Pigeon Talk

[WVduckchick]

That is incredible. All my house birds in the past I think trained themselves to go on my shoulder.

Bwahaha

 

[backyard pigeons]

so, are all pigeon breeds believed to be equally intelligent, or are some breeds smarter than others?

all seem to be equally intelligent except for serins... Lol.

I would say the most intelligent are, racing homers. Obviously because they can find their way home from great distances. But they also catch on quickly to new things. Parlor rollers would be last I bet.

Kinda like dogs I guess. Pretty equally intelligent but I'm different ways.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

View attachment 1678939 View attachment 1678940

Those big brown eyes! Makes me think of the precious moments characters.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

I really miss having a house bird.
When I started in on ducks I agreed I would give up on wanting a parrot.
Now, 20+ some ducks later, the hubby says he should've just gotten me the parrot

 

[Serin]

Birds are viewed as pets that are inherently dumb and messy, but they definitely aren't dumb and I don't think they have to be that messy. They definitely can learn where to do their business - setting hens don't soil their nests, after all, and know to hold it until they get off. Olive has proven she is very smart, and I think she will be very able to figure out house rules. We make pretty big progress every day, more than I have ever had with another type of pet bird. We have gone from her wing boxing and biting me if I came by her (first day), to letting me touch her and being OK with it, to eating from my hand, to stepping up on my hand, to seeking out snuggles in her cage, to flying to my arm from across the room, to choosing to come over and spend time with me on the cage/on my shoulder, to knowing not to poop on those two places. And she has only been here nine days.

Olive is such a rewarding pet, and she is honestly better than I anticipated. I never expected she would just adapt so instantly to be taken from a cage at the feed shop, where she probably had never been handled kindly before, and let loose in a house but she has. She flew into a a window one time on day two and then went around carefully and tapped every other window with her beak and learned her boundaries. She has totally bonded to me and trusts me more every day. We already have a routine and she knows that when I say "goodnight", she is going to her cage. She eats, drinks, and then she sits on her wooden ledge and I pet her and she coos and she preens me for five or ten minutes. Then she goes to bed. In the morning, we do the same thing, then I ask her to step up, and she comes out and flies out to the sun porch. She spends most of the midday there lazing in the sun, we do some step-up/recall training (she's started doing it for snuggles, not just food - she steps up and then she wants me to pet her for a few minutes.) I give her a bathtub, and she thinks about whether or not she trusts it for half an hour before taking her bath. In the evening the sun porch is dark, so she alternates between walking around on the couch with me and the top of the door. She met my other birds a few times (finches and budgies) and has no interest in bothering them which is good, but they're scared of her as she's quite a lot bigger so it will take time for them to be out at the same time.

I think pigeons are much more naturally suited as indoor pets than parrots, because they are actually domesticated, and I don't think they are any less clever. Her only downside is that she does poop a lot, but if today is any indication we may be able to work on organizing that issue!

I don't think Olive's breed is anything unique in the smarts department. I would imagine homers or ferals, which are adapted to problem solve outdoor environments, are the smartest breeds. But the old german owl, as a breed bred for tameness, may relate more naturally to people (I did choose this breed on the recommendation they are one of the nicest pet breeds.) There was almost no taming process with Olive. She just didn't fear me, and once she got to know me, we became friends. No other type of bird I have worked with has gone from unsocialized to seeking out snuggles in four days. I have been working with a budgie for six months and only now does he step up (on his terms). And don't even think of petting him!

 

[shawluvsbirds]

Birds are viewed as pets that are inherently dumb and messy, but they definitely aren't dumb and I don't think they have to be that messy. They definitely can learn where to do their business - setting hens don't soil their nests, after all, and know to hold it until they get off. Olive has proven she is very smart, and I think she will be very able to figure out house rules. We make pretty big progress every day, more than I have ever had with another type of pet bird. We have gone from her wing boxing and biting me if I came by her (first day), to letting me touch her and being OK with it, to eating from my hand, to stepping up on my hand, to seeking out snuggles in her cage, to flying to my arm from across the room, to choosing to come over and spend time with me on the cage/on my shoulder, to knowing not to poop on those two places. And she has only been here nine days.

