COO is a crowdsourced collection of guides, resources, and links on taking care of pet pigeons and doves. Whether you are only considering getting a pigeon, already have one and are looking for information on specific things, or have any sort of questions, we’ve got you covered! Note that this compilation is specific to pet pigeons and small lofts; it is not meant as an end-all-be-all guide to all pigeon keeping, like show breeding, racing, or raising pigeons for utility.

Everything you will see here has been primarily written and put together by members of the Companion Pigeon Chat (CPC) Discord server as a community effort. Each page has author credits and, in the case of non-original guides, specifies the original source. Feel free to reach out to the authors with questions or, better yet, join the CPC Discord!

Contributions are always appreciated. If you feel like you have something to add, want to make suggestions or edits, have recommendations specific to your country, or would like to contribute an entirely new guide, please get in touch!

Choose Your Own Pigeon Adventure

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COO contains over 30 articles, and while they are grouped and structured, it can be quite overwhelming! To make navigation easier, this section contains the most common questions we get. Click the toggle arrow on the line that fits your case the most, and you will get a recommended reading list.

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I just found out you can have pigeons as pets! What’s going on? Should I also get one?
I rescued a pigeon that was in trouble. What should I do now?
I already have a pet pigeon but don’t know much about them. How can I make sure I’m doing it right?
My pet pigeon is not very friendly to me. How can I build a better relationship?
My pet pigeon is doing a thing, and I don’t know what it means!
I think my pigeon might be sick, but I can’t take them to a vet right now. What do I do?

All Guides

Pet Pigeon First Steps

Are Pigeons a Good Pet for You?

Pet Pigeon 101

Choosing a Pigeon

Pigeon Supplies Shopping List

Bringing Your Bird Home

Ethical Breeders and Rescues

Feeding and Nutrition

Pigeon Diet Guide

Basic Grit Guide

Pigeons at Home

Cage and Housing Basics

Household Pigeon Hazards

Guide to Pigeon Pants (Flypers)

Predator-Proofing an Indoor Cage

UV Lighting for Pigeons

Behaviors and Training

Bonding with a Pigeon

Desensitizing a Pigeon

Pigeon Training & Hand Socialization

Common Pigeon Behaviors

Pigeon Courtship

Pigeon Marriage, Nesting, and Egg-Laying

Hand-Raised Pigeons and Imprinting

Miscellaneous

What to Do If You Find a Pigeon

Pigeons and Doves

The Ethics of Keeping Pigeons

Health and Wellbeing

<aside> ❤️‍🩹 If your bird is hurt or sick, talk to a vet! The guides here provide basic advice, but will not replace qualified medical help. If you are unable to take your pigeon to a vet or have a non-urgent question, reach out at #medical-advice in the CPC Discord.

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Healthcare Basics

Recommended Healthcare Routine

Health Checkup at Home

Screening a Vet

Crowdsourced Pigeon Vet List

Specific Conditions

Broken Blood Feathers

Egg Binding

Contribution Wishlist

<aside> 🐦 This section contains articles and topics that are frequently requested but not covered in COO just yet. Of course, we welcome any and all contributions, not just the ones listed here, but if you’re unsure how to help, this list could be your guide!

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Visual aid: a lot of articles, especially Common Pigeon Behaviors and Pigeon Courtship, could use more images and videos clearly illustrating the subject.
Links to educational channels / social accounts. Reading can be tiresome, some people are just better with videos or bite-sized chunks of content.
More non-US recommendations for food, grit, supplies, vets, breeders, and rescues.
Raising and feeding rescued baby pigeons
Guide on pigeon play-fighting
Adding another pigeon to the household
Genetics? Might be a bit too advanced, but on the beginner level it could be fun. Pigeonetics is also a good game to link to (maybe just have a general section with external links on this page?)
Stimulating pigeon toys: what toys can work because not all parrot toys do; pigeon skills and specific toy examples

Contact

If you have any suggestions, questions, or contributions, the best way to contact us is to join the CPC Discord!

You can also email the guide admins at [email protected].