We have seen this fairly tame pigeon hanging out in Harrier Meadow the past several days.
It has a green band on its left leg but no numbers or letters on it.
We have sent an e-mail to the Lyndhurst Homing Pigeon Club to see if they know anything about it.
Anyone have any other ideas what to do next?
The Lyndhurst Club had a race on Sunday (6/5), and that fits in with when the bird first appeared at DeKorte.
Oh! I saw that bird on Sunday next to Harrier Meadow, and wondered about it.
I once tracked down a racing pigeon’s owner when I found it. But without numbers on the green band, or being able to see if there’s a numbered band on the other leg, it’s hard to know what to do next. All the stuff I know is what to do if the bird is stranded and not flying. But if this guy is flying, he might just be taking a rest and may move on soon and head home.
If he seems injured or sick, the next thing to do would be to put out food and water for it. But that’s something *not* to do if the bird is okay and just taking a rest. (Although 4, possibly 4+ days seems a long time to me…)
I got info here: http://interbug.com/pigeon/lost.html but if this guy is moving about freely there is probably nothing to do. I wonder if the bird lost another leg band with numbers.
Hmmm…
Another info source: http://www.pigeon.org/lostbirdinfo.htm – American Racing Pigeon Union
I’ve found a few lost/exhausted racers over the years, and it’s been my experience that the clubs don’t care to have these maybe flawed birds back. They don’t last long…cats, hawks, etc.
Linda, I’m sorry to hear that. :/ I only have traced one pigeon before, and thought maybe my experience was an aberration. (Still hoping that’s the case.) I had the bird in hand, got a phone number for the owner, left voicemail, and never heard back from them. :/
I think I’ve had 2 racing pigeons hanging out at Mill Creek Point. I saw them twice last week when I was scanning the river. I thought I saw leg bands on them, but couldn’t determine any markers. Last year I found a pigeon from one of the Brooklyn Clubs. It had a big obvious band on it.
Mill Creek Point has one homing Pigeon left, the other one was retrieved and brought to a bird rehabilitaion. I read the band (zoomed in with my camera) and found the owner. The wind brought them up from Hazlet, NJ. They were lost and made Mill Creek Point there home. The owner does want it back because it is still young, the problem is catching it.