TAWhatley
15 posts
Jul 21, 2006
5:58 PM
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Hi Folks,
We get a fair number of rollers on 911 Pigeon Alert that are found by members of the public, are dropped off at vet clinics, or found by animal control organizations. We (the moderators) have been operating with the understanding that rollers don't have a lot of homing ability, are probably fairly close to home when found, and are not a breed of pigeon that will fare well on its own.
Are we correct? We had a situation recently where a roller had been treated by a vet clinic and which was insisting that they should just release the bird to find its way home (which they did against our advice). Can you folks give me some info/guidance about lost/found rollers that I can pass on to the other moderators?
Thanks for any assistance.
Terry
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MCCORMICKLOFTS
657 posts
Jul 21, 2006
9:01 PM
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Your assessment of rollers is pretty accurate. For the most part when rollers are found, they are usually within a 20 mile or less radius of their home. Sadly our rollers, for the most part, do not have great homing ability. There are a few exceptions, but the proof of that is because those did find their way home. Rollers generally are not great at learning to forage for food and water on their own unless they hook up with wild pigeons that can lead them to the resources. The ones that come into your system are generally weak from overflying coupled with the lack of nutrition. A roller that has overflown can go downhill pretty fast if it doesn't get food and water.
Releasing a found roller will not do the bird any good. It is lost. It should be recommended to the people in your system to not release a lost roller. It just needs food, water and warmth and someone caring enough to research the band number to try to locate it's owner.
Brian.
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TAWhatley
16 posts
Jul 22, 2006
10:00 AM
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Thanks for the information, Brian. I will share it with the other 911 Pigeon Alert moderators.
Terry
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Ballrollers
407 posts
Jul 24, 2006
1:30 PM
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Not necessarily so gentlemen. I took a half dozen cull birds about 260 miles away last summer, just to let a friend see them fly and roll because he couldn't believe they actually did.
Three days later one of them was sitting on the loft! I actually felt bad culling him for good because he had worked so hard to get home, only to lose his head.
Believe it or not, a month ago, another one returned and was hanging on the wire! That bird spent a year in the wild criss-crossing the state finding his way home. Of course he suffered the same fate, unfortunately.
Unbelievable!
YITS, Cliff
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motherlodelofts
858 posts
Jul 24, 2006
4:45 PM
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Let me guess Cliff , Andulutions ? LOL LOL
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Ballrollers
412 posts
Jul 24, 2006
4:50 PM
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Actually it was a blue check self, Scott. I don't usually have to cull many of my Indigo or Andalusians! LOL!
YITS, Cliff
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radusopo
9 posts
Jul 28, 2006
12:37 AM
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ive had once a rolldown which i gave to some relatives who lived about 30 miles from me,i taped the birds wing so that it couldnt fly higher than 10 feet but when they released it it just flew home with the tape on, and arrived in aprox 5 hours so you never know what homing abilities a bird has(i repeat it was a rolldown that frequently fell down!!!!)
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nicksiders
740 posts
Jul 28, 2006
6:04 AM
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Terry,
These stories are rare. Our birds don't do well in finding thier way home and they do not do well with survival. If you have rescued birds that are rollers and no one claims them; agter a time I would sell them or cull them before I would release them.
My opinion.
Thanks,Nick
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Snicker Rollers
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motherlodelofts
860 posts
Jul 28, 2006
1:26 PM
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Actually Cliff I was thinking of the Homer blood in the Andalutions LOL , don't cull many ?????
I find good birds to be the exception not the rule.
If somewone sas it isn't than I say they need to raise their standards.
Scott
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