May 15, 2026
by Heather Hohlowski
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60 Minutes — The Pigeon Mafia: A Review

By Cynthia Bardouka-Large

Tom Van Gaver’s prize racing pigeon Finn was stolen. We discuss whether Tom Van Gaver is the victim — and how you can help set the record straight.

Many members of the Palomacy community watched the 60 Minutes piece about “The Pigeon Mafia” like we’d watch a horror movie, peeking out from behind our fingers. We knew that outreach events for the next few months would involve encounters with people whose eyes had been newly opened to the big-money world of champion racing pigeons, without having learned about the true cost to the birds. And why should they know about that? 60 Minutes didn’t mention it. Not one minute in a 13-minute piece was devoted to the inherent cruelty of this blood “sport”.

In the television story, Sharyn Alfonsi narrates the theft of Finn, one of Tom Van Gaver’s most valued birds. Van Gaver is a Belgian pigeon racer, from the birth country of the modern “sport” and he is featured as the victim of the story. But before we accept this premise, let’s talk about pigeon racing.

Pigeons are all about love and connection, and in racing, those beautiful qualities are exploited for profit. Pigeons mate for life, both parents take care of the babies, and couples spend most of their time together – snuggling, preening each other, feeding each other, sitting on each other’s heads – bonding, bonding, bonding. That is the life they choose, when they are allowed to choose.

Pigeon racers separate these couples, taking one bird away from their mate (even better, to them, if there are babies in the nest to make the pigeon parents more frantic), and transporting the racing bird hundreds or even thousands of miles from home in crowded trucks before tossing them into the air. The desperate pigeons fly their hearts out, burning up to half their body weight trying to get home. Most don’t make it home — they are killed by predators, shot for sport, downed by storms, exhaustion, and starvation. Rescues save hundreds that are lucky enough to be found alive. For every prize “athlete” there are untold hundreds of birds who don’t survive their first year.

Pigeons are taken far from home and tossed into the air

Pigeon fanciers do not care enough about these birds to keep them safe – they only care about the winners. They will say they love their birds – a love demonstrated by spotless lofts, high-quality food, and extensive vaccinations. But none of those things matter if you are then going to send your beloved birds out to play on a busy freeway – which is what the wild skies are to domestic pigeons. These fanciers rarely want a failed racer back, if the fallen, lost, or wounded bird is found by a member of the public. They don’t want those “loser” genetics in their loft. And then, at the end of the racing season, when it’s time to breed the next generation of money-makers, they force mated couples apart again, in order to pair up birds with winning track records.

Emily almost didn’t survive her first flight.

Please, read for yourself the mentality of fanciers. Not only does the sport kill the pigeon, many of the pigeon owners kill the pigeons – blatantly, and boastfully.

CONTENT WARNING — this is upsetting:

From PigeonInsider.com: The Secret of the Champions

“When you are putting bands on one week old babies you may notice that one has thinner legs than birds of the same age. Such a bird will never be a strong, vital, healthy bird either. Get rid of it. It is a pigeon without a future.”

From Urban Wildlife Society: Killing Pigeons for Ego, Money, and Fund

“I know a LOT of nice people in the Roller Hobby, and I don’t know ANY of them that are successful and don’t Cull/Kill birds when it is necessary. These are good people who believe that the proper way to create and maintain a loft filled with respectable Rollers is to Cull the ones that can’t make the GRADE! …the GOOD Rollermen … do NOT want to spread Roller-Trash around the country…”

Racers like Tom Van Gaver force pigeons like Finn to compete, by separating them from their mates and sending these vulnerable, domestic, prey animals out to run the gauntlet of predators, bad weather, and grueling distance. They do it to these birds again and again and again.

Please, let’s keep in mind who the real victims are.

Learn More About the Reality of Pigeon Racing

What’s Pigeon Racing?
A Pigeon Tale

Left: Emily, with broken wing, self-rescues to a porch; center: exhausted but safe in a carrier; right: treated and recovering with Palomacy

What You Can Do

Looking for a way to help? Take to YouTube and challenge this limited perspective — with civility so that you are heard — in the comments section of the 60 Minutes video. So many people have watched this piece and come away thinking they know about pigeon racing — and how can they know better if no one points it out to them? The public perception of pigeons is slowing improving, and we hear from more and more people who understand how pigeons came to live in our cities and how they deserve better. Let’s keep that positive progress going! Pigeons don’t deserve to be persecuted, and they don’t deserve to be used in racing or other hobbies and businesses. They deserve to be themselves!

