The Race Pigeon Rescue - Story

(picture taken where I found the pigeon off the side of the bike path with my Samsung Galaxy SII. Pretty impressive I think for a phone!)

So this is the bird that made my Friday interesting........

Out biking on a rail trail, I saw a pigeon off to the side. It made me do a double take, and I turned around and got off my bike. It didn't more. I nudged it with my foot and it hobbled a bit, limping it's leg and dragging it's wing for a few feet. I saw it had a band on it's leg, but couldn't read all of it. I figured it was a catch and release tag like some people who tag birds do. I called the SPCA, but got no answer. I decided to leave it, and take it home if I could find a box on the rest of my bike ride. Before leaving it, I put it out of the sun in a shaded bush. I used doggie bags to pick it up that I keep on my bike to keep stuff dry in-case I get caught in a downpour.

I wasent sure if it was diseased, so I stopped at a restroom in the park to wash my hands. An hour later I was headed home on the same path. The bird was still there, but I had not found anything to put it in on my ride, so I left it. Once I got home, I researched "pigeon tag" and found right away that it was a racing pigeon, and information on what to do finding a lost bird.

I told my mom about this, and we agreed to go get the bird. This time I drove and parked my car at the end of the trail, and jogged 1 mile in to where I put the pigeon........in 90degree heat.......not wearing my running shoes.....carrying a carboard box.....after I just biked 15 miles..... O_o

Luckily it was still there, and I poked it out of the brush with a stick and got it in the box. Met up with my mom who walked and was way behind, and went back to the car. We brought the pigeon home and put it in a large bucket with food water, and a towel. Once I figured my way around the pigeon racing website, I found I could track the birds blub. I went back outside and picked up the pigeon with grooves and read the numbers to my mom. A three letter code put into the sites search engine quickly found the club. I called the number but nobody was home, and I left a message. I put a piece of fence over the pigeon bucket, and put it over cover for the night.(it rained)

So this morning, the club president (or whatever) called me and asked for the pigeons info. I gave it to him, and he said he would look up the owner and have him call me. Five minuted later the owner called and I told him my story, and gave him my address. He lived about 20 minutes away. An hour later he showed up. Not what I expected. Thought it would be an old guy, but this guy was maybe 30. He said this one had been lost for a while, because new ones have digital tags too. He held the pigeon while we talked, stretching out it's wings, and looking it over. He said it likely flew into a power-line because some feathers on it's chest were missing. There were powerlines where I found it.

He said he had 50 pigeons, and the club usually only has 2 a week show up, found by people like me. For a race, they have a truck they take the clubs pigeons in, and drive out a certain distance like 300 miles or so, then release the pigeons. They then fly home, and are tracked in the order they make it home. After talking for a while, he put the pigeon in a fancy wood cage, and left. The best part was they he never asked about the birds condition, or seemed to care that it was inured. Hopefully it gets better, or goes into retirement