Great Lakes Pigeon Rescue

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Great Lakes Pigeon Rescue A rescue, foster, & adoption network for non-releasable pigeons & doves in the Great Lakes region.
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Hi! My name is Guava. I know it is a funny name for gorgeous pigeon like me. I’ll explain. I was rescued from the Famous...
24/05/2026

Hi! My name is Guava. I know it is a funny name for gorgeous pigeon like me. I’ll explain. I was rescued from the Famous Hogsbreath Saloon in Key West Florida. That’s right. I grew up on live music, happy people, and the beautiful azure ocean was less than a block away. I wanted to see it so badly. I just couldn’t get there. My parents did the best they could raising me. They gave me the most beautiful eyes just like the pearls from the famous Atocha shipwreck. It wasn’t easy finding a safe place and sturdy materials for a next. Resources were limited. My parents accidentally made our nest out of blonde human hair. Maybe they thought I should have been blonde! As I grew, the hair wrapped tighter and tighter around my feet. It was so painful. It grew into my skin on both feet causing me to loose 2 toes and nearly the whole foot. One day it was time for me to leave the nest! Yay! But no! My legs were a problem and I had trouble flying. As a tiny baby I fell into a puddle of grease on the street. I was covered in it, leaving me unable to fly and hardly walk. I just wanted to go to the beach. But I found a very nice lady to help me! She was determined to save me so one day I could fly over the ocean. She raised me, bathed me, and treated my injured feet. But now, mostly raised by people, I have no idea how to survive on the rough city streets. I belong hanging out with people among the craft supplies and on a cushy couch! Since the Florida Keys are a small place, to help me find my forever home the nice lady who saved me helped me fly over the ocean after all - in an unlikely way in the form of an airplane! I got to fly all the way from Miami Florida to her good friends at Great Lakes Pigeon Rescue. I also got to drive with her over the seven mile bridge from key west to Miami, safe in my cozy pet carrier. Not many pigeons or people get to say they did all of that in 4 short months of their life. I don’t need any more adventures, that’s for sure! Now all I want next as a young pigeon lady is a forever home of my very own!

Hello there, future family! I’m Mulberry, a dashing and distinguished pigeon with a heart full of charm and a tale that’...
23/05/2026

Hello there, future family! I’m Mulberry, a dashing and distinguished pigeon with a heart full of charm and a tale that’s sure to captivate you. I sport a sophisticated dusty gray plumage, perfectly complemented by my bedroom-dark orange eyes—trust me, they’re so mesmerizing they’ll win over even the most hesitant adopter. However, even the most handsome pigeons have their troubled back-stories. Alas, life hasn’t always been a smooth flight for me. I came to GLPR having been a victim of string foot. Because of that, I’m missing a few toes (oooops!) and might not be the best at soaring through the sky. But don’t let my rough past fool you! I’m brave, resilient, and ready to be the hero of your home. I’m a loyal companion who will bring warmth and character to your life. Let me show you just how special I am—give me a chance to prove that even with my challenges, I’m worth every bit of love you can give. So, what do you say? Ready to welcome a courageous and handsome fellow like me into your heart and home?

This darling little man looks just like a gingerbread cookie dipped in luscious chocolate (who doesn’t love chocolate!?)...
23/05/2026

This darling little man looks just like a gingerbread cookie dipped in luscious chocolate (who doesn’t love chocolate!?) and decorated with rainbow sprinkles. It appears that some hungry predator may have wanted to have a little taste of him, as he was rescued with an injury to the back of his head. Happily, his destiny clearly was to keep shining his bright light on the world and grace a very lucky person’s home with his good looks and sparkling personality. And sparkle his personality does! You will be delighted with his playfulness, his feisty, yet friendly attitude, and the fact that he looks at the world and the people in it with curiosity and confidence. Perhaps down the road soon there will be lots of love from very own foster or forever human(s)!

