I have a question for you Arty. You mentioned in a thread earlier today that pigeons can not be "reprogrammed" to accept a new loft as their home. I was just wondering about Mira. Why exactly is it that he was able to be shipped to me, and learn my home as his home? Was it because he was so young? Or maybe that he had yet to be let outside to fly there at your house? Or because he was not a homing pigeon, but a Dunn Lahore/feral? Actually, I think I probably just answered my own question with my last guess.

Also, regarding the pigeon found with clipped wings that you suspect was a racer, how could he ever be let go and expect to stay with a group of ferals if his former loft location is so deeply programmed into his brain? Would simply being around another flock of pigeons be enough to override his programming so he would remain with them?

One more- do feral pigeons have the ability to remember their surroundings like homers? Or are some/all feral pigeons actually homers?

Great questions Camille - I was wondering about much of that too.

I also had a lot of questions about that racer.

Yoo hooooooo....Arty!

Mira was never trained, also the racer spoke about more than likely was never trained...but free flown, there is a difference...
Mira grew with you, when he was allowed to fly he always kept you in sight...you were Miras home...same with Gem, none of my babies knew a loft as home, they knew a cage and the human, without the cage present they saw the human as there home...and still do...
When you train a bird to race, that bird only knows..."I gotta get back to my loft", when you free fly...that bird will learn his immediate surroundings never going far enough to loose sight of his area...or his/her loft, during training you are introducing the bird to new areas, the bird will fly higher to gain site of the area he already knows, and the release will go further out each time so the bird learns more and more.
Most Racers that fail to make it home as Basket Cullers, these birds have not been properly trained and are (unwanted birds) I have posted much information concerning the Culling ways of the Pigeon Racer to rid his/her loft of unwanted birds, then there is LOVE, some racers meet up with a fine little filly and (bye bye Race), also I have posted poems of the ways Racing People assure there bird makes it home, (she will fly faster to get home to her eggs), as the hen will be taken off her eggs and placed into a race.
The person that found the Racer with the wings clipped, she contacted the owner threw the band number, this person was a pigeon fancier, he free flew his birds, he may have raced a few he thought would be winners, however the most of his birds were not trained (cullers), when he decided he no longer wanted to stay in the pigeon keeping world he took his birds far enough away from there loft so they couldn't find there way home and released them and his birds found there way into Feral flocks and or perished during there search for food or they met up with bad luck and the preditor ended there life.
The clipping of the wings told me this one bird ended up in someones elses loft, this person knowing these birds can't be re-programmed clipped the wings.
If a Racer is chased by a Hawk-Falcon then all mapping is put on hold and its a survival issue, during the chase the bird frantically tried to get away and or look for a place to hide, this is where many Racing pigeons become injured (broken wings), they try to go through small openings knowing there chaser is much larger than them, or in a frantic turning to sharp...
All loft birds are banded on day four after birth, there's never a gimme (knowing the bird will be a winner), as the bird reaches maturity they are judged (standards need to be met before training), if these aren't met, its a quick snap of the neck or the bird won't be trained and entered into a race (basket culling), this is where the difference distances come in, first the one hundred mile race, and if the bird makes it home, then the training continues onto the 200 mile and so on.
We all know of cities and the mass poisonings, many and I mean many birds within a feral flock are banded, the Racing sport contributes to the feral population and hence contributes to there demise...this sport is anything but PRESTIGEOUS and frankly I think the sport should be obolished...
Hey....In there own words (the pigeon racer) its a world of Basket Culling and the quick snap of the neck....
& Camille sweetie...your Mira is half Dunn Lahore & Half Homing Pigeon...not Feral... .
Both are Hybrids....
So...as I have always said, your baby will never leave you...NEVER...only the prediator or LOVE..can interfer...
Hope this explains how some Racers end up in feral flocks and or lost....Racers can (forget) there programming due to something happening along there journey..Storms-Winds-Preditors-Love....then its a life of wonder as they try and find there way HOME.....kinda sad huh?????
You all can help these birds....when someone says they found a Racing Pigeon, tell them its best to allow them to be free...don't try and find the owner as the bird will surely be killed if returned.
Free Flown Birds of Peace will always stay within a five mile radius of there home, Ferals will also stay within five miles of there birth place...
A Racer fails to find his/her way home, they wonder (forever) trying to find there way home.....if placed into a new loft...just as soon as that bird is released to free fly...say goodbye as there program now is to find there way home...the home where they grew up...unless they meet up with a feral flock and LOVE.....
Hopefully you all understand better now why I love these birds so much.
Take Care everyone.
Arty

