Racing Pigeon

[alitaptap]

Over the years I have witnessed many birds perch for a time (rest?) on a yacht offshore. But one event was most interesting: on a delivery from San Fernando, La Union, Philippines, to Hong Kong we had two swallows visit us about half way, around dusk. First they tried to perch on the mainsail numbers (not successful) and then one flew straight into the cabin and perched above a berth, the other flew around the yacht all night, occasionally calling to its mate inside. In the morning the one in the cabin flew out and they both went on their way, to wherever that was. Was that confirmation of monogamy among swallows?

[smacksman]

We gave hospitality to a racing pidgeon and contacted the owner via the tag on its leg. He told us to wring its neck as it was no use to him if it couldn't get home in time! It stayed with us a few days and then flew off - to meet its doom I expect, poor thing.

[Peregrine1983]

Originally Posted by noelex 77

We have also have several exhausted wild birds on passages although our current visitor is obviously a tame bird that seeks out human company. He seems particularly impressed with my wife .

Some advice on how to best care for all these visitors would be good. Perhaps they should should be totally left alone, or offered only water? Should food be put out? I suspect it varies with the type of bird.

This is awesome! They are characters. They are not "wild", but rather a domesticated bird gone feral. They are a human creation, like dogs, resulting from millennia of breeding, so they take to humans quite well.

I had a similar experience - Took in a street pigeon in NYC who I saw hiding under the steps of my office multiple days in a row. One day, I threw a towel over him/her, and took them home. I put Pat (their new name) in a dog cage and provided a bowl of water and birdseed (which Pat delighted in throwing all over the room).

I brought Pat to a rescue who told me that Pat was just too young to fly and had fallen from a nest. I spent a couple of weeks letting Pat sit in my hand and dropping my hand quickly to exercise the wings.

Sure enough, after a few weeks, Pat was flying around our basement and was ready to be released. I brought Pat in a box to a city park, waited for a flock of pigeons to come by, and opened the box. Pat flew (a bit awkwardly), but then joined the flock. Every time I go to that park now I think of Pat.

Honestly, it was one of the more rewarding things I've done in my life. I hope your visitor brings you similar good memories.

[sinnerman]

Keep a "racing cat" on board your boat and see how long the pigeons will now stay....

[TxCoastSailor]

This guy/gal joined us in Long Island Sound for about 1/2 hour and then flew on his/her merry way.

[pesarsten]

Originally Posted by flightlead404

African or European?

Was a coconut involved?

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by Peregrine1983

This is awesome! They are characters. They are not "wild", but rather a domesticated bird gone feral. They are a human creation, like dogs, resulting from millennia of breeding, so they take to humans quite well.

I had a similar experience - Took in a street pigeon in NYC who I saw hiding under the steps of my office multiple days in a row. One day, I threw a towel over him/her, and took them home. I put Pat (their new name) in a dog cage and provided a bowl of water and birdseed (which Pat delighted in throwing all over the room).

I brought Pat to a rescue who told me that Pat was just too young to fly and had fallen from a nest. I spent a couple of weeks letting Pat sit in my hand and dropping my hand quickly to exercise the wings.

Sure enough, after a few weeks, Pat was flying around our basement and was ready to be released. I brought Pat in a box to a city park, waited for a flock of pigeons to come by, and opened the box. Pat flew (a bit awkwardly), but then joined the flock. Every time I go to that park now I think of Pat.

Honestly, it was one of the more rewarding things I've done in my life. I hope your visitor brings you similar good memories.

What a lovely tale.
Yes, our young visitor will certainly leave us with good memories. She is a real little character. She went for her first sail with us a couple of days ago .
The VSPCA (Vincentian Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) have been extremely good with communication and offers to help find someone who will adopt her. At the moment we are just playing the waiting game.

Bizarrely, despite all the information available online we can’t locate the association she is registered with so we don’t know if she is from Trinidad, which is the only close location pigeons race back to from here (about 250 km). Boxes of pigeons are taken on cargo vessels, then released to fly home. The Trinidad racing association has not responded to my enquiries though and WCC does not seem to be a registration from Trinidad. She may have been accidentally transported here some distance.

Originally Posted by TxCoastSailor

This guy/gal joined us in Long Island Sound for about 1/2 hour and then flew on his/her merry way.

We had one hitch a ride across the North Sea from the NL to the northern tip of Scotland for about 30 hours on one passage. She slept in the one of the cockpit combings:

[chris mac]

Since a few others have added pics and stories of feathered stowaways, here's my contribution to the thread drift🫣
What appears to be a northern flicker(wood pecker) circled us for 15-20 minutes before flying into the cockpit and landing on our salon bug screen. We were 5 miles from shore by Wrightsville NC. USA.
It only stayed about 10 minutes and took off again. Probably because we had no trees aboard

[El Pinguino]

Quite a few species in Chile are very 'confiding' or confiado. Probably because they have so little contact with humans
This was a pair of Rufous Tailed Hawks that popped in for a looksee down by Melinka a few years back. Stayed for a few hours while they made a thorough inspection of the foredeck.

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

Quite a few species in Chile are very 'confiding' or confiado. Probably because they have so little contact with humans
This was a pair of Rufous Tailed Hawks that popped in for a looksee down by Melinka a few years back. Stayed for a few hours while they made a thorough inspection of the foredeck.

What? no mice aboard for them?

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

What? no mice aboard for them?

Frayed knot.

[AKA-None]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

Frayed knot.

Ouch

Nice photos and you got a bit of sail inspection too boot

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by chris mac

... What appears to be a northern flicker(wood pecker) ...
... It only stayed about 10 minutes and took off again. Probably because we had no trees aboardAttachment 281948Attachment 281949

We has a woodpecker peck on our Aluminum mast, every afternoon, one summer [in Ft Lauderdale].
It also pecked at a metal eaves flashing, on nearby apt. bldg.

[Fuss]

Ok, we've had the sentimental posts , now lets have some recipes.

[chris mac]

Originally Posted by GordMay

We has a woodpecker peck on our Aluminum mast, every afternoon, one summer [in Ft Lauderdale].
It also pecked at a metal eaves flashing, on nearby apt. bldg.

Back in my working days I had a woodpecker decide my scaffold(aluminum) was hiding some tasty snacks. It beat on it for a couple hours, then flew into a window. He was having a pretty bad day.
I put him back up on the ladder to rest and recover away from the cats. He eventually flew away into the trees.
I have a video of it pecking the ladder, it makes quite the racket