Ever had a pet pigeon? Need advice.

[Lionfishvintage]

If you've ever had a pet pigeon, I need some advice.

My neighbor has 2 in a cage above my place and 1 is making alot of noise and keeps repeating this jumping behavior . it's really loud. Thump , thump thump all day long

.Driving me nuts. 

I wonder why it's doing it.

I can go into more details if anyone has had experience with them.

Can't ask the neighbor about it.- long story.

Thanks

[ngeorgiou]

@Lionfishvintage   Hi, never heard of anyone having a pet pigeon.....so all I can do is wish you luck with a resolution.  Cats are quiet and that is why I get along with them.....a noisy thumping pigeon would make me nuts!!

[Lionfishvintage]

Thanks. I don't want to offend anyone. But don't know why anyone would have 1 as a pet . But to each his own.

I'm a cat lady also . 

[ngeorgiou]

@Lionfishvintage   That thump, thump, thump is probably because pigeons are suppose to be free in a park and annoying visitors,...not being in a cage!!!!  It is probably begging for freedom and nothing less is going to stop the noise.....now I know why you needed ear plugs....good luck.

[Lionfishvintage]

O.K. i wasn't going to go into this but since you are so supportive, I'm gonna vent!

I got the earplugs because upstairs wall heater is so old , when they turn it on it buzzes . Really loud.I have to ask the landlord if she can fix it.

 The pigeons -

Inside their enclosure is a wooden  open box  on its side where they sleep. The female jumps up on top of the box with a twig in her mouth and then jumps down. Hence the thumping noise. I don't know why the #$%@ she's doing that. Maybe it's like you said- she wants to get out?

I hear it all the live long day.  Thank goodness it doesn't go on at night or I would have to say something.

Hey- things could be worse , right?

Thanks for listening 

[Lionfishvintage]

Nina-  Well i feel better knowing that it would drive someone else bonkers too from the thumping noise.At least now I don't feel like im being a mean old bitty!

They have a very nice large enclosure outside on the persons deck. But I'm worried the food that is all over their floor is going to attract rat/ mice/ and worse.

We're in the woods and there are coyotes , bobcats, foxes and of course free range cats here.

I don't want rats and mice hanging around just steps from my front door... 

Oh well... There's always something isn't there.

I don't know if the landlady even knows they have them.

[ngeorgiou]

@Lionfishvintage   I am also living with the wildlife and I am meticulous about anything left around for them to forage....it could become a real problem, so I feel for you.  Maybe it is time to let the land lord know, for the obvious reasons and also I do not think it can be very healthy to be living with pigeons...good grief, where did they come from?

Have you noticed that you and I are the only ones who ever participate in this team?  Where did everyone go?  Enjoy your night the best you can.

[Lionfishvintage]

Yes I noticed that everyone seems to be gone ? I'm in 3 teams and the other two have almost zero posts these days.

Sad , huh?

You have a good Sat as well!

[Artbesico]

I want to be that cat =D  The chair looks comfy ^^

[boygirlboygirldesign]

I am here today:) I've been really busy and haven't had much time to post. Don't know anything about thumping pigeons though. I think Art said in one of her posts that she was going on a road trip.

[Artbesico]

No bgbg no road trip, was just moving house and I only had Internet back working today =]

[Lionfishvintage]

Hi boygirl! 

Glad to hear from you. 

Happy Saturday. :)

[boygirlboygirldesign]

We have guests coming in a few weeks. I've been busy painting some of our rooms in the house. Plus my husband just retired and I can't get on the computer whenever I want. I am going to have to get one for myself. I've been thinking about buyng an "All in One" but I have to do some more research.

[boygirlboygirldesign]

I can't imagine having pigeons in the house. I grew up on a farm and pigeon poop is pretty dreadful. Our barn was full of it on the beams.

[Lionfishvintage]

These pigeons are outside in a big enclosure but I feel sorry for them in a way. They do have a plastic , corregated see through roof and a wooden box on its side to sleep in but its been rainy and cold here lately.  But yeah the poop ! I don't think the landlady knows or she would have said no.

But uck- there is bird seed and poop all over and ive seen wild animal scat very near their cage. I check every morning to make sure they are still alive. Even though the cage is locked. They just seem like bait. 

[GatheringCharms]

Have you considered reporting it to the landlord?  It might be a good idea.

[Lionfishvintage]

Gathering- Good advice.

She'll see it pretty soon so I won't need to.

She's due to come here and check on the property in the next week or so  and there's no way she can miss it. 

