Solid White Bird - looks like a pet?
Came home from a walk and saw a beautiful solid white bird that I can't identify and am wondering if its someone's pet?
It is perched on the awning/overhang/roof thing outside still. Never saw it before, don't know if there is someone I should call in case its a lost pet.
Any advice?
It looks like it has a ring on its left leg?
SkyBluecould be a cockatiel......you 'could' go outside and call it ...whistle...if it flies to your head you know its somebodies pet :o) so sad to lose a pet bird...........I can't imagine...
Crazy Cat Lady Well I guess its probably just a pigeon? But its solid white and I've never seen it before so my first thought was pet.
Been talking to it , whistling to it, even put my hand out to see if it would fly to me, lol, he just tilts his head a bit.
The only time he moved was when the neighbor stood on a patio table and got a bit close, and he just moved backwards a bit.
I left a message with Raptor Trust just in case there is something we should do for it.
I will check craigslist and let you know.....how cute that he tilts his head....you did everything I would have tried. I know people often catch lost pet birds....i have no idea how....our bird flies to us but if he (God forbid) ever got out, I know he would not fly to a stranger....maybe leave some food for him so he stays around in case you hear of a lost bird....I would think a flat dish type feeder would be best especially if it is the size of a pigeon.
It could be a homing pigeon. There are solid white ones they use for wedding in place of doves.
Christine Looks like a homing pigeon. You could try calling Kash's Farm in Independence ( Water St) I know Kash's son raises homing pigeons. Might be his.
(908) 852-0570
Firefly Thanks for the info Firefly, I just called and the woman said (i think) that we have to check the number on the band to know whose it is.
I couldn't hear her well at all due to some weird noise on the line, but I'm *pretty* sure thats what she said, lol.
Yeah thats a homing pigeon. If he is tagged he can be traced. Otherwise he will find his way home.
He would probably be very grateful if you put some food out for him. Birdseed, cracker crumbs, popcorn... on the ground. They don't go to feeders. Hopefully he'll soon regain his bearings and head home. Otherwise, you may have yourself a beautiful fancy pigeon!
Rebecka There's one of these in my neighborhood, too! Very tame, but not tame enough to catch. Good to know about them not going to feeders.
3wbdwnj Birds like to step up, never down. If you hold your hand about 3- 4 inches higher than the birds feet, it might step up onto you if its used to people.
hktownie That looks like a dove to me. I'm pretty sure they are actually pigeons of a sort and can home, but I know people who keep them as indoor pets too. So he may have flown off without any idea how to get back. If so, the best way to attract him is with food. If he is an indoor pet he's probably hungry.
I do hope he's a homing pigeon and has flown off home by now.
Aquarius Aquarius - pigeons are indeed doves (part of the dove family). Not all doves are pigeons, though. I'm not sure if this is a fancy white homing pigeon, or a different kind of dove. Someone who keeps these kinds of birds would be able to tell from the photo, but I can't.
In any case, if it's banded, it definitely belonged to someone, and is not used to foraging for food. So... food on the ground would help this little guy out. :-)
I agree - it was probably released for a wedding. This time of year, these white birds are popular for that.
He was gone this morning when we woke up so I'm assuming he just needed a little rest.
I read up on homing pigeons and put some water up there in a way he could easily reach/use, but I don't think he bothered with it, lol.
I read that eating before a long flight isn't good for them, and since he hadn't been up there that long I decided to wait on that.
Rapture Trust called back this morning saying that it did in fact sound like a homing pigeon.
He looked more like a pigeon when he briefly stood up and moved.
Anyway, hopefully he is happily on his way now. Thanks for all the tips. :)
So glad to hear it. I have a parrot and an escaped bird is every bird owner's nightmare, so I am glad he did not appear to be an escapee after all. I hope he is home soon.
ours was an easy target for some predator...:( lots of white feathers and no bird...
When these show up and stay for a bit it is clearly because someone you know has recently passed. Think about it. Yes...seriously.
mechanicman I live in Wisconsin and there is a bird under our bird feeder right now that is all white, about the size of a pigeon, and has a blue tag on its left leg. Maybe its the same one!
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