You Found a Banded Pigeon, Now What?

If you found a banded pigeon or “white dove,” it’s likely a homing pigeon that was in a race and became exhausted or was injured. Neither Erie Bird Observatory nor the Federal Bird Banding Lab (reportaband.gov) will be able to provide any information pertaining to a banded homing/racing pigeon. These types of poultry bands are registered solely with whatever national homing pigeon organization the bander/racing club belongs. However, as there’s often a need to find more info on a banded pigeon, particularly that of any relevant contact info, included below are resources to help get you started.

Understanding How To Read A Pigeon’s Band will enable you to contact the correct racing club secretary, who can then put you in contact with the owner of the lost bird. For a band that reads AU 2022 ABC 1234:
AU: the national org that’s registered the bird, in this case the American Racing Pigeon Union. IF, CU, ATB, NBRC, or IPB may also be in this position.
2002: the year the bird was hatched or banded/registered.
ABC: the letters that represent the club the band is registered to. There may be 1, 2, or 3 letters but no two clubs have the same.
1234: is the ID # unique to that bird.

Now that you understand how to read the band, you can find the club that the bird you found belongs to. Click on the name below to go to that org’s website.

IF = INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION AMERICAN HOMING PIGEONS FANCIERS
CU or CRPU = CANADIAN PIGEON UNION
IPB = INDEPENDENT PIGEON BREEDERS
NPA = NATIONAL PIGEON ASSOCIATION
AU = AMERICAN RACING PIGEON UNION ORGANIZATION

PERSONALIZED BANDS = Sometimes the band has the owner’s name, phone and/or address on it so that you may call or write them.

Please Note: Most orgs request you have the bird physically in your hands and not just flying around the property. We know of no one who will come to your house and trap the bird.

Instructions for Care of Found Pigeon/s Please look these over and they will help you keep your new found feathered friend well until he/she is reunited with their owner.

After 24-48 hours rest, with food and water, most homing pigeons are more than capable of finding their way home on their own. Simply release the bird in an area free of wires or other obstacles and it will usually head home immediately. NEVER try to attach a note by rubber banding it to the bird's leg. This can cut off blood circulation and often leads to gangrene and/or amputation. If you really want to attach a small note, tie it carefully to the middle of its two tail feathers.