Bushey woman raises street pigeon as pet (From Watford Observer)

Bushey woman raises street pigeon as pet

3:21pm Thursday 9th February 2012 in News By Chris Hewett

A Bushey mother-of-two who rescued and trained a wild pigeon can now boast one of the country’s most unorthodox domesticated pets.

Lesley Marriott, of Bushey Grove Road, hand reared the bird after it was found stricken and abandoned at a building site where her son was working in May.

Since becoming part of the family, Pidge as it has affectionately been named, now responds to Mrs Marriott’s whistles and calls.

And to make sure the adopted avian doesn’t feel too cooped up, the Marriotts have built a large bird box on their townhouse roof for homing the feathered visitor.

Mrs Marriott explained: “When we first brought Pidge home, no agencies or charities would take her. We researched pigeons and over the months we have taught her how to fly and find food. She really is part of the family.”

While hand rearing Pidge as a chick, Mrs Marriott would feed her bread and milk through a sock to imitate the bird’s natural behaviour of eating regurgitated food from its mother in the wild.

The family’s dedicated approach to raising Pidge even led Mrs Marriott to flap her arms in front of the often bemused chick to teach it how to take off.

And though pigeons are usually associated with scruffy town centres, this particular customer is right at home around the dinner table.

Mrs Marriott said: “At Christmas we were all sitting around and she began pecking at the window. It was so cold so we had to let her in and she joined us for some sunflower seeds.”

Despite the bird’s wild heritage, Mrs Marriott, who used to keep doves, believes the tame nature of Pidge has not had an adverse impact on its survival when it ventures outdoors.

She said: “I think at first it was difficult, she used to get picked on by the magpies but now she is fully grown she seems to be fine.

“Every time the window is open she flies in. Sometimes I go upstairs and she’s sitting on my bed.”

Whilst Pidge’s gender has not been confirmed, Mrs Marriott believes it must be female because it has not flown away, something male birds will often do when looking to find a mate.

Having made its mark on the road, Mrs Marriott is hoping Pidge doesn’t fly the nest, though she admits she occasionally gets one or two strange looks when she tells people about her unusual house guest.

She added: “People say to me, ‘what a lovely story’. They can’t quite believe it at first. Some people think I must be mad - I’m like the bird woman of Bushey.”