Olive is such a rewarding pet, and she is honestly better than I anticipated. I never expected she would just adapt so instantly to be taken from a cage at the feed shop, where she probably had never been handled kindly before, and let loose in a house but she has. She flew into a a window one time on day two and then went around carefully and tapped every other window with her beak and learned her boundaries. She has totally bonded to me and trusts me more every day. We already have a routine and she knows that when I say "goodnight", she is going to her cage. She eats, drinks, and then she sits on her wooden ledge and I pet her and she coos and she preens me for five or ten minutes. Then she goes to bed. In the morning, we do the same thing, then I ask her to step up, and she comes out and flies out to the sun porch. She spends most of the midday there lazing in the sun, we do some step-up/recall training (she's started doing it for snuggles, not just food - she steps up and then she wants me to pet her for a few minutes.) I give her a bathtub, and she thinks about whether or not she trusts it for half an hour before taking her bath. In the evening the sun porch is dark, so she alternates between walking around on the couch with me and the top of the door. She met my other birds a few times (finches and budgies) and has no interest in bothering them which is good, but they're scared of her as she's quite a lot bigger so it will take time for them to be out at the same time.

I think pigeons are much more naturally suited as indoor pets than parrots, because they are actually domesticated, and I don't think they are any less clever. Her only downside is that she does poop a lot, but if today is any indication we may be able to work on organizing that issue!

I don't think Olive's breed is anything unique in the smarts department. I would imagine homers or ferals, which are adapted to problem solve outdoor environments, are the smartest breeds. But the old german owl, as a breed bred for tameness, may relate more naturally to people (I did choose this breed on the recommendation they are one of the nicest pet breeds.) There was almost no taming process with Olive. She just didn't fear me, and once she got to know me, we became friends. No other type of bird I have worked with has gone from unsocialized to seeking out snuggles in four days. I have been working with a budgie for six months and only now does he step up (on his terms). And don't even think of petting him!

None of my budgies ever liked or wanted to be petted.
I much preferred the cockatiels over them.
One of the cockatiels I had I was warned when I got him that he was vicious and bit everyone.
Turned out at his previous owners house the man who lived there was cruel to him. He only hated men. He was the sweetest bird to me. He would sit and snuggle and nibble my fingers gently. . but if a man approached him the fight was on.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

None of my budgies ever liked or wanted to be petted.
I much preferred the cockatiels over them.
One of the cockatiels I had I was warned when I got him that he was vicious and bit everyone.
Turned out at his previous owners house the man who lived there was cruel to him. He only hated men. He was the sweetest bird to me. He would sit and snuggle and nibble my fingers gently. . but if a man approached him the fight was on.

He could talk a little bit too if you listened closely. When he would nap on my shoulder sometimes I swear he would mutter "G** D*** bird"
I know he must have heard that phrase a lot.

 

[Serin]

I have had cockatiels, and even bred them, but ultimately decided they are not the bird for me due to their volume (ear shattering) and their ability to chew holes into the walls (from firsthand experience.)

 

[Pyxis]

He could talk a little bit too if you listened closely. When he would nap on my shoulder sometimes I swear he would mutter "G** D*** bird"
I know he must have heard that phrase a lot.

That's really sad My first cockatiel was also given to me as 'mean' and was also from a neglectful home. He was not mean. There is no such thing as a mean parrot. I think I've probably told the story on the Pond and you've probably read it already, lol.

I have had cockatiels, and even bred them, but ultimately decided they are not the bird for me due to their volume (ear shattering) and their ability to chew holes into the walls (from firsthand experience.)

Haha, hearing cockatiels described as ear shattering makes me laugh a little - but only because of the other birds I've owned. I've had cockatiels, then a sun conure, and now a quaker. A cockatiel has nuthin' on bigger parrots. I have become desensitized to bird noise, let me put it that way, lol. I know people who haven't owned larger birds probably would find cockatiels really loud at times. Meanwhile my 'dream bird' is a galah cockatoo, and yep, I know the level of volume I'll be letting myself in for.

I miss my 'tiels. I'd get one again in a heartbeat. I'm actually considering it currently, since it would be a bit of companionship for my quaker when I'm not around. Either that, or perhaps a pair of budgies or finches. I've had budgies before and loved to hear the males sing, but I also love the little noises finches make and would like to own a pair. We'll see what I end up doing.

 

[Serin]

Quaker parrots are feral here. They shriek in the trees and my one tiel Freddy outscreamed them no question. You could hear him six houses down the street. And he just did it for fun!