Published Apr 05, 2025 • Last updated 5 hours ago • 2 minute readBrianna Bowes, a wildlife care specialist, holds Peter, an adult pigeon, at Hope for Wildlife in Seaforth on Friday, April 4, 2025. Peter was found on Sable Island last week by Parks Canada employees and they discovered a Spanish legband from Federation Colombophile Internationale, a pigeon fanciers association. Ryan Taplin – The Chronicle Herald Photo by Ryan TaplinHope for Wildlife has a new resident this week: a pigeon that they’ve tentatively traced back to Spain.Last week, a Parks Canada employee with the Sable Island National Park Reserve found the tired and thin bird while walking the island.Hope Swinimer from Hope for Wildlife said the bird stuck out because it had two leg bands, which is often a sign of a domestic bird, but also because pigeons aren’t found on the island, almost 300 km from Nova Scotia.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentThe pigeon was dubbed Peter and flown to the mainland and Hope for Wildlife by Sable Aviation. Brianna Bowes, a wildlife care specialist, shows a legband on Peter, an adult pigeon, at Hope for Wildlife in Seaforth on Friday, April 4, 2025. Peter was found on Sable Island last week by Parks Canada employees and they discovered a Spanish leg band from Federation Colombophile Internationale, a pigeon fanciers association.Ryan Taplin – The Chronicle HeraldSwinimer said staff used the bands to trace Peter to the Federation Colombophile Internationale, which is described online as a non-profit association, with 74 national or regional federations that govern the pigeon sport in their respective area.Swinimer said they hadn’t been able to reach anyone though the association as of Friday, but Peter is likely a racing pigeon from Spain. She said the prevailing theory is that the bird found itself at sea and hopped a ride on a cargo ship that waited out some bad weather behind Sable Island. While there, Peter could have winged toward the island.“We don’t know for sure where he came from, maybe someone brought him as a pet into Nova Scotia and he got away, but I doubt that happened,” she said. “I don’t know if we’ll ever get our questions answered, but we’re hoping.”It has been about a week since they reached out to the federation looking for help.Article contentSwinimer said Peter is different from the common pigeons in Nova Scotia.“His head is a bit sleeker and more pointed, the coloring on the wings is different, it’s a bit lighter. You can tell if you work with them every day.” She said Peter had some bruising on his keel bone, which provides the main attachment for flight muscles, and is being treated for coccidia, but “he’s packed on weight since he’s been with us this week. he’s gained about 40 grams.”Swinimer said he probably wouldn’t have done well had he been on the island much longer.He won’t be released into the wild if his actual owner can’t be found. Swinimer said that they have a pigeon coop at the facility and are down a bird, so he could move in there if he got along with the other three. But if not, “we have a lot of pigeon lovers at Hope for Wildlife so there are two or three staff who would be more than happy to give him a home. When we put the story up on Facebook we must have had 10 or 12 people contact us and say that if we can’t find a hone, they’ll be glad to have him. He has lots of possibilities, so that’s nice.” rianna Bowes, a wildlife care specialist, holds Peter, an adult pigeon, at Hope for Wildlife in Seaforth on Friday, April 4, 2025. Peter was found on Sable Island last week by Parks Canada employees and they discovered a Spanish legband from Federation Colombophile Internationale, a pigeon fanciers association.Ryan Taplin – The Chronicle HeraldArticle content
Wayward pigeon found on Sable Island may have come from Spain