[BreezeOnTheLake]

The thumping probably is the sound of the birds jumping off their wooden box - they like to go to  higher points in their environment, as they are cliff-ledge animals in their DNA. Then when they want to get down off the box to walk around on their floor, that's probably the noise you hear.

When courting, a male pigeon will also strut around and include little jumps, a bit like Mick Jagger onstage.

Hate to be the voice of dissent, but pigeons are very smart and loving birds, and domestic pigeons make wonderful pets. Pigeons are highly intelligent, and they are very engaging with humans; they've been domesticated for as long as 5,000 years (Egypt/middle East have the earliest records).

People do rescue them - ex-racing pigeons, ex-food industry pigeons, injured ferals that can't go back in the wild. If you ever get to know a pigeon you may become a convert to what sweet birds they are and how someone would fall in love with one. They take to domestic home situations very nicely and can be very happy.

It sounds like their enclosure is a very good one - they don't need much to be happy in captivity as long as they have company (either a mate or lots of human company from their human) a large enough space to live, clean water and food, and their mess is cleaned up every day. Most serious pigeons owners clean out the bottom of their birds' enclosures on a daily basis, of both waste food and poop.

I hope the neighbor has permission from the landlady - it would be shame for the birds to be reported if they are being cared for well and are happy. They are just as much joy to have for pets as people find parakeets/budgies to be, or canaries, or parrots, etc. In fact pigeons can often be nicer in personality that some of the parrot family. They are gentle yet full of personality.

Some very nice birds will be homeless and possibly killed if these birds have to be "evicted."

[Lionfishvintage · Accepted solution]

Breeze-that is what i'm hearing. I went out to see what the noise was all about when it 1st started happening . I even taped it.

Wow- you know pigeons! Yes it was the male who was doing the jumping. 

I ran into the nice neighbor whose girlfriend owns the pigeons and he told me that the male is a king pigeon . He's big and pure white. His girlfriend got them from a rescue org.

I told him i saw the male jumping up and down from the top of the box and asked if he was sick or ?

He said that he did that alot and asked if it was noisy . I said yeah - it was an all day occurance. Anyway, he put something down on the floor to deaden the sound a bit .

Yes- they clean the cage every day . It's a nice one  too.

I do worry a bit about them because the other night there was a raccoon slinking around the cage and yesterday a local cat was hanging around. 

Hey- thanks for all the info Breeze! you must have had them as pets at one time?

I think my neighbor said the landlady knew he had them . Kinda hard to hide that big cage out there !!

[BreezeOnTheLake]

Ah I wondered if there was a king pigeon! They are huge and heavy (even more noise when jumping or dropping down from a perch!) and yes, pure white. They are bred for eating, and sold in market situations where the conditions are quite cruel. That big guy is one lucky pidge to now have a nice home, a caring human, and a little pidge wife!

I'm glad to hear that the landlady knows and that the nicer neighbor has put something on the floor surface to soften the thudding noises of the king pigeon. About the wild predators, hopefully the cage is built well enough that they can't break into it; it's always a problem when people keep an avian enclosure, making sure it's safe against the wild predators who want to get at the birds. Attracting rats can be an issue too because of the spilled food, which is why daily clean-up is important with an outside aviary. I hope the noise is decreased for you now that they've put something underneath the King's jumping-off place; he sounds like a lively fellow. It might be fun if the nicer neighbor guy could bring a pidge out for you to meet in person; they're fun to meet up close.

[Lionfishvintage]

Breeze- He is a beautiful bird! 

I am worried about rats . If I see one, I'll let them know .

I sprinkled mint oil around my front door and in the area to try to keep the raccs away.

[Artbesico]

This reminds me of this place I used to live at, the second floor of a house, with an attic/loft under the roof. I often heard noises like birds thumpimg/flapping their wings. It was frightening and annoying. It could have been bats = { 

Then there was another place where I could constantly hear birds' high pitch sound, at first I thought it was outside the window but later I found it sound more like coming from inside the wall. It was driving me crazy.

[Lionfishvintage]

Art- Welcome back! Hope the move went well. 

So there was a bird in your wall? Poor thing. It was trying to get out.

[Artbesico]

Thanks Lionfish, things went well thanks but I'm exhausted, aches everywhere and bruises too. I've been up early almost everyday for appointments, tomorrow is Saturday nothing on so I can at least stay in bed until I'm ready to get up LOL

[Artbesico]

No it just sounded like the noise was coming from there somewhere, I really had no idea what it was and from where.