Leave a Comment on YouTube

April 18, 2026
by Cynthia Bardouka-Large
Comments Off on Welcome to New Board Members and Gratitude to Those Retiring

Welcome to New Board Members and Gratitude to Those Retiring

Palomacy is excited to be welcoming some new members to our Board of Directors!

Elizabeth Young

When she retired as Director of Palomacy, founder Elizabeth Young said, “I’m leaving the job but not the work.” She is making good on that promise by stepping up to serve on the Board, bringing with her all the wisdom, experience, and understanding of Palomacy’s mission.

Rose Lalla Jensen

Rose Lalla Jensen has been a Palomacy super-volunteer for years, helping to moderate our 50K+ member Help Group with patience and a calm spirit, managing the logistics of handling the orders for Palomacy’s rescue leg-bands, always stepping up to contribute thoughtful, in-depth research for any new aspect of bird care that comes up. Rose has been someone we all turn to for advice and reality checks, and we are so grateful to have her perspective in this new role.

Neil Gilfedder

Neil Gilfedder has given generously of his time and skills in taking care of our flock at the Ploughshares aviary, including training new volunteers with a warm smile and welcoming spirit! His financial background will lend valuable insight to the work of Palomacy’s Board as we put donation funds to work saving the lives of the birds who come into our care.

Dr Holly Galusha

Dr. Holly Galusha is a compassionate and skilled avian veterinarian, and has been a trusted medical provider for the birds in Palomacy’s care, as well as being a friend and an advisor. Her insights into individual bird care as well as a wider, flock-wide perspective, will help guide our decision-making as we try to serve as many birds as possible, as compassionately as possible.

We also want to offer our deepest gratitude to two long-serving members as they step down from their Board service.

Clare Malone Prichard

Clare Malone Pritchard has been with Palomacy since the early days when it was known as “MickaCoo”, serving as the Chair of MickaCoo’s Advisory Committee. Her strategic thinking and goal-setting helped Palomacy every step of the way as we grew to become our own 501(c)(3) organization. Her warmth and steady leadership have been deeply appreciated.

Cheryl Dickinson

Cheryl Dickinson has also been an active volunteer with Palomacy since the earliest days, serving on the MickaCoo Advisory Board from 2011-2014, and later on the Palomacy Board. Cheryl has been a steady presence, offering local help to the pigeons of Pacifica, as well as guidance and mentoring to new rescuers and volunteers as they came to Palomacy with a wish to help these remarkable birds. Cheryl has given an immeasurable amount of time and experience and kindness to humans and birds alike and we are so thankful for all of her service.

April 18, 2026
by Heather Hohlowski
Comments Off on More Than a Hunch

More Than a Hunch

Paige is a survivor of the inhumane “sport” of pigeon racing. Seven years ago, she landed in Elizabeth Young’s backyard — that’s a VERY smart pigeon who self-rescues to the Palomacy founder’s patio! That was in the summer of 2019. We adopted Paige a couple of months later, and she married our rescued King pigeon Cantaloupe almost instantly.

Over these years, she’s been an irregular egg layer – monthly for a few months at a stretch, then nothing for six months, rinse and repeat. She has always been a strong, solid bird with a sweet demeanor, and health-wise she has never presented us with anything out of the ordinary. But one day this past February (the 11th to be exact), as I walked up to the aviary for the morning cleaning routine, I saw Paige sitting with a completely different profile – fluffed and hunched.

Hunched posture — not normal

My immediately concern: egg binding (see Figure 1.) — even though that had never happened before. Still, she was eating normally and flying just fine. But her droppings looked kind of funky — a little watery and with more yellow than green, so I quickly made an appointment with Dr. Holly Galusha from Winged Wellness Vet Clinic (a fantastic, mobile avian vet!). After a thorough exam, she did an ultrasound, which showed she might be trying to lay a soft egg.

Figure 1. Egg binding is an emergency — know the signs!

Left: Feb 11 — Right: Feb 12

The next day, she laid what appeared to be loose egg remnants (see photo). To be safe, Dr. Galusha prescribed antibiotics, and over the next ten days she seemed to improve — the hunching dissipated and her droppings returned to almost-normal. I thought we were in the clear! But then about two weeks later, the cycle began again — right when she would be due to lay another egg.

Dr. Galusha returned and another ultrasound showed an impacted oviduct. Additionally, we weighed Paige and she was only 360g — normally she weighs 420g! I was so mad at myself for not weighing her sooner. It is so important to weigh your birds regularly; a sudden change in weight is often the first sign of illness.

Figure 2. Weigh your bird at regular intervals and keep an eye out for sudden changes.

