Proof that animals think, love, worry, fear, plan, etc and behave like humans.
Link= Animal have emotions too
This just amazed me. One bird knowing what to do and going thru exceptional effort to rescue another bird.
Velcro (right) has never left the yard in her life until 3 days ago (10 months old) (except when nearly killed once (LINK=MISSING). Now that it’s warmer, Velcro and 2.5 (left) have started to take short flights around the area.
>Velcro's lover partner (both female) 2.5 is a homer pigeon, Velcro is not.
>2.5 is a fast and powerful long distance flyer (60mph), Velcro is not.
>2.5 can always find home, Velcro’s breed gets lost.
>These two are madly in love, a lot of hugging and kissing (French kissing) and they can also get a little kinky. Here's a Flying Video.
SATURDAY - - - - When we came home from out of town at dusk, 2.5 was in the aviary but Velcro was not…Velcro was missing and lost. Her chances of survival outside overnight are not that good. She is SO tame and trusting, so white, and lots of owls, hawks, cats, fox and coyote…and she was lost.
….....We think she and 2.5 went flying and Velcro just couldn’t keep up and wasn’t able to return….totally lost, at risk, with no chance of finding home by herself. I really didn’t expect to ever see her again… so sad. Her only chance would be if 2.5 searched for her.
SUNDAY - - - - At 6:30am, Velcro had not returned, still lost or dead. 2.5 saw me and very clearly told me she wanted to get out and search for Velcro. Normally she wouldn’t leave the nest until 10: or 11:am but she was very anxious and worried. I knew that was the only chance for Velcro, SO I opened the door and 2.5 immediately zoomed off (normally wouldn’t happen) and vanished over the rooftops to the west.
…..But… 1 hour passed, no birds. 2 hours, no birds, 3 hours passed, no birds, but then amazingly 2.5 found Velcro and they finally came back home together. It was very clear they were overjoyed at seeing each other (endless hugs and kisses).
Amazing - - - 2.5 actually went out, scouted the entire area for miles around for 3 hours and miraculously found Velcro and guided her back home. Not bad, eh?
- - - - - - - -
MONDAY - - - Again they went for a short flight and quickly returned. Then late in the day, another longer flight. It’s dusk and 2.5 has returned but again Velcro has not. 2.5 was breathing heavily, apparently a long fast flight home? Hopefully, 2.5 can go search and find her again tomorrow?? Another night of Velcro risking her life to predators. So worried again.
TODAY (Tuesday) - - Again at 6:30am I let 2.5 out and again she zoomed off to search for Velcro.
.......A little over an hour later they returned together. For now they are both back safe, and the reunion was bliss for them. These are such very happy birds.
Hmmm, I’m trying to decide if I should close them in? or continue risking their lives. They are both quite vulnerable when flying around… so white, like a target to predators. There are many hawks and owls in the area and have been in our yard. (Hawk troubles.) I am hoping they learn to stay closer to home, like they always used to. ???
Should I restrain them or let them fly free?
UPDATE - now 2 months later. Velcro and 2.5 will rarely take very very short flights together (within sight of home) but occasionally 2.5 will still take long several hour flights by herself then returns while Velcro stays home with me. Velcro has not left the yard area ever since. I hope they have figured out that Velcro cannot fly as fast and gets lost, and Velcro will always stay here at home.
UPDATE UPDATE - 7 months later... all is well. Velcro stays near home but 2.5 will occasionally take a short trip then returns home. These two birds are so madly in love with each other, they are inseparable. Sometimes I open the patio door and both will fly or walk inside and spend the day with me in my office.
Yet another update 1-1/2 years later. They still take neighborhood flights together but always return. Often, 2.5 will go on a longer flight by herself then she returns. Velcro never leaves the neighborhood, seems they have learned their lesson.
Update - Now they never leave the yard... still madly in love an happy birds.
Sweet that 2.5 always rescues Velcro, but I wouldn't be able to take the stress of that all the time. :( Poor birds.
ReplyDeletegeminai - I can't begin to express the stress on me... like if your child wandered off into the woods overnight amongst wolves and and bears... I can't sleep all night. Stress stress stress.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Gem could not take the stress or heartache if something happened... don't let them out, too much at risk!
ReplyDeleteOh, I can understand it. The few times my great dane ended up missing, I couldn't eat, I cried all night .. I was sick. And to some extent, your worry could be greater due to the number of predators. I was mainly worried about a big black dog vs. a fast-moving highway.
ReplyDeleteHow awesome and that's a hard one. Maybe 2.5 could teach velcro to come back? But is it worth the risk of losing them? Hard call.
ReplyDeleteI saw similar behavior in peafowl when I used to raise them. While they don't fly (at least not well), they're very protective of each other.
ReplyDeleteI practiced 'free-range' when I raised my psychedelic chickens (peafowl) -- I found it was healthier, although I lost a few in the process.
love2 - I know I should't worry so much, but... I do anyway. She is more than a Pigeon to me, she is my friend.
