Have you spotted any white pigeons with pink feathers in your backyard or around town lately?
So have a few others in Squamish.
Despite what some people are assuming, they are not racing pigeons. Although they do fall into the ‘performance pigeon’ category, they are bred to be used in a different sport.
Krista Larson, BC SPCA Sea to Sky manager, said they are high flyer pigeons.
"They’re a special breed that comes from India and they’re under the fancy pigeon category.”
Unlike other racing pigeons, these pigeons' purpose is to fly the highest. The pink you see on the tips of their feathers is so that they can be easily spotted while flying in the sky during competitions.
People dye them that pink colour.
Usually, when performance pigeons are raised, they are given a band which will indicate such facts as when they were born, how old they are, and which country they are from. The bands are placed around the bird’s ankle and then registered with one of the clubs.
“If we have a domestic pigeon, it’s super easy for us to read the band, contact one the clubs and almost 100% of the time [or] 90% of the time, they can put us in touch with the owner,” said Larson.
Unfortunately, these birds have not been banded, therefore making it hard to trace the owners.
Previously, Larson said that the BC SPCA Sea to Sky has had a few pigeons come into the shelter. However, there were fewer of them, and the SPCA was able to locate their owners.
This situation has proven to be more of a conundrum.
“I have been in touch with different organizations, pigeon organizations, who basically will not take these birds in because they’re not registered birds,” Larson said. “I don’t blame them with the Avian Flu being an issue right now, people are having to be extra cautious, and they’re not going to want to be bringing these birds near their flocks for obvious reasons.”
Although several have been spotted in Squamish, currently, no one has come forward to claim ownership of them.
“We are a small shelter,” said Larson. “We don’t have the capacity to be able to take in six pigeons.”
Randi Olson, who runs the Sea to Sky NANA (Neighbourhood Animals Needing Assistance), said that in her experience, “owners do not take the time to catch the birds. They are left here; some are lucky and are caught and taken care of while others die from starvation and dehydration.”
“These birds aren’t taught where home is,” she said.
Olson has tried contacting all animal organizations and sanctuaries in the area, but with no luck. Each group is limited in space and knowledge of how to get the birds back to their owners.
“If we could potentially have people catch them and bring them in one at a time,” said Larson. “We could set it up so that basically they arrived at the shelter in carriers and then that person [would come] immediately and took the birds away so that way they’re not entering our shelter but we can actually get them somewhere.”
For those that come into contact with them, Larson said that it’s ok to leave bird seed or water out for them.
Larson said that the SPCA is still on the case and hoping to link the pigeons up with whomever they belong.
“We’ll just keep working on it,” said Larson. “Until we’ve exhausted every possibility.”