Dr. Galusha would have operated herself, but due to a temporary staffing shortage with her surgical support team, she referred us to Medical Center for Birds to ensure the procedure happened as quickly as possible. I brought Paige there the next day, March 11 — a month since I first saw her hunchy profile in the aviary! She now weighed just 340g — she was losing weight so fast. An impacted oviduct required surgery. Dr. Dylan Conradson performed another ultrasound and confirmed Dr. Galusha’s diagnosis and surgery was recommended. Dr. Conradson said they might try to get her weight up prior to operating, but the next day he called to say he had put her on supportive therapy overnight and she was doing really well, her blood counts were good, and he felt the time was right to proceed that afternoon.

She went into surgery at 12:30 pm, and at 2:15 Dr. Conradson called with the good news – Paige did great and was alert and bright-eyed in recovery. RELIEF! We were scheduled to pick her up that weekend, but Saturday morning the doctor called and said she’d regurgitated overnight and they wanted to continue monitoring her through the weekend. They suspected the antibiotic — trimethoprim sulfamethoxazole (“TMS”) — was causing her nausea and they wanted to switch to ciprofloxacin (“cipro”) and see if the regurgitation resolved. It did and we were able to bring her home Monday, February 16.

Dr. Conradson walked me through everything they found during the procedure. Interestingly, there was quite a bit of fatty tissue, which was a total surprise to me. Paige’s usual diet is pigeon feed with 16% protein, supplemented with oyster shell and fresh veggies. She was never overweight. They also successfully removed a fatty nodule (called a “xanthoma”) and removed her ovaries, oviduct, and the remnants of two soft eggs. Paige spent two weeks on antibiotics afterward and she’s been a superstar. It was so heartening to see her weight steadily climb back to her healthy normal: she went from 402g on 3/22 to 432g by 3/26, and as of the writing of this article, she is up to 470g.

I can’t thank Dr. Galusha and Dr. Conradson enough for helping us navigate this whole journey. Any time a bird goes under anesthesia, it’s nerve-wracking since every bird handles it differently. Because this surgery was so complex and Paige had lost so much weight, we were definitely on pins and needles waiting for the “all clear” phone call. We are just so relieved; between the amazing vet care and Paige’s resilience, she pulled through like a champ. Pigeons truly are amazing.

Paige back home and feeling unstoppable!

April 18, 2026
by Elizabeth
Comments Off on Palomacy Party: Pigeon Ambition, to love and be loved

Palomacy Party: Pigeon Ambition, to love and be loved

Pigeon ambition? A pigeon’s ambition is to love and be loved!

Celebrate 19 years of pigeon and dove diplomacy! Humans and birds are all invited Delicious vegan food, drinks, music, raffle, birds! We gather everybirdy together — avian and human — volunteers old and new, adopters, friends and fans and we bird nerd out with delicious vegan snacks, drinks, music, and birds — AND special guests and slideshows and raffles as we celebrate this amazing life-saving, culture-changing community we share. The whole affair is produced by us for us. We have no budget to buy event planning nor hire party staff. We do it all ourselves, which somehow makes it all the sweeter.

This year our party Pigeon Ambition will be held in the big Community Space room of the Berkeley Sports Basement (generously donated, thank you!) on Saturday June 27th from 1-5 PM. Our special guest, Susan Joyce, known as “Sue the Pigeon Lady” & founder of Little Green Pigeon and the National Pigeon Advocacy Association, will be livestreaming her presentation: “Change and Hope – my vision of a better world for pigeons”.

Please check out our party Eventbrite for all the details, to RSVP (includes 2 free raffle/drink tickets), and to order your T-shirts and gorgeous fine art prints of Madalina Kelner’s striking artwork (custom created and donated). And please raise a wing to help out! We need people to help set up before the party, to bring and serve food and drinks, to donate treasures for our online auction and raffle and more! We need YOU! Please Email Elizabeth@pigeonrescue.org or text 415 420 7204 for more info and to sign up. (Yes, I retired last year and I’m thrilled to have the bandwidth to volunteer as party organizer for Palomacy this year!)

Palomacy has a history of really fun, wholesome, inspiring parties. We haven’t had them every year, but every year we have had them, they have been very special. Check them out: We had We Can Be Heroes in 2012, Flocktoberfest in 2017, COO-CHELLA! was 2018, 2019 was Mascoorade! We had our virtual Pajama Party! in 2020, Summer of Dove in 2022 and Feathers & Fashion: Celebrating Cooture! was our last one in 2023. So we are overdue for another!

Palomacy Party!

Don’t forget to RSVP!