A good example is Donna and Abi, Abi is a loft bird, free flown, not a racer...
Abi is not banded, something has happened in Abis Loft, either the person moved and she has been abandoned, or maybe the person just doesn't take good care of his/her birds and Abi is forced to go elsewhere to seek food and water, Abi found Donna, and there relationship will grow (I Pray)..
Mira-Gem-Bob-Mi...all where hand raised by me (a human)...they where not raised in a loft by there parents, none where ever free flown or trained other than to love there human....
So....they will only continue to desire to be with there human...the human is the loft....the safety....there love......
Understand (Basket Culling), I have always said there should be a limit on how many birds can be entered into a race per loft...ONE....not 5-6 whatever.
This is how the Racing Person sleeps well at night....they don't have to snap the (unwanted birds) neck, they can simply enter the unwanted birds into a race and let the birds wonder forever trying to find there way home....never being trained....could you find your way home????
Its a HEARTLESS world of betting behind the scenes and WINNING...and who really pays the ultimate price...The Bird of Peace....
Over the last few weeks I have rescued 8 more Racing Pigeons, these birds can never be free flown, if I allow them to fly freely....wave goodbye...as they are programmed to find there way back to there loft....even after a years time of being locked up in my loft....away they will fly....trying to get HOME...
A word to those that have adopted from me, Your bird of peace knows you as there salvation, this is why they yearn to be with you, even within your home.
As you free fly your bird they will learn your house as there home...but they will always desire to be with YOU, once you are out of there site...there main objective will be to FIND YOU, while free flying...they will enjoy there freedom...but will always return to there home....your house...and YOU...
The house will be what they learn as a marker....but YOU will always be there primary objective....you are there LOFT....

A Racing Pigeon is loyal to there loft, they will always yearn to be safe within there loft...
Not all banded Pigeons are Racers, mearly (unwanted banded pigeons)...Basket Cullers....
My Babies.....are Loyal to there Humans...there humans...are there lofts...
What if you move?...this is a hard question, your bird of peace has 2 objectives, first YOU..second your home...after all this is where you stay, so this is where they stay...with YOU....
Soooo, if you move to a different house...I really don't know what will happen if they loose site of you, you may have to retrain them and as I have mentioned....this is almost impossible if not impossible to do....
If Susan and Camille where to trade birds, just as soon as they were free flown it would be a world of WONDER....say goodbye to both...and not being banded...say goodbye forever...
Not all birds with bands on are Racers, most are CULLERS, they have never been trained, they have been doomed to a life of WONDER....
Whats the difference between a feral and a untrained banded bird, the feral has always had a tuff life, a life of searching for shelter and food, they know survival.
The banded wonderer, only knows the safety of there loft and the seed provided, they Know not survival...this is why when I do release banded pigeons back into the wild...first say goodbye to the band, then I find a feral flock and release the birds there, the feral flocks will teach the (now un-banded birds) how to survive....
Most Racing Pigeon folks that are called when one of there birds are found say.
"keep the bird".....or "I don't want the bird back"....unless that bird has won them some money...then they will go out the door to get that bird back....and that bird becomes a breeder...
WELCOME TO THE PRESTIGEOUS WORLD OF PIGEON RACING.
Sooooooo, what do you think about Pigeon Racing??????

How informative Arty. I knew most of this already but, the way you relay it relay gives one a better understanding. Lately, Gem has wanted to spend less time outside. I will let him out soon after sunrise and he is pecking at the door to come in by 9 or 10. He does actually peck at the door, when I open it, he just wonders in and takes up perch on top of the fridge. He'll follow me around the house and every time I bend over, will land on my butt. I stand up and he climbs up my back to my head. I so believe you now when you say, "he will never leave me".

& what happens when you go into a different room in the house?
We all desire our Exotics to be loyal and thrive to be with us...this comes natural in...The Bird of Peace....
Your Gem loves you Susan.....While free flying...Gem knows your house as his house....but YOU...You are Gems main objective....the house simply tells Gem.....thats where my MOM is...my Human....MY SUSAN....
Kinda a great feeling isn't it??????
Peace
Arty

He follows me from room to room. Because of my Fibro, I have to take several short naps a day. I wake up to Gem sitting on my bed.