You have found a stray pigeon but you do not know what to do?
How to care for a stray pigeon?
If the pigeon appears healthy you do not necessarily have to catch the pigeon.
Sometimes, a pigeon is simply taking a rest before heading back to its loft.
You can provide some fresh water and some grains to allow the pigeon to regain strength and to continue its journey. If you have no grains, you can opt for rice or some bird seed. Please do not feed them bread.
If a pigeon is wounded or exhausted, try to catch it and put it in a cage or box.
Birds of prey will go after the bird if left in the open.
If you are able to capture put the bird in a cardboard box with holes or a cage.
Put some fresh water and grains to help it gain its strength.
Sometimes if the bird is wounded or exhausted it will not survive this can happen from time to time.
If you find a pigeon with a band and have been deceased, send us the info from band and we will contact the owner to let them know about their bird.
How do I trace the owner of the pigeon?
Racing pigeons are not the feral type and have a band located on one of its leg. If you find a pigeon with a band you will find the band contains numbers, letters and year. If the band was purchased through the Canadian Racing Pigeon Union it will have CU on the band. The letters on the band represent the club if there is no letters on band use the CU as loft name. There is a wizard on the CRPU website www.crpu.ca where you can locate the owner of the bird if it has been added to our database Just follow the steps and the owner’s name and phone number will appear. The owner is responsible to assist you with the bird. If the bird is a far distance from home the owner may not pick up bird but may ask you to take the bird a few miles from your home and release in hopes the bird will return back to its loft. If you are unable to obtain information about the lost bird please call head office at 866-652-5704 leave message or email denise@crpu.ca. Someone will return your call as soon as possible.
Please note our organization promotes racing pigeons only. If you find a lost pigeon and it has C.P.F.A. https://www.pigeonfanciers.ca or IF www.ifpigeon.com AU https://www.pigeon.org contact these organizations for assistance.
If you cannot find a telephone number or any other contact details, please contact the Canadian Racing Pigeon Union: we will try and help you find the rightful owner.
| Country | Organization | Contact details |
| Canada | Canadian Racing Pigeon Union Band Prefix-CU | https://www.crpu.ca/ |
| Canada | Canadian Fancier Pigeon Association Band Prefix-CFPA | http://www.pigeonfanciers.ca/ |
| United States | American Racing Pigeon Union Band Prefix-AU
International Federation Pigeon Association Band Prefix-IF |
http://www.pigeon.org/ |
| If you find a bird that is injured or you capture it and does not have a band on its leg, please contact your local humane society and they will help you find the right agency. | If you need help in locating an owner of a lost bird please feel free to contact us, we will do our best to assist you. | CANADIAN RACING PIGEON UNION
261 Unit C Tillson Ave. Tillsonburg, Ontario, N4G 5X2 Phone: (519) 842-9771 or (866) 652-5704 Fax: (519) 842-8809 |
Please keep in mind that it can take a up to 24 hours before the owner of the pigeon contacts you. On weekends when requesting a call back it will not be returned until the next business day.
What happens if the owner does not contact you?
If a fancier does not contact you within 24 hours of the owner being notified, please call us back and let us know. We will try and find a pigeon fancier in your area to pick up the bird.
Any questions? Do not hesitate to contact us. We care about all lost birds.