March 15, 2026
by Cynthia Bardouka-Large
Comments Off on Coo Coo Achoo! What to Know About Air Purifiers

Coo Coo Achoo! What to Know About Air Purifiers

A good book shared with a good bird – everything is better with clean air!

Let’s talk about air purifiers!

Any pet can trigger allergies, and birds are no exception. Pigeons and doves can be dusty, and clean air is important — for you and your bird!

A lot of what you need to keep a pigeon or dove happy can be picked up at a thrift store, but when it comes to purchasing an air purifier, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the number and variety of units on the market.

Fortunately, Palomacy moderator, volunteer, and Board member Rose Lalla Jensen has done the homework for you, and shares it here:

“Electronic” or ionizing air purifiers are widely marketed, but anything that uses ionizing technology or produces ozone is not safe. Ionization changes the magnetic charge of particles, making them attracted to things with opposite charge. In essence it makes them stick to those things much easier (eliminating the need for multiple layers of expensive, super fine filters). It also makes those particles stick to walls, furniture, and lungs — yours and your birds’.

Some air purifiers allow you to turn off the ionizing features. But performance ratings for those units are measured WITH the ionizers, and so it’s hard to know how effective they are without the ionization. That means it is impossible to compare apples to apples between units, or even determine which one you need, and no way to know if they are adequately cleaning the air. We recommend choosing one that does not offer ionizing technology at all.

“Mechanical” air purifiers, using medical grade or True HEPA filters, are safer. They filter out the smallest size particles without the use of ionization and without creating ozone. The purifier should say True HEPA or medical grade to be the real deal.

A new air purifier passes inspection! Photo by Ryan McLain

Once you have determined that the purifiers you are looking at are True HEPA/medical grade, you will determine which unit you need based on the size of your room.

You need to do a little math for that. The volume of your room is length x width x ceiling height. This is important, as purifiers all move different amounts of air during any period. You want the air to circulate a minimum of 3 times per hour, or more if you have severe allergies or a medical condition.

Take the volume of your room and multiply it by how many air changes in an hour. Then divide by 60. This gives you how many cubic feet per minute (CFM) the purifier needs to run. Compare this to the specifications on the air purifier. (If only one number is listed for the CFM, it is for the highest setting.)

Example: our family room is 14 feet wide and 48 feet long with 8 foot ceilings, and we need to change the air 3 times per hour minimum. So the math:

14′ wide x 48 x long x 8′ tall x 3 ÷ 60 = 268.8 CFM minimum. You can get more than one air purifier to reach the minimum. So for example, if a unit is rated for 150 CFM, two units would be needed for our room.

We have researched a lot of the most common manufacturers, and encourage you to do your own investigating. When in doubt, pass it up! And again, remember that if they have optional ionizing, the CFM and other specs are only true with the ionizing ON. Performance will be greatly reduced with it off. Many units are eligible for purchase with your Health Savings Account.

So here are a couple of VERY general recommendations for manufacturers:

Gold Standard:

Austin Air — These are costly, and the filters are costly, but they are popular with our rehabbers who share homes with many birds.

Budget-Friendly:

Levoit — most of their units are non-ionizing but check specs to be sure

Coway — again, check specs to avoid ionizing units

Honorable Mention:

The Airfanta 3pro is a reasonably priced mechanical unit.

There are many, many brands on the market, and it can become overwhelming. A handy tool is provided by the California Air Resources Board. This up-to-date, searchable database provides information on whether any given medel uses ionizing technology (electronic), or non-ionizing technology (mechanical). The website does not rate units for effectiveness, but focuses on reducing exposure to ozone. Use this website to search for manufacturers and model names and numbers to see if they are safe for use: https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/list-carb-certified-air-cleaning-devices

Enjoying the breeze! Photo by Meredith Saunders-Mattingly

March 14, 2026
by Elizabeth
Comments Off on We’re Here, Where Are You?

We’re Here, Where Are You?

Hello, I’m Swan and this is Cooper, my husbird. We’re a very happy, loving and mellow couple. When you see one of us, the other will be close by. I’m a half Homer and half German Owl pigeon who came to Palomacy’s foster care in 2020 when I wasn’t even a year old. I’m very petite, dainty and snow white and Cooper says I’m the most beautiful pigeon he’s ever seen. He’s very devoted!

