! I have a bunch of marks on my hands... But I wonder if it's kinda like when they preen their mate, or when they are pigeon "kissing" their mate. Ok, this is getting weird!

 

[backyard pigeons]

@Pyxis how is the loft coming along?

 

[biophiliac]

How intense is the biting of your game ones? Mine actually hurts! I have a bunch of marks on my hands..

Yep, I have marks too and it can hurt. My skin is older and more delicate so I try to wear long sleeves so their toenails don't leave marks when they land on my arm looking for peanuts - Yes, #738, I AM talking about YOU! haha

 

[backyard pigeons]

Yep, I have marks too and it can hurt. My skin is older and more delicate so I try to wear long sleeves so their toenails don't leave marks when they land on my arm looking for peanuts - Yes, #738, I AM talking about YOU! haha

Which one is #738?

On a different note, how many band numbers do you remember of your birds?

 

[Serin]

@CCUK I hope the missing birds come back, this is why I wouldn't free fly I don't think... I had a little finch get out three years back though, when I had an outdoor aviary, and he flew a few blocks over and then I lost track of him. But seven hours later he comes down into the garden and just hops into the little cage I left out with food on the long shot he would come back. He was singing his heart out - apparently had a great day out! I still have that little guy.

@backyard pigeons Olive wing-slapped me when she didn't know me yet so that is not an indicator of sex. And gentle preening will not hurt, yours is probably defensively biting at you. Olive preens my hands all the time and it's just very gentle nibbling back and forth along my fingers. Though she also has a small, blunt beak.

She went on an outing today, her first time in the car out of a cage (with her leash). She sat on my shoulder (passenger seat) and purred/grumbled or whatever you would call their happy nesting noises while I patted her and she looked out the window. We stopped at the park and she got some sun and preened herself on the bench. She will walk on the path, but she still won't step on grass.

 

[biophiliac]

Which one is #738?

On a different note, how many band numbers do you remember of your birds?

#738 is a hen hatched last Jun 11th and she has decided she is special enough for extra peanuts. I'm pretty sure that's her in my avatar although the picture doesn't do her justice. She has a very feminine look and a beautifully colored eye. She and her mate are sitting on fake eggs. Her mate is a sibling but not her nest mate. Some of my birds have names and some just go by the #s. The ones that have names - I sometimes forget their #s, but the ones without names I remember the #.

 

[Pyxis]

@Pyxis how is the loft coming along?

No more progress, due a combo of rain on my days off, and me working 11 hour days when I do have to work. I'm hoping to get more done tomorrow, and if I'm really lucky, to polish it off on Monday.

 

[backyard pigeons]

@CCUK I hope the missing birds come back, this is why I wouldn't free fly I don't think... I had a little finch get out three years back though, when I had an outdoor aviary, and he flew a few blocks over and then I lost track of him. But seven hours later he comes down into the garden and just hops into the little cage I left out with food on the long shot he would come back. He was singing his heart out - apparently had a great day out! I still have that little guy.

@backyard pigeons Olive wing-slapped me when she didn't know me yet so that is not an indicator of sex. And gentle preening will not hurt, yours is probably defensively biting at you. Olive preens my hands all the time and it's just very gentle nibbling back and forth along my fingers. Though she also has a small, blunt beak.

She went on an outing today, her first time in the car out of a cage (with her leash). She sat on my shoulder (passenger seat) and purred/grumbled or whatever you would call their happy nesting noises while I patted her and she looked out the window. We stopped at the park and she got some sun and preened herself on the bench. She will walk on the path, but she still won't step on grass.

I know it's not a 100% way to determine sex. But most of my cock birds wing slap, while the hens grunt and winng slap as the final resort.

before olive wing slaped, did she grunt?

I suppose it could be defensive biting, I don't know what else it could be, but mine don't bite. They will peck at my shoes, but that's it. And it seems to aim for inbetween my fingers, as if it's looking for food.