Hope: the story of a wood pigeon born in a window box in Paris

A couple of Wood Pigeons made a nest in my flower box in Paris, trashing my geraniums. When I noticed the nest, I let them be. One egg was laid and then another. I named the parents Patience and Constant, because they were! They took turns sitting on the eggs 24/7 until the first egg hatched on Bastille Day 2008, exactly 18 days after it was laid. After several more days it was clear that the second egg had died. I named the surviving baby Hope.

After the hatching, Patience and Constant continued to sit on the nest, keeping the squab warm, and feeding it with pigeon "milk" which they manufactured from their own food. This pigeon baby food is regurgitated from the throat into the squabs beak.

At 12 days old, Hope was left alone for the first time and I found her at 4:00 am, drenched in a torrential downpour. I made a bed for her and brought her in for a few hours, putting her back in the nest before her parents returned! The next night it rained again and I put up an umbrella to keep her dry.

In the week that followed she began to stretch her wings, balance on the edge of the window box, and look outward to the world beyond. At 20 days old, Hope flew for the first time. She came back to rest in the nest in the flower box on three occasions. After that she stayed out with her flock. Today she is healthy, plump, beautiful, and free.

If you ever have the great fortune to have a pigeon born on your windowsill or balcony, please watch over them tenderly. It is a great gift.

Great thanks to my friends at pigeon-talk on pigeons.biz for their generous and expert helping me bring up baby!

A huge thanks to Moby and his website mobygratis.com for authorizing the use of his song 18 to accompany this slideshow.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Hope
• baby
• Wood
• Pigeon
• squab
• flower
• box
• window
• Paris
• France

[luciebasset]

Having recently reared an 'abandoned' baby pigeon very successfully, the story of Hope really touched me when I first read the blog that told us about Hope and these pictures and music tells the story really nicely. THANK YOU for sharing it with us!

[hopeinparis]

Thank you, Lucie. You know what a precious gift it is to rescue a baby pigeon.

Thank you for your kind comments.

[hopeinparis]

Thank you, arthurdragon, for your nice comment. I didn't really raise them — I just watched, transfixed and amazed. In retrospect, I'm still amazed, and also grateful. It was a beautiful experience to watch that little bird grow up.

[tustles]

Oh This Is Such A Beautiful story And Lovely song See I always say There Are still saviours In This World .And Hope Is The Greatest Gift That we All Have And Should Have. You Chose A Most fantastic name. And I Have To say I wish We had More People In This World Like You. My Sweet Mary /Terigower Is Just Like You are. And It Is A Blessing To Know You And My Sis Mary. Love Your Forever friend (Tustles)Sherry God Bless KTF Love And Peace from canada

[hopeinparis]

Thank you Tustles, Mary and Krys.

Kisses from Paris!

[hopeinparis]

Thank you for your comment and compliment! How wonderful that a pigeon is nesting in your hanging basket. It is a gift! Perhaps you would put a dish of seeds, peanuts (rinsed of any salt) and a dish of water on your windowsill, deck or balcony for the parent pigeons, who do not leave the nest to eat. (Do not put anything directly in the nest, or touch it.) Enjoy!!!

[arthurdragon17]

i love pigeons:)

nice job raising them

[krysant50]

blessings to Hope and her SAVIOR

thanks going to the video maker, the SAVIOR and Mary/Terigower who shared this slides show with me, herself a SAVIOR of abandoned animals giving them love and home forever. GOD BLESS ALL SAVIORS in the world!

krys

[trinhnbeers]

I've read your blog about Hope and it led me here. It's a beautiful story. I saw a pigeon egg in my hanging basket today. I'm so excited to see what happens next.

[hopeinparis]

Thank you for your kind comment.