Our Pigeon Flock

We have a nice pigeon aviary that houses 20-25 King Pigeons and Roller Pigeons at a time. They enjoy their swings, perches, cubbies, bathing tubs and greens. Many of them form a permanent bond with another pigeon and will share a cubby with them and bring food to each other.

Most of our King Pigeons are rescued by San Francisco Animal Care and Control and come to live with us if they don’t get adopted. They are usually found on the streets and are rescued because they are domesticated and unable to survive for very long in the wild. They are often raised for meat, called squab, and are sold at wet markets. It is believed that some people purchase and release them, which is how they end up on the streets. Another way pigeons end up on the streets are ones that get lost after dove releases at weddings.

Many of the Roller Pigeons are rescued by Palomacy, a pigeon rescue group. Roller Pigeons are selectively bred to have seizures at high altitudes, which causes them to flip backwards while flying. This cruel practice amuses some people and there are competitions where the pigeons’ “performances” are judged.