Cooper is nine years old and was rescued by Palomacy in 2017. He’s the gray one with the bumpy cere over his beak. (Don’t be alarmed, it’s a normal feature for his breed and I think it makes him look very distinguished.) Cooper’s past was not an easy one though. He was bred for pigeon racing and then sold as “surplus” to be used for hunting dog training (a common fate). A kind person who saw him bought Cooper and his friend Wicket and, wanting to help them, set them free in a field. What she didn’t know was that they were domestic pigeons with no ability to survive on their own plus, with all their wing and tail feathers chopped off to immobilze them for the hunting dogs, they were even more totally helpless. Luckily another kind person found them and took them to the Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley who contacted Palomacy to take them in. Their feathers grew back and they recovered and can fly in an aviary or inside the house, no problem.

Wing & tail feathers chopped off so the dogs could catch them

Cooper and I were both fostering in Palomacy’s Ploughshares Aviary in Alameda at first and we got married there. That’s a big competitive flock, though. We’re mellow and gentle and, as time went by, we were having a bit of a hard time managing with all the big pigeon personalities and so we transferred to a smaller foster aviary in San Francisco in 2024 and here we are today.

Ploughshares

San Francisco

Don’t get me wrong. Being fostered is amazing and life saving and we know how lucky we are. And yet, we can’t help longing to have a forever home. We get out and about doing a lot of outreach and meeting lots of people who always fall in love with us but yet, here we are, waiting to be adopted. Maybe you’ve met us?

Maybe you’ve been thinking about us but just hadn’t gotten around to calling yet? That’s ok, maybe this is the nudge you’ve been waiting for? (415 851-5948)

I mean, look at us… We are such a loving couple and I promise we’d bring a lot of warm feels and happy smiles to your life.

We’re very easy going, no special needs, and we’re available throughout Northern California. (Palomacy will deliver us.) We’d love to live in your predator-proof aviary with a gentle flock or inside with you. We’d spend a lot of time in our big cage or crate because we love to nest-sit but we’d also enjoy free-range time to hang out with you on the couch or lounge in the sunny places. (Do you have one of those cat hammock things that stick on windows? We love those!) We’re such an easy and sweet pair of pigeons. We should be adopted! Or, if you want to try us out before making a forever commitment, you could start out be fostering us. That would be ok too.

Are you wondering? Thinking maybe? Have a lot of questions? That’s fine. All you need to do is click this link and fill out the application and a very nice Palomacy representative will reply to you so you can discuss and consider. It’s easy! Or you can just email our foster volunteer directly at Elizabeth@pigeonrescue.org and she’d be very happy to connect with you. Oh, and here’s a great article about how to have pigeons in your life.

And we’re not the only ones… Palomacy has lots of amazing rescued pigeons and doves available for adoption. Check them out here.

So ok, we’re here. Talk to you soon!

Love,

February 13, 2026
by Cynthia Bardouka-Large
Comments Off on Every Day is Valentine’s Day in the Ploughshares Aviary!

Every Day is Valentine’s Day in the Ploughshares Aviary!

Alice and Gumball

Pigeons run on love – it’s what fuels them every day. They flirt, pursue, court, marry, and settle down with the mate they will (generally) stay with for life. And, if they are parted by death or circumstance, they are open to re-marrying. That’s one remarkable thing about pigeons – the window for love never closes for them. They are capable of forming deep and enduring bonds from their youth right through to their final days. With Valentine’s Day coming up, we’re celebrating some of our SUPER-ADOPTABLE lovebirds from the Ploughshares Aviary in Alameda!

Mardi Gras and Peck

Mwah!

Mardi Gras is a party-sized pigeon, with sparkling iridescent feathers in Fat Tuesday green and purple, set against a sleek charcoal grey suit. He’s the whole parade! Peck is a tiny, delicate, toasted sesame-seed brown lass, with grouse feathered feet, and the sweetest personality. Mardi Gras loves to make a fuss over her and she tolerates his fussing with good cheer. They couldn’t be more different, and they couldn’t be more in love!

Hemera and Regalia

Meet Hemera and Regalia! Gentle King pigeons usually have hard, short lives in an overlooked corner of animal agriculture. They are raised for food, and it’s rare that they survive to adulthood. These two not only survived, but they were rescued, and have written a beautiful love story for themselves. They are peaceful, easy-going ADOPTABLE birds who just want to snuggle.

Casper and Taylor

Taylor is a Carneau pigeon and Casper is a beautiful white-with-black-flecked King. This pair are outreach stars! They are calm and relaxed and willing to meet lots of new people. Of course they can get a little bit salty when protecting their nest! Right now they are sitting on “feggs” – fake eggs that we use to prevent hatching. It’s a bird-friendly method of birth control that still lets them have the fun of nest-building and egg-sitting. In a couple of weeks, when the eggs haven’t hatched, these two will go right back to honeymooning — and maybe a new FOREVER HOME?!