Meela was released at a ceremony — a wedding, a memorial, some occasion where white birds ascending into the sky are mea...
22/05/2026

Meela was released at a ceremony — a wedding, a memorial, some occasion where white birds ascending into the sky are meant to signify something beautiful. What the guests see is the release. What they don’t see is what happens after, when a domestic bird finds herself alone in an unfamiliar sky with no flock and no way home. Meela’s response to this situation was characteristically direct. She found an office building, and walked right in. She assessed a difficult situation, identified a resource, presented herself, and waited for the appropriate response. For a bird who had just survived the ceremonial release industry’s casual indifference to what happens next, this was an impressive piece of self-advocacy.
She is now in a foster home, and the contrast between where she was and where she is could not be more complete. Meela is gentle, stoic, and polite — a quiet presence who has strong opinions about her preferred environment and those opinions are: calm, please. A peaceful living room over a busy aviary, every time. She asks only for a soft, unhurried space where she can simply exist without being asked to perform or navigate or survive anything.
She has done enough of that. Meela found out what freedom actually looks like: a quiet room, a gentle household, and never having to be lost and scared again.

Oil Slick has one of the most interesting rescue stories. This pigeon was found as a baby swimming in oil behind a bagel...
22/05/2026

Oil Slick has one of the most interesting rescue stories. This pigeon was found as a baby swimming in oil behind a bagel shop! With the odds stacked against him, Oil Slick was doing his best to keep his head above the grease. Thankfully this baby was saved, but he was very dehydrated from his ordeal. After his rescue, Slick was washed in Dawn soap until the cooking oil was cleansed away. The only reminder of Slick’s ordeal is a missing toe.
Despite Oil Slick’s horrifying story he is a really happy pigeon! Stuffed animals bring him a lot of joy,’and he can often be seen dancing in his cage. This boy knows he is safe. His joyful demeanor is contagious! A reminder to leave the past behind and to be thankful for the moment.
Aside from his cheery personality, Slick has the most gorgeous feathers. His iridescent neck contains the most special lilac color - An absolute breathtaking light purple decoration that contrasts beautifully with his deep green feathers.
If you would like to provide our baby hero with a loving adoptive or foster home, he’ll be very grateful!

Meet Blake, a gentle soul with a love for snacks! Blake is a shy, soft-hearted former racing pigeon who’s ready to slow ...
21/05/2026

Meet Blake, a gentle soul with a love for snacks! Blake is a shy, soft-hearted former racing pigeon who’s ready to slow down and enjoy the quiet life. While he’s still learning to trust people, he’s made it clear he has one true love: millet spray. This sweet guy may not be pushy about seeking attention, but he watches the world with curious eyes and is happiest when he’s safe, cozy, and has his favorite treat nearby. He absolutely loves to perch and watch us as we clean up cages nearby. With time, patience, and kindness, Blake will make a wonderful companion in a calm, loving home. He’s retired from racing, now he just wants a peaceful place to call his own!

Calvera is a blue bar pigeon from the South Loop who is blind in his right eye, which he treats as irrelevant to the pro...
21/05/2026

Calvera is a blue bar pigeon from the South Loop who is blind in his right eye, which he treats as irrelevant to the proceedings. He has opinions about this and most other things.
Calvera is a talker. Not occasionally — consistently, enthusiastically, with strong conviction that whatever he’s saying is worth hearing. He fills a room with commentary and is not shy about interrupting. He has taken a look at every space he’s been in and decided it’s his studio now.
He does opening remarks in the morning. He has takes on snacks. He will cut in before you’re finished if the pacing calls for it. There is a clear expectation that you are the audience, and you should be listening.
Calvera is looking for a forever home where someone will appreciate a bird with this level of presence and this many thoughts. He has moved past survival, and is now fully in his main character era. The show is ongoing. He just needs a permanent set!

