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Monday Morning Mystery 100410
Kathy, a reader in Midland Park writes: [On Wednesday and Thursday of last week], we have this beautiful bird in our side yard feeding on the ground beneath our main feeder. It's banded with a red band, first numbers we can see are "47" followed by a "5" or a "1".
I know pigeons may not be your thing, just passing along … He certainly looks healthy but we were a bit concerned, thinking these pigeons are usually in flocks and he's a solo …
I have a theory. How about you?
3 comments
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Julie, Jim .. The racing pigeon is back again this morning (Wed., 6th). I emailed the American Racing Pigeon Union and 3 other racing pigeon clubs as found on their website, with photos. I also put up a Craigslist “lost and found” posting as a long shot.
I photographed him with a better lens today, but can still see only “479” on that leg band. The sites indicate that more letters/numbers are needed to ID. Without actually capturing him, that’s all I’ve got.
Will post back if any results … Thanks again,
Kathy (Midland Park) -
Jim, Thanks for posting .. and Julie, thanks for the helpful link and your comments. We haven’t seen him since Thursday, so, fingers crossed, he’s on his way home. If we have another visit, we will try to get a better look at his leg band with our binoculars so we can trace him back to his owners. I’ll post an update with any more info .. Thanks again, Kathy (Midland Park)
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I learned a few years back that racing pigeons sometimes get grounded from exhaustion. they take a day or two to rest and feed, and then they’re off again. this guy (hopefully) may have gotten exhausted from trying to fly in the storm (who knows where he originated from and whether he’s off course and how far?) and may have chosen her yard as a resting stop because it’s well-stocked with food. once they’re recharged (a day or two), they get back to work and find their way home.
if this bird doesn’t, then he’s probably grounded due to illness and there may be little you can do for it.
to figure out where this bird’s from, you’ll need the letters at the beginning of the band, which haven’t been visible. if you have the full letter/number combo from the band, you can find out who owns it, where they are, and what racing pigeon club they belong to, and what year the bird was born. and you can get contact info online.
info here on lost racing pigeons, how to care for them, what food to put out for them, how to read the bands, and how to contact their owner: http://www.pigeon.org/lostbirdinfo.htm
alas, my racing pigeon was grounded due to illness and did not make it. it turned out he was from the bronx. although i contacted the owner, i never heard back. hopefully kathy’s has already rebounded and flown home under its own steam.
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3 comments
www.google.com/accounts/o8/id?id=AItOawkJXUblKJbW8FZ4SKA0ZEGgxa_6IrisfYI
Julie, Jim .. The racing pigeon is back again this morning (Wed., 6th). I emailed the American Racing Pigeon Union and 3 other racing pigeon clubs as found on their website, with photos. I also put up a Craigslist “lost and found” posting as a long shot.
I photographed him with a better lens today, but can still see only “479” on that leg band. The sites indicate that more letters/numbers are needed to ID. Without actually capturing him, that’s all I’ve got.
Will post back if any results … Thanks again,
Kathy (Midland Park)
www.google.com/accounts/o8/id?id=AItOawkJXUblKJbW8FZ4SKA0ZEGgxa_6IrisfYI
Jim, Thanks for posting .. and Julie, thanks for the helpful link and your comments. We haven’t seen him since Thursday, so, fingers crossed, he’s on his way home. If we have another visit, we will try to get a better look at his leg band with our binoculars so we can trace him back to his owners. I’ll post an update with any more info .. Thanks again, Kathy (Midland Park)
julie mccall
I learned a few years back that racing pigeons sometimes get grounded from exhaustion. they take a day or two to rest and feed, and then they’re off again. this guy (hopefully) may have gotten exhausted from trying to fly in the storm (who knows where he originated from and whether he’s off course and how far?) and may have chosen her yard as a resting stop because it’s well-stocked with food. once they’re recharged (a day or two), they get back to work and find their way home.
if this bird doesn’t, then he’s probably grounded due to illness and there may be little you can do for it.
to figure out where this bird’s from, you’ll need the letters at the beginning of the band, which haven’t been visible. if you have the full letter/number combo from the band, you can find out who owns it, where they are, and what racing pigeon club they belong to, and what year the bird was born. and you can get contact info online.
info here on lost racing pigeons, how to care for them, what food to put out for them, how to read the bands, and how to contact their owner: http://www.pigeon.org/lostbirdinfo.htm
alas, my racing pigeon was grounded due to illness and did not make it. it turned out he was from the bronx. although i contacted the owner, i never heard back. hopefully kathy’s has already rebounded and flown home under its own steam.