Bobber’s Pigeon Sanctuary

09/23/2025

Donnie is fighting a reproductive infection and received a Suprelorin hormone implant at the vet this week. We will recheck in 2 weeks when she finishes her antibiotics. Her husbird, Alouette, is right at her side as usual. ♥️
If you can help toward our medical fundraiser we deeply appreciate your support. Please send prayers and share.


PayPal.me/flockBobber

https://gofund.me/f0956bbba

09/23/2025

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/09/22/495059008/can-pigeons-spell-new-study-suggests-they-can-recognize-words?fbclid=IwdGRjcAM_qPlleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHtGvkh99VimRxStd4KlP3o-mNaEyP9-hVxk5A0U0xWL3RmDZ6RBhFUWk4Kut_aem_7wppoTVN5evg-wJD5BTOWA

The smartest pigeon learned to recognize about 60 four-letter words. It's the first time an orthographic brain has been recorded in a nonprimate.

09/22/2025

Our flock is now at 68. We are not taking any additional intakes this year.

I have so many updates to share regarding our newest flock members, as well as several medical updates. Stay tuned.
Right now my hands are full doing the winter prep work on the aviary, as well as wrapping up construction on our home addition for the special needs birds. Lots of updates to share there as well, but I'm waiting until work is complete to share anything else regarding that project at this time.
We have some new romances blossoming between the birds as well! More to come.



Veterinary costs this year are tremendous. We have been working to raise $1,000 for our annual vet fund, but have now updated our gofundme to reflect the amount that has actually been spent. Please consider helping us get out of this hole so that we can continue to provide the best medical care for these birds that they deserve. All donations are 100% tax deductible. Thank you ♥️

PayPal.me/flockBobber
https://gofund.me/f0956bbba

09/08/2025

Important! We've had many cases of feral pigeons that started desperately following humans because they were imprinted and got released.
*Please note this is referring to a baby pigeon who is raised by themselves by humans, without any other pigeons around. This does not refer to rescues or rehabbers, who raise baby pigeons around other pigeons and follow safe soft release procedures.*

09/02/2025

9/4/24 update:
A second opinion has led me to believe that Escaliante is actually suffering vision loss rather than a head injury. He really needs an eye exam, and may need future special accommodations. We do not have any funds for an eye exam at this time, as veterinary costs have already cost $3000 this year. Please consider making a contribution toward Escaliante’s eye care. Thank you ♥️

PayPal.me/flockbobber
https://gofund.me/ce68edac



On Sunday, Escaliante (aka Oliver Easton) suddenly began showing neurological symptoms. In this video it may look like he is eating, but you’ll notice he is making the head movements and unable to pick up seeds.

I put him in isolation for supportive care and monitoring. My theory is that he sustained some head trauma from fighting with his rival Maclovia. Maclovia has been trying to steal Escaliante’s wife, Gloria, so the boys have been hashing it out. At this point, Escaliente and I are going to let Maclovia win this battle. We have 7 ladies from GLPR arriving this weekend, and Escaliante will have his pick of a new wife.

Now if you want the real tea, read on.

Escaliante’s first wife, Riki, passed away in 2023. He remarried Gordie Howe, who escaped the aviary when it was under construction and never returned. Now he has to grieve his third wife, Gloria.

The twist is that Gloria and Maclovia are SIBLINGS. I know, it’s a scandal. Born a year apart, they don’t know they’re related. I think they like that they look like each other.

I was originally planning to remove Maclovia from the aviary to remarry outside of his bloodline when the GLPR ladies arrive, but due to a turn of events, I had to remove Escaliante. During this time, Maclovia and Gloria are only strengthening their bond. An incestuous relationship is not ideal, but they won’t actually be breeding. I think old man Escaliante will be happier to leave the family drama behind and begin a new chapter with wife #4, and young blood Maclovia will have his obsessive fix. And what does Gloria want? I think she would pleased with either boy. She’s been a trooper juggling the 2 as long as she has been!

(I am going to monitor Escaliante in isolation for a while before pairing him up with wife #4. Even though this is likely a head trauma issue, I have to rule out any contagious viral or bacterial infections. During the last two days, I have not seen any other symptoms in the flock, and Escaliante seems to be improving, which is promising.)

Our annual medical fundraiser:
PayPal.me/flockbobber
https://gofund.me/ce68edac

09/02/2025

On this date in history (September 1, 1914), a creature named Martha drew her last breath, and an entire species vanished from the face of the Earth. 🕊️

Martha was the last known passenger pigeon, a bird that once numbered in the billions and darkened the skies of North America for days as their flocks passed overhead.

Their flocks were so immense that early accounts described them as living rivers in the sky, a mile wide and hundreds of miles long, containing billions of birds.

In just a few short decades, their population went from being the most numerous bird on the continent to complete extinction.

This catastrophic decline was a direct result of relentless overhunting and widespread habitat destruction throughout the 19th century.

They were hunted for cheap meat, for sport, and as agricultural pests. The commercial scale of the hunting was something we can hardly comprehend today.

By the early 1900s, only a small captive flock remained. One by one, they passed away until only Martha was left, living out her final years at the Cincinnati Zoo.

Her death at approximately 1 p.m. on that September day was a quiet, solemn moment that marked a tragic milestone in history. 😢

It served as a powerful and sobering lesson on how quickly a species, no matter how abundant, can be lost forever due to human actions.

Martha's body was carefully preserved, and she remains on display at the Smithsonian Institution as a permanent reminder of her lost species.

Sources: Smithsonian Institution, Cincinnati Zoo Archives, Conservation Histories

08/31/2025

Welcome, Fibonacci. This bird is sporting a leg band that reads “flying angles”, so it was only proper to name him after a brilliant mathematician.
(And he looks like a Fibonacci.)

Fibonacci is a Bursa Tumbler, and he has finally found safety at Bobber’s Pigeon Sanctuary.

Pulled from a post by Sammy Mikus:
Rollers and tumblers: these breeds do involuntary somersaults in the air, making them vulnerable to predators and “roll-downs” (where they continuously somersault until they hit the ground or fly into a building). The better a roller/tumbler is at rolling, the more likely they are to get killed by predators or suffer a “roll-down”. Despite this, breeders continue to try and breed for the “best” rollers. More info: https://www.pigeonrescue.org/2015/07/14/violets-journey-or-whats-wrong-with-roller-pigeons/

Original post here:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/14LGe1XEir7/?mibextid=wwXIfr



Our annual medical fundraiser:
PayPal.me/flockbobber
https://gofund.me/ce68edac

08/27/2025

A decade under the influence of Bobber. Happy 10 years to the biggest boy, and here’s to 10 more. ♥️