Gumball and Alice

The cruel “sport” of pigeon racing cost Gumball his wing, but he lives a full and happy life with fellow racing survivor Alice. She is flighted but chooses to spend her days lounging on the floor of the aviary with her beloved, bathing together, basking in the sun, and exchanging countless kisses. Relationship goals!

Cori and Cisco

Cisco and Cori are all ready for the Black-and-White Ball! Cori is a striking all-black Feral pigeon, and Cisco is a small-ish white King pigeon. They have claimed a nest box that is right in the center of the action, and they perch there and supervise their flockmates all day long. They would be happy to supervise your home as well!

Penelope and Xiya

Penelope and Xiya are a male couple who have been together for years. They sometimes flirt with hens in the aviary but they always go home together. Their favorite activities are hogging the whole bath, judging other birds, and gossiping in their nest box. They are fiercely loyal to each other but they also tolerate a certain amount of snuggling with humans.

These are just a few of the happily married, ADOPTABLE couples at the Ploughshares aviary who are waiting for their forever homes. Easy to keep and easy to please — life is just so much sweeter when shared with pigeons! If you feel that any of these adorable couples would feel right at home in your home – submit an application today!

January 15, 2026
by Heather Hohlowski
Comments Off on End-of-Year Fundraising a Success!

End-of-Year Fundraising a Success!

A big thank you to all of our amazing supporters who so generously donated to Palomacy at the close of 2025. Donations for the month of December plus GivingTuesday totaled nearly $27,000!

We are so grateful for you. Your support has made a real difference in so many birds’ lives.

THANK YOU!

January 15, 2026
by Heather Hohlowski
Comments Off on Recent Rescues & Adoptions

Recent Rescues & Adoptions

As of May 12, 2026


Amelia Rescued Amelia, a Tumbler pigeon, along with her friend, Atlas, were both tossed into the wild skies above Stanford University by members of a fraternity there in mid-May. These are domestic pigeons with no survival skills for the wild. Luckily, they were each found and rescued by a kind student and surrendered to Palomacy. We have been in contact with Stanford and they have been very responsive and concerned about the incident.	Atlas Rescued Atlas, along with her friend, Amelia, were both "released" on the campus of Stanford University by members of a fraternity there in mid-May. These are domestic pigeons with no survival skills for the wild. Thankfully, they were found and rescued by other students and surrendered to Palomacy. We are so grateful to both of the kind students who rescued these discarded pigeons. We have been in contact with Stanford and they have been very responsive and concerned about the incident.

Etouffée Adopted Dear little Étouffée was rescued, weak and grounded, in a kind person's backyard. She was very lethargic, and Palomacy volunteers worked fast to coordinate her pick up. She has the most gorgeous brown eyes that will melt your heart in an instant — and they worked their magic on Lalani. The two married and were adopted in April!	Lalani Adopted Lalani is a young adult King pigeon who was found alone, emaciated, and very hungry. A nice man noticed him on his front step and gave him seed and water and reached out to Palomacy for help. A Palomacy volunteer picked him up, got him to the vet for treatment. Lalani is a vibrant and beautiful soul, who met and married Etouffee in foster care. Together, they were adopted in April!

Phyllis Adopted Sweet Phyllis was pretty roughed up by either a cat or a hawk. We’re guessing hawk since her rescuer saw her crash to the ground. Once Palomacy was contacted, we picked her up and started her on pain meds and antibiotics. She’s very sweet and was adopted in April. Congratulations, Phyllis!	Scooter Adopted Scooter was found by a Good Samaritan and taken to SJACS, which reached out to Palomacy. An unreleasable feral, Scooter had a necrotic foot and a broken leg. We got him the treatment he needed. Scooter loves neck scritches and safflower seeds and he really loves his new adoptive home!

As of April 13, 2026


Rubicon Adopted Rubicon is a survivor of pigeon racing, and came to us February 23, 2026. He was a stray found with a chest injury, and we got him the medical care he needed and he recovered in foster care and then was quickly adopted. Congratulations, Rubicon!	Rabbit Adopted Rabbit was one of 16 birds that were rescued by a man who recently passed away. His wife asked for help rehoming the birds. Rabbit had mobility issues and needed veterinary care, and was quickly adopted by Moose’s Flock in San Diego. With Jenna, she receives all the great care she needs for her sore legs. We are so happy Rabbit found her home!

