On March 24, Kristina Penn, operations coordinator with Parks Canada, along with other Parks staff, found a pigeon on Sable Island National Park Reserve, a remote Nova Scotian island 290 km from the mainland. There is no native pigeon population on Sable Island, so sightings are rare—especially if the pigeon is from Spain.
Staff spotted the bird near a Parks Canada building. After a few rainy days, they assumed it was seeking shelter from the weather. Following Sable Island policy, they left the bird alone.
Upon closer inspection, however, this pigeon warranted an exception.
“We see wild animals that are injured on Sable Island on an ongoing basis and we don’t interfere with them,” says Penn. ”But, with this pigeon, I noticed that he had tags around his ankles.”
The tags listed the pigeon’s identification number and birth year, which Penn’s online search linked to a non-profit comprised of national pigeon racing member associations. From there, she traced the pigeon further to a federation from the Spanish Balearic Islands.
When the pigeon hadn’t moved by the next day, Penn gave it some water. “It came up to the water, took some sips, and then approached me,” she says. “Between the tags, the friendly behaviour, and doing the research, I realized that he must be a domestic pigeon that lost his way.”
Not long after, Penn was proven right. In a CBC article, the pigeon’s owner, David Fernández, confirmed that the pigeon—dubbed Peter by Parks Canada staff—was released to race from Ibiza to Majorca one month before popping up on Sable Island.
Racing pigeons are trained to fly back to their dovecote from distances of up to several hundred kilometres. Tracking devices in their leg tags help crown a winner by calculating their speed of flight. The fastest pigeon wins.
Despite his racing background, it is unlikely that Peter flew across the Atlantic Ocean. The leading theory is that he caught a ride on a cargo ship—which often linger near Sable Island to wait out storms—and flew to shore from there.
After a week on the island, Penn arranged for Peter to be taken in at Hope for Wildlife, a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre in Seaforth, N.S.
Brianna Bowes, a wildlife care specialist at Hope for Wildlife, says that Peter’s condition has improved steadily since he arrived.
“He came to us almost a month ago, pretty dehydrated and underweight, with a prominent wound on his keel bone,” she says. “Since then, he’s gained over 100 grams. He can fly and is eating great, and that wound is well on its way to recovery.”
Peter’s initial tests also identified a gastrointestinal parasite called coccidia, which Bowes says is commonly found in pigeons. They began his treatment immediately and he was showing no further signs of parasites within two weeks.
As for Peter’s future, he’s got options. His previous owner is content whether he returns to Spain or stays in Canada, as long as he has a good home. Many families and pigeon fanciers in Nova Scotia have offered to take Peter in, but Hope for Wildlife staff have also considered extending his residency.
“Our plan is to try to introduce him to our resident education pigeons,” says Bowes. “We have three pigeons that are more on the domestic side; a couple of them are racing pigeons like Peter. We like to have flocking birds in even numbers so everyone can have a buddy, and we are one short.”
Ultimately, Peter’s future will depend on his social dynamic with other birds, whether at the rehabilitation centre or another home. If it doesn’t stick on the first try, Hope for Wildlife will facilitate a new homing process for him.
“It seems like there is a lot of care for this bird,” says Penn, who has been keeping up with Peter’s progress. “It’s lovely to see that this bird that got injured along its journey is getting so much love and care from people.”
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