It is challenging to build trust and a sense of safety in pigeons, so they will not consider you a threat and come to you quickly.
How to Get a Pigeon to Come to You? You can get a pigeon to come to you by offering their favorite food, like seeds, peanuts, and food leftovers. Moreover, they would fly towards your hands and shoulder when you make them feel comfortable by rubbing their bodies, wearing attractive colors, and providing a soft and cozy shelter.
You probably have seen pigeon owners making whistles to call their pets as they have trained them to return after hearing such whistles.
Furthermore, you can train them in different ways to come to you depending on your convenience.
Do pigeons bond with humans?
Many people choose pigeons as pets due to their friendly nature; they can quickly get comfortable with you. In addition, they can make a strong bond with humans and remember their faces.
In addition, they are good companions to spend time with and need care and attention from you.
After bringing them from wild areas, they do not remain fearful when you provide shelter and food to a tamed pigeon.
Moreover, these social creatures like to live close to humans as they depend on abundant food and comfortable shelter.
Furthermore, humans can also treat injured birds, giving rise to a close relationship between them as they consider you their friends.
How do you make a pigeon come to you?
Attracting a pigeon and getting it on your hand or shoulder is challenging. You have to be patient because these birds take time to build their trust and develop companionship.
Offer food
You can attract a bird by offering its favorite food, like peanuts, as it will not lose a chance of eating it. Moreover, they eat grains and seeds like sorghum and sunflower seeds.
Moreover, wild birds prefer to eat insects and worms, while urban ones eat pet food, grains, and snacks like chips and biscuits.
They will come closer to you and build trust when you offer food to hungry pigeons. It is better to sprinkle the food particles with your hand and keep a few grains in an open hand.
Some brave birds would take a risk to sit on your hand and eat grains that can attract others to come and perch on the hand. Instead, they usually follow each other and sit on your shoulders and hands.
Avoid making noise
Noise can make birds fly away from the feeding spot, so you have to come closer quietly. It is better to avoid taking children as they would interfere in their feeding process.
They can get enthusiastic after seeing these birds in their garden and begin to chase them. These quick jerks and loud noises confuse them, and they would fly away.
Go and sit quietly on the bench, present a few feet away from pigeons roaming on the ground. It can help confidence and helps them build trust that you will not harm them.
Do not make loud noises or whistles, as they could be interpreted as an alarm for the threat that can make them run away.
In addition, you have to wait for a few days before going closer or give them some time until they feel safe and secure.
Hold them gently
You have to know how to handle a bird, as a firm grip over their bodies can make them feel uncomfortable.
They would never return to your hand if they found it uneasy, even if you offered them peanuts or did other tricks.
You have to keep a maximum space between the first two fingers so that these can perch on them quickly. Put one hand on the legs and the other under the front end or below the neck to hold them properly.
Moreover, it is better to rub their backs gently using fingers and show affection to these little birds. A nervous pigeon tries to get out of your hand by flapping its wings continuously.
In addition, you can easily get an idea about their discomfort by looking at their feathers as scared birds attach their feathers tightly to the body and even try to bite.
Wear attractive colors
You can wear dresses of attractive colors that pigeons like and move towards them.
One of my friends wore a red dress whenever he went closer to them, and they quickly perched on his head and shoulders.
In addition, blue and silver are also their favorite shades that make them feel easy. So when you keep visiting them regularly in these attractive colors, they cannot deny your presence for a long time.
It is not essential to wear a full red or blue dress, but you can take their food in a silver or blue bowl that can fascinate and attract them.
Provide suitable shelter
Nothing can make them more comfortable than a soft and cozy nest, so you have to provide an ideal environment by covering the bed with grass.
Moreover, you can place leaves at the bottom of their cage to provide a better sleeping platform. They usually move to urban areas due to shelter and covered spaces for hiding.
They need covered and warm nests to spend their lives and lay eggs. In the same way, they like to move around their nests or cages so that a soft bed can prevent injury to their feet from cage wires.
When they like nests, they may be attracted to them even after going many kilometers away.
Do pigeons like to be touched?
Pigeons are attracted to a person who takes care of their diet, keeps their nest clean, and builds their trust. Similarly, their owners need attention and care as they like to be petted.
You can take them out of the cage and touch their heads or necks with gentle hands. In addition, they are good companions and make a strong bond with humans.
Most probably, they enjoy it when you gently move fingers on their back. The injured birds would directly come closer to humans as these birds know that you can do the treatment.
Therefore, they have no issue being touched if they have developed trust in you and do not feel unsafe in your hands.
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