Fun Fact Friday #13 (Spies in Disguise) - How do Pigeons See Light?

[@acooper6956]

This is really terrific info. Did you give up on doing videos? Everything I see is at least a couple years old.

[@DilipKumar-pz7qb]

Nice info. Thank you!

[@incanusolorin2607]

Very interesting! Thank you for sharing this info. I hope you will also continue the beginner’s guide to pet pigeons next year. I’m particularly interested in the episode about handling and bonding.

[@thecrazypigeonlady8731]

I sure am! There will be 10 Episodes in all :-) Ep 6 will be about handling and understanding behaviour and Ep 10 will cover building a relationship with your bird :-)

[@incanusolorin2607]

@@thecrazypigeonlady8731 Wonderful! Can’t wait :-)

[@incanusolorin2607]

Hello! I’m sorry to keep bothering you, but you are a very reliable source and I trust your inputs way more than any other pigeon people I’ve watched/read so far. Do you know if there is a difference of longevity in common vs fancy (especially lahores) vs racing pigeons? Obviously feral pigeons have a much shorter lifespan because of diseases, predators, bad diet and accidents, but I’m asking about their genetic characteristics, if they are all kept as pets in similar conditions. I know there is usually a lot of inbreeding amongst show breeders who want to develop particular characteristics in the animals and this has caused certain health problems in other species, such as some breeds of dogs and canaries. If fancy pigeons have similar problems, I suppose racing and common pigeons would, in theory, live longer, right?

[@thecrazypigeonlady8731]

Thats a really great question! To answer in detail could take a while so Im inspired to make a video on this one and post it as this months pigeocation - thank you!

[@incanusolorin2607]

@@thecrazypigeonlady8731 Thank you so much, that's very good to hear! It would be even better to get an answer in a video. I'm looking foward for this month's pigeocation!

[@thecrazypigeonlady8731]

Hi, Im having some issues with making videos at the moment so Ill try to give you a concise answer on this :-) Domestic pigeons kept by humans will live average 10-15 years vs 2-3 years for a feral pigeon. There are no inbred mutations i know of that cause specific health issues that increase mortality of domestic pigeons however some mutations in fancy birds do require specific care eg special perches for large foot muffs, foster care for the babies of short faced breeds, special feeding regimes for wattle breeds and pouters etc. Having said that, mutations in fancy birds do decrease their survivability as outdoor/feral/wild animals because these traits often make them more vulnerable to predators and years of domestication have removed many of their survival instincts and skills. So, whilst their health is not affected, they cannot survive without human care. Even racing pigeons that are fit, fast and free fly are at a disadvantage vs wild birds because they get fed and therefore dont know how to forage wild if they get lost and havent grown up learning how to recognise and escape predators. I hope that helps!

[@incanusolorin2607]

@@thecrazypigeonlady8731 It does help! Thank you very much for being so considerate of your followers. I really appreciate you for taking some time out of your day to answer my silly questions. I hope you will be able to get back at making more videos soon. Take care!

[@rinnychi5392]

Wonderful video ! However I had a question, Having a cat, is it possible to acquire a pet pigeon safely? And if it is, is there anything I should be aware of to make the cohabitation as comfortable and safe as possible ?

[@thecrazypigeonlady8731]

Hi, keeping birds together with cats or dogs is not entirely without risks but some pigeon owners do. Certainly if you choose to have them both then they should be kept separate if you can, and not left unsurpervised. It really is a matter of personal choice and its worth remembering that even if a cat or dog is placid and well behaved, that they are much bigger than a bird and could easily injure them, even if theyre being friendly and playing.

[@rinnychi5392]

@@thecrazypigeonlady8731 Thank you so much for your time, I'll keep all of this in consideration

[@sivolb]

Hey! is it possible to raise an older pigeon into bein able to fly free outside, and come back if shouted name/whistle?

[@thecrazypigeonlady8731]

Pigeons are intelligent and generally respond well to routines and training. I do not keep pigeons outside or free fly myself so have not trained them myself but if they are sufficiently settled to a loft then they will consider this home and come back to it. Free flying always carries risks though; birds can be alarmed by loud noises or birds of prey and can panic and scatter and get lost and unless they are trained homers they would probably not get home. If you want to free fly your birds it may help you to join a club for flying breeds like tipplers/rollers/highflyers etc and the members will likely be experienced and advise you. Please always remember to put a contact telephone ring on your birds :-)

[@sivolb]

@@thecrazypigeonlady8731 wow, this is extremly helpful! Thanks

[@simwnwn]

How long can a pigeon live?? In a house

[@sivolb]

about 15 years!

[@thecrazypigeonlady8731]

About 10-15 years but some individuals live longer!

[@xtianph6211]

Hi

[@patanderson5463]

I have pigeons in my farm house (actually they belong to my dad but he can not care about them) they are sitting in a not so suitable place where they are eggs are always taken from them by crows and my question is can they live in first floor flat of an apartment building and can they live well for first month in cockatiel cage which I have because I already have budgies and cockatiels and another question is will they find it better outside cage in my flat or inside cage after that first month?

[@thecrazypigeonlady8731]

Hi, to help you with your questions please check out my Pigeons as Pets beginners guide playlist which is all about keeping pet pigeons indoors. Whether your pigeons are better suited to indoor or outdoor life is dependent on many factors such as space, the time you have, how many birds, what size/breed they are etc. There is also a good facebook group calls 'Pigeons as Pets - the Perfect Pet' and there are lots of people on there who keep both indoors and outdoors and will be happy to share advice from their experience. Good luck :-)