Some love stories are complicated. This one is not. Radicchio and Sweet Pea met in their foster home, recognized somethi...
20/05/2026

Some love stories are complicated. This one is not. Radicchio and Sweet Pea met in their foster home, recognized something in each other, and have been in a basket together ever since.
They are, as their foster family affectionately calls them, LesbiHens — a bonded pair of domestic pigeon ladies who found each other in the middle of everything else and decided that was the most important thing. They are not wrong. They are, in fact, extremely right, and the photographic evidence is compelling: two birds arranged in a wicker basket with the settled contentment of creatures who have found their preferred configuration and see no reason to alter it.
Radicchio brings the classic blue check elegance — that iridescent green at the throat, the tidy compact presence of a bird who is comfortable in her own feathers. Sweet Pea is her visual counterpart, splashed in grey and white with the slightly ruffled, bright-eyed look of a bird who is paying attention to things. Together in their basket they are a study in peaceful coexistence and mutual appreciation.
They are gentle. They are quiet. They are, by every account, a joy to be around — the kind of birds who bring a particular calm into a room without asking anything dramatic in return. They like their basket. They like each other. They like the simple reliable pleasures of a cozy, safe, warm home where nobody is asking them to be anywhere they don’t want to be. They are ready for a forever home with sufficient appreciation for two gentle ladies who have already sorted out the most important parts of their lives and just need somewhere permanent to enjoy them.

Bunny is a one-year-old grey racing survivor who was found in Geneva, perched on a fence, critically observing someone’s...
20/05/2026

Bunny is a one-year-old grey racing survivor who was found in Geneva, perched on a fence, critically observing someone’s gardening. When the gardening apparently failed to meet his standards, he relocated to a nearby rabbit hutch for a better vantage point. A volunteer eventually convinced him to leave for a safer location, informing him he’s not a rabbit. He did not look entirely convinced.
He’s a confident, opinionated little bird with a sharp eye and a clear sense of where he belongs in the pecking order (at the top). He’ll supervise your activities, assess your space, and settle in with the ease of someone who has never once doubted that he’s welcome.
Bunny is looking for a home that has things worth inspecting and people who find that charming. He’ll provide structure, commentary, and a surprisingly regal presence. Your garden, your décor, your general decision-making — all of it will be evaluated. This is not negotiable, but it is entertaining!

Fredwin was at the Quincy station for two days before anyone reached him. Someone had reported him — tourists who saw a ...
19/05/2026

Fredwin was at the Quincy station for two days before anyone reached him. Someone had reported him — tourists who saw a huddled bird and made the call — and GLPR volunteers went looking. The station is busy, the environment is loud and disorienting, and Fredwin was somewhere in it, injured and waiting, with a damaged left foot and a left wing that had been partially torn away. He would not have survived much longer. The volunteers did not stop searching until they found him.
That is the fact at the center of Fredwin’s story: people did not give up on him. Not the tourists who noticed and reported. Not the volunteers who came back a second day. That persistence is what made the difference between Fredwin alive and Fredwin not alive.
He is very much alive. Thriving, actually, which given what he came in with is a word worth emphasizing. The wing, the foot, the two days of exposure and deterioration in a subway station — and yet here he is, standing with the upright, alert posture of a bird who has somewhere to be and opinions about things. He is a genuinely beautiful bird. That deep green iridescence across his head and neck is striking — almost metallic in good light — and the speckled grey and white patterning across his wings gives him the look of something carefully designed. He is, in all the ways that count, still very much here.
Fredwin awaits a home that understands his mobility — the wing and foot situations are permanent, and his setup should account for that — but his foster mom will tell you that he has adapted with the matter-of-fact resilience of a bird who has clearly decided that surviving was the hard part and everything else is manageable.
He was found because people went back a second day. He deserves a forever home that matches that level of love and commitment!

Coro is a racing survivor who ended up in Chicago and has fully committed to the lifestyle. No more racing. Just the Bea...
19/05/2026

Coro is a racing survivor who ended up in Chicago and has fully committed to the lifestyle. No more racing. Just the Bean, the lakefront, and strong opinions about hot dogs.
He’s easygoing and calm — the kind of bird who makes a quiet afternoon feel like enough. He’s not demanding or restless. He’s just… present, in a way that’s genuinely pleasant to be around.
He does have some views. Deep dish: yes. Ketchup on a hot dog: absolutely not. Sunsets over the lake: he considers these personally relevant.
Coro is ready for a home that’ll appreciate a low-key companion who knows how to settle in and enjoy things. He came to Chicago, saw the Bean, reflected on it from several angles, and decided he was done moving fast.
Good call, honestly.

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