Cedar & Rumble Adopted Cedar and Rumble are both survivors of the cruel "sport" of pigeon racing. Each was found in 2024 by good samaritans and brought to a local wildlife center, which then contacted Palomacy. Congratulations to the newly adopted couple!	Icarus Adopted Icarus is a Ringneck dove who was confiscated after her owner passed away. This bird was in a cramped house with quite a few parrots and developed some mobility issues - but she is able to get around. She is a quiet soul, accepting of other doves and just loves to sit in the sun. She was only in foster care with us for a week before being adopted. Congratulations, Icarus - you are home!

Aspen & Alaska Adopted In late February, Palomacy helped find homes for 13 pigeons and three doves who were rescued by a man who had recently passed away. These two pigeons were adopted quickly. Congratulations Aspen and Alaska!	Fanny & Manny Adopted In late February, Palomacy helped find homes for 13 pigeons and three doves who were rescued by a man who had recently passed away. These two went to a wonderful adoptive home in Nevada. Congratulations Fanny and Manny!

Higgins & Cookie Adopted Higgins is a high energy, highly social and very bi-cultural (avian-human) pigeon. He and his mate Cookie are happily married, determined egg layers, and nest sitters. They both lived for a while at Palomacy’s big aviary at Ploughshares Nursery in Alameda, where they loved to land on people and supervise their chores. They were in our care for almost six years and we are so happy they have found their forever home!	Val Adopted Val is a bright, curious, spunky, friendly little pigeon who found help in the yard of some friendly seed-giving folks. Once captured, Val was taken into Palomacy foster care, where she was a model foster bird. She was adopted just last week and we are thrilled for her!

Cotton Adopted Big beautiful manbird Cotton is the all-grown-up oops baby of an adopter. When he hit puberty, he became too ambitious to live peacefully with his older, not-as-strong parents and despite being very loved, he had to be rehomed (common occurrence when oops babies grow up). He became a Palomacy bird and joined our Ploughshares foster flock. Cotton is a recent widower who has been adopted and eager to begin some pHarmony!	Bugle Rescued Retired "racing" pigeon Bugle was rescued by a kind woman in Lathrop, where there are few resources for pigeons. We took Bugle in, thinking she was injured but it turns out she just wanted a better life. Catfished! We are so glad she is safe and managed to pull off her own rescue.

Dorothea Rescued Dorothea is a sweet King pigeon who was surrendered to SFACC in late March 2026 with a swollen right foot, causing a limp. She is recovering in foster care and we will post more as we get to know her.	Bonk & Buddy Bighead Rescued & Married These two came to us when a widow needed to rehome 16 birds rescued by her late husband. They married and are a very sweet couple - available for adoption!

Tec Rescued Tec is a sweet young King pigeon who self-rescued to a warehouse in Oakland. He's missing some tail feathers so we suspect he may have been attacked by a cat or another predator. He is a sweet bird who is recovering in foster care.	Phyllis Rescued Sweet Phyllis was pretty roughed up by either a cat or a hawk. I’m guessing hawk since her rescuer saw her crash to the ground. Once her rescuer contacted Palomacy, I quickly drove out to get her and started her on pain meds and antibiotics. She’s pretty hand tame and very sweet.

Mokey Rescued When Mokey was brought to Palomacy on March 16 this year, our hearts sank. As she stared from her one good eye, we saw a story of neglect and abuse that no living creature should have to endure. Mokey was a "throwaway" pigeon from someone's racing loft. We were so sad for what she had already suffered, and to be honest, we were worried about the long and difficult road ahead of her. But with medical care and an amazing foster mom, Mokey is recovering and enjoying the feeling of being loved and safe for the first time in her life.	Marshmallow & Lotus Rescued These are two hens who are mated. They are sweet and quiet and love each other and are pretty people friendly, too. Because they are both female, they do not coo often. They enjoy snuggling with each other, bathing, napping in the sun, and building nests.

Lola Rescued Lola is one lucky bird. Rescued in late March, she was seen wandering around an office building in Walnut Creek back in December! Her rescuer made a connection with her to the point where she wants to adopt her! She would love for her to get married first, so she is in foster care for the time being, waiting to meet a mate.	Emily Rescued Emily is a survivor of the cruel "sport" of pigeon racing. She self-rescued onto a front porch in Orinda and the kind lady who lived there posted to the Palomacy Facebook Help Group and we picked her up and got her the medical care she needed (two puncture wounds that needed to be cleaned, sutured, and bandaged). This bird is so incredibly sweet - she was preening Jill as Dr. Galusha cleaned her wounds. We will have more details about her in the coming weeks.

