Winged Wheels

30/07/2026

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Who are Winged Wheels?

Wheels is a pigeon rescue and sanctuary. It is run by Ellie and Bee. We no longer offer transport as standard, but we do have a group chat with some kind people who are sometimes able to volunteer transport for us. This is organised via our chat, and anything they offer outside of this is not affiliated with Winged Wheels.

If you do not receive a message direct from this account, our emails (ending in .co.uk), Bee or Ellie's private Facebook accounts, or Bee or Ellie’s phones (We do not give our numbers out as standard, but will contact you if you provide your number), you are not speaking to Winged Wheels.

29/07/2026

29/07/2026

There has been a slight influx of nasty comments due to one of our posts being shared a lot.

We want to reassure you that our page will always be a safe space for pigeon lovers. We will:
- Limit comments on popular posts to only established followers
- Delete comments that show dead birds, promote violence, use foul language against non- human animals and those who love them, and comments that are arguing with our lovely supporters
- Hide comments that are generally unhelpful or rude BUT have useful debate and information in the responses.

We will not accept anyone insulting our birds or yours- be those companion birds, or ones we feed in the wild. We take a lot of inspiration from how Russell's Rescue run their page, creating a beautiful safe space for bird lovers to come together by removing nasty comments as they appear.

We would love to be able to successfully debate people who share their negative views, but that will not be at the risk to anyone's wellbeing- including our supporters who want to see updates on our beautiful birds, not photos from pest controllers desprate to share their kills.

If you see a comment you think we may have missed, please report it us.

Please enjoy this photo of one of our beautiful couples, Pig and Nemo- the sweetest boys you'll meet ❤️ We adopted Pig from the amazing Love a Dove, and Nemo came to us as a fledging with a nasty skin tear. Nemo is now fully healed, but stunted from all their energy going into healing. Pig spends his days calling Nemo to his basket for kisses.

28/07/2026

The pigeons you see in cities are commonly known as 'feral pigeons' but if we change the wording slightly we can start to understand their situation more. A more appropriate word is 'stray'. Stray pigeons.

This happened because people took rock doves, domesticated and bred them. When these pigeons had served their use to humans and did not fit the need of the modern world, they were thrown out in to the streets, now domesticated they scavenge just to survive. Unlike our native wood pigeon, these stray pigeons do not eat from trees and plants, they depend on humans for survival. Unlike the wood pigeon who sleep and nest in trees, the rock dove's ancestral habitat is amongst cliff faces. Which is why you'll find them sleeping in nooks amongst the city landscape, and under solar panels. Wood pigeons thrive in the country. Stray pigeons need humans.

Just like stray cats and dogs, stray pigeons are also known as 'dirty', and a 'nuisance'.. but the truth is they are neglected and uncared for.

Just like stray cats and dogs, these pigeons breed prolifically. The solution is management, not mass murder. For dogs and cats this means nutering, for pigeons it will be monitoring nesting sites and replacing eggs with dummy eggs. There has been success doing this in places in Europe, along with building huge dovecotes in cities for stray pigeons to live. If anyone is interested we will put a documentary that follows the progress and results of this in the comments.

Next time you see stray pigeons eating rubbish off of the street, or sheltering above shops or amongst pigeon spikes please look upon them with a kinder eye. This is not the life they want. They deserve better.

One day we hope to see a society that collectively cares for our stray flocks. They need us.

(Video courtesy of Caitlin Andrews who befriended her local stray pigeons, gained their trust, and daily provides them with food,water, and a safe place for them to spend time)

26/07/2026

Louis, Skittle, and Nemo = 3 happy loaves 🍞🍞🍞 (and Wickes who couldn't miss a photo op 👀✨️)

23/07/2026

The aviary build is finally finished! - And the pigeons are moving in! 🥹💕 We still have shelves, ramps, and nest boxes to make and put up but wanted the pigeons to be able to enjoy the space as quickly as possibly so we're making do with what we have on hand. Watch this space, we have big plans for the interior! 👀

A massive thank you to everyone who has supported this project, this wouldn't have been made a reality without your donations.

More photo's and videos to come ↘️ in the comments.

22/07/2026

Some of you might remember the video of our lovely Noel caring for her fake eggs 🪺

We are happy to share that Noel and her mate, Brewster, have adopted a wood pigeon baby ❤️ All has been going well, and they are enjoying being a little family. We have named the baby Squish.

21/07/2026

Could you help give a pigeon a second chance?

Violet here needs a safe space.

I'm looking for a volunteer or two in the Rugby area who would be willing to foster pigeons recovering from PMV (Paramyxovirus).

PMV is a virus that affects a pigeon's nervous system. Birds can develop symptoms such as head twisting, loss of balance, walking in circles, difficulty standing, and trouble eating or drinking by themselves. It can look upsetting, but many pigeons go on to make a good recovery with time, patience, and supportive care. Recovery is slow though, and can take several weeks.

The biggest challenge for my rescue is quarantine space. PMV is contagious to other pigeons, and I regularly take in vulnerable babies that simply cannot be exposed to it. Because of this, I sometimes have to make heartbreaking decisions, not because these birds can't recover, but because I don't have a safe place to keep them.

I'm hoping to build a small network of foster carers who could take these birds into their homes while they recover.

What would I need from you?

• You must not have any pet birds, poultry, or birds that you regularly care for.
• Ideally, you should not have cats, as many of these pigeons cannot escape if they become frightened.
• You need to be able to provide a quiet indoor space where the bird can be safely quarantined for a minimum of 8 weeks.
• Be patient and committed to caring for a special needs bird while it recovers.
• Be willing to learn. Some birds need help with feeding, including tube feeding. I will happily teach you how to do this safely and will support you every step of the way. This means it's ideal if you work from home, as the bird will need supervision and feeding throughout the day.
• Keep in regular contact with me so we can monitor the bird's progress together.

You won't be left to manage on your own. I'll provide guidance, advice, and ongoing support throughout the foster period, and I'll always be available if you have any questions or concerns.

These birds didn't choose to become ill. With time, care, and patience, many go on to live happy, normal lives. Having a few trusted foster homes could quite literally save lives that I currently don't have the quarantine space to save.

If you live in or around Rugby and think you could help, even if you'd just like to ask a few questions first, please send me a message. I'd love to have a chat.