ReplyDeletegeminai - I understand. Our dog Diesel (now deceased) never learned about cars. Maybe we were too protective... so we could never let him near traffic, always a leash by the roads. IF he had gotten loose he would have been hit for sure.
wulf - I've been agonizing over what to do. Still not sure. They are free now but I'll see what they do today.
astra - They always have peafowl at the Chicken swaps I go to. I would love to have one but, can't in town (their loud call). My Doves and Pigeons clearly exhibit extreme emotions, but with the Chickens it's a bit harder to tell, but it's easy to see when they are angry. I've already lost 6 pigeons (no Chickens) but most were to a specific neighborhood cat before I figured out what was killing them. The Doves are inside birds, certain death otherwise.
Of course animals have emotions. We're animals.
ReplyDeleteKeep Velcro under lock and key..jeesh....she's going to give you (and poor 2.5) a heart attack!!
ReplyDeleteI couldnt bear the stress to be honest...
It's a tough call.
ReplyDeletePart of me thinks - let them have their freedom and enjoy their flights, after all they are birds.
The other part of me thinks - once you domesticate any wild thing it's very hard to return it to the wild, and I would think her survival rate would be extremely low, especially since she's not a homer pigeon like 2.5.
So, if Velcro were my bird, I'd probably keep her at home where she's safe. She may miss her freedom a little, but she'll live a long and happy life surrounded by those she loves and where she's well taken care of.
(I can just imagine 2.5 telling the poor worn out Velcro not to worry, just to stay put, and that she'd be back for her as soon as she could. And then poor Velcro spending the night all alone in a dark scary world.)
dammit dammit, you're right again.
ReplyDeleteaslow - Yes, to me it is quite stressful, and therefore to others around me..("STOP worrying, they say... ya sure ok I say). Problem it it happens so frequently, I'm like an overprotective parent I guess.
recon - I thought I'd take a chance and see what they do next. So far so good. They did not leave today at all. Maybe they've figured it out? So far I had decided to take a chance and let them be, but it's harder on me than on them. They never took these excursions until just recently. It's kinda like letting your kids visit their friends for the first time and just hope they stay out of traffic. Can't keep kids caged up... Can it be any better for Pigeons? I'll give it a few days and hope for the best.
I'd keep her close. Her chances of survival will be much better ... but then, she will have a more sheltered existence and don't we as humans tend to take the safe route too much of the time? Most often doing so only leads to regret when we look back and think of how we might have handled a situation differently. Tough call.
ReplyDeleteDitto Bert! I just had to come back and second that!
ReplyDeleteIt is Spring and even a bird's fancy turns to... maybe keeping them confined until summer is underway?
ReplyDeleteTo Quote an Old Saying "If You Love Something/Someone, Set it Free!
ReplyDeleteIf It Comes back To You, then It is Yours!" with all the responsibilities that may entail!
To all - Dunno, I'll probably just let them out various short periods of the day and take my/their chances. Like a cat though they don't follow my commands and won't go back in when I want.
ReplyDelete..... I know my Doves wouldn't last 24 hours outside, they are very happy in the house and in their aviary. They never leave my side (shoulder/arm/head...). but the Pigeons... they relish being outside flying and free.
= = = = = =
mischa - I want to keep her safe, but it just pains me to see her caged... besides I like it when she flies to me while calling her from the house, and when she follows me around the yard. They seem so happy when outside, finding scratch feed, taking baths, sunning, smooching. Well, maybe.. if I only let them free when I'm there with them? But sometimes they leave even when I'm there with them.
love2 - I don't know, they just aren't as happy inside.
Loish - Maybe that's it? Not let her loose in spring when they feel frisky?
duchamp - I have no doubt she/they will always come back to their home if they are able...but I'm afraid coming back may not always be an option for them (lost, killed, wind/rain/weather, injured).
I've always thought animals make better humans than humans do.
ReplyDeletedebo - Good way to put it... Animals have none of the bias's and they don't listen to the "news".
ReplyDeleteYou've been a grand role model here Bert! Perhaps the young lady would do better staying home. I wonder how bad she feels when she is out there struggling to find you all out there somewhere. All of your friends are right.....a very tough call.....But you'll make the right one.
ReplyDeleteLover - I did not keep them in all day today (Wed)... they spent a good deal of time in the yard today but didn't fly anywhere at all. Maybe they've figured it out?
ReplyDelete2.5 loves to fly though, kinda like humans going for a walk. She does it just because it feels good. Maybe she'll learn to slow down and wait for Velcro?
You Worry Me Bert!
ReplyDeleteAny Animal, like Children, have to explore their Boundaries!
There is only so much You can Do! You can't Do it for Them!
Would that We Could save people from themselves sometimes!
Allow what You already Know, Nature finds It's own Balance!
du - So hard to know...wish I could see the future. 6 pigeons preceded Velcro, all of them are dead. A few were killed on the ground, in the yard. The live ones are in the aviary.
ReplyDeleteI will likely compromise, loose occasionally, else confined. Velcro is here in my office with me now... Later I'll take her outside.. let her fly to the aviary (she will).
There is an interesting twist to the story... I feel a blog coming forth.
As perfect a Person as I, and think Most of Your Friends See You!
ReplyDeletePlease Don't Stress Over things that You Can Not Change!
Whatever happens, Happens... Accept it, Allow it!
Be Well, Don't Worry! Hugs!**
amazing!
ReplyDelete