As of March 13, 2026


Scunchie & Chickadee Scunchie was found as a fledgling in Pleasant Hill in 2024. Just a couple of months later Chickadee was rescued. They met and fell in love in foster care and were adopted together by Blair in March — congrats to these two adorable Rollers!	Coco Coco was rescued by a kind woman named Monica, who saw her being attacked by a hawk and came to her rescue. Monica reached out to Palomacy for help and we coached her on the basics of pigeon care and she quickly adopted Coco!

Chai This little Eurasian Collared dove survived a cat attack that left her with a bad head injury. She still has a head tilt as a result and is blind in her right eye, but she made a wonderful recovery in foster care and has now found her forever home!	Cornell A Palomacy bird since 2018, Cornell was adopted by Nicole, his devoted foster mom, as he entered the hospice phase of his care. When he crossed the rainbow bridge, Cornell was HOME.

As of February 12, 2026


Fred & Moxie Moxie (formerly known as Ingrid) came to us as a stray in 2020. Fred was rescued in 2012 and when he met Moxie, the chemistry was instant. They are now married and adopted together. Congratulations Moxie and Fred!	Sibby & Foxy Sibby and Foxy are two adorable Ringneck doves, each just five months old. Sibby is the sassy one and likely a hen. Foxy, the handsome peach guy), is laid back and just likes to watch the world around him. They now have a beautiful home in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Congratulations Sibby and Foxy!

Zaichik Zaichik is a Feral pigeon who was living wild and free around the Walnut Creek BART station when he suffered a serious wing injury. Zaichik had his shattered and infected wing surgically removed and then healed up very quickly. (BTW, Zaichik means 'little bunny' in Russian.) He is now the center of attention -- right where he wants to be -- in a loving home. Congratulations Zaichik!	Babycakes Babycakes is an impossibly cute Racing pigeon who was quickly adopted in early February. Congratulations Babycakes!

Panny & Babka Panny (formerly Big Baby Pudding) was so sick when he arrived at Palomacy last summer. He was very thin and wasn't eating, but as soon as Jill tube fed him, he remembered he wanted to live! He slowly gained weight and is a now big, healthy pigeon happily married to Babka, who came to us with an injury last November. Congratulations Panny and Babka!	Bonnie & Boomer Boomer was a widower who was anxious to meet a new lady friend. Enter Bonnie - an unreleasable Feral pigeon, who could not fly. Boomer's late wife was blind, so he knows how to be a gentle husbird. We are so happy for Boomer and Bonnie!

Between December 15, 2025 and January 15, 2026, Palomacy has placed 12 pigeons in loving forever homes AND we have some marriage announcements, too!


Coral & Bowzer Coral and Bowzer both came (separately) to Palomacy with significant injuries. Coral had a terrible beak injury and Bowzer had been attacked by a raptor. These two made amazing recoveries and met and married in foster care!	Rummy & Bijou Rummy came to Palomacy last September. He was very thin and had suspected head trauma, but he improved quickly and met and married Bijou - a pigeon he met in foster care!

Bailey & Hamish Striking black and white King pigeon Bailey was rescued in 2022 by a kind person who found her injured by the side of the road. She healed up nicely in Palomacy foster care, where she met and married Hamish, a racing survivor. They also got adopted! Congratulations, Hamish and Bailey!	Garbo & Momo These two little Roller pigeons make an adorable couple. Garbo came to Palomacy with a terrible neck injury and Momo was found hungry and thirsty on a balcony. They met in foster care and fell in love FAST!

Chewy & Leia Chewy is a sweet-natured Old Dutch Capuchine pigeon who looks a lot bigger than he really is because he stands up tall and has A LOT of feathers. But he looks huge next to his tiny BFF Leia, an adorable and proud little Chinese Owl pigeon, who scrunches down looking extra tiny. Chewy and Leia were left together at a shelter in late 2024 and were just adopted. Congratulations Chewy and Leia! You are HOME!	Strudel Is Home! Strudel came to Palomacy last fall. She was found significantly underweight and brought to Palomacy, where she thrived in foster care. Her foster mom fell in love with her and adopted her two months later! Congratulations, Strudel!

January 13, 2026
by Heather Hohlowski
Comments Off on Craig Newmark Foundation Grant

Craig Newmark Foundation Grant

By Cynthia Bardouka-Large

Craig & Marjoram by Eileen

For his recent birthday, Craig Newmark announced that he had signed the Giving Pledge. He wrote, “Seems like a good way to enter my mid-seventies, which I have done today.” On the Giving Pledge website, his letter reads:

To the Giving Pledge –

I learned early on in Sunday school, from Mr. and Mrs. Levin, to know when enough is enough