mocaulfield on Sun May 16, 2010 10:53 pmI am hoping someone might be able to help with a pigeon situation my husband and I are experiencing. We live in Los Angeles in Laurel canyon. About 10 days ago a grown pigeon appeared outside my husband’s office. Pigeons do land at our property from time to time but always take off in a flurry when approached. This pigeon was different form the start. It spent some time looking at my husband through the window. He finally went out side and walked toward it and it did not fly away. In fact it hopped down and started walking around his feet. When our dog walked up the pigeon was not afraid and the dog didn’t seem to pay it much attention. It arrives outside our back door every morning and if we don’t pay attention to it he/she fly’s up to the window and pecks. If we leave a door open it will walk in and “hang out” around our feet. If we are sitting outside it comes over and sits near us. If we aren’t home and a door is open we arrive to it sitting on a couch cushion. It is agreeable when asked to leave and walks out when I point to the door. It fly’s when it needs to but otherwise it seems to like to walk. It follows my husband or I on foot when we walk down the drive to get the mail and will walk step by step behind us up the back steps. It will not let us pick it up but on several occasions it has flown and landed on my husband and it let us both pet its wings although only briefly before walking off.
We are not bird people per say. Nothing against them but neither of us have owned a bird. We admittedly know little about pigeons but this one seems to be special. We have only fed it a few crackers over the past 10 days as I thought it best to let it move on to its old life but even if we don’t feed it all day long it still comes back the next morning. Has anyone heard of such behavior in a pigeon? I assume it is feral as it has no band to identify it otherwise. It is very dark in color almost black with a dark grey under belly and under wing area and there is a purplish hew in the sun. No visible white markings or bands.
Frankly we aren’t sure what to do with this pigeon. What are the implications of taking it in and if that is the appropriate thing to do. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
We are not bird people per say. Nothing against them but neither of us have owned a bird. We admittedly know little about pigeons but this one seems to be special. We have only fed it a few crackers over the past 10 days as I thought it best to let it move on to its old life but even if we don’t feed it all day long it still comes back the next morning. Has anyone heard of such behavior in a pigeon? I assume it is feral as it has no band to identify it otherwise. It is very dark in color almost black with a dark grey under belly and under wing area and there is a purplish hew in the sun. No visible white markings or bands.
Frankly we aren’t sure what to do with this pigeon. What are the implications of taking it in and if that is the appropriate thing to do. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Cyreen and Shi have posted excellent advice and I'm glad you are giving some serious thought to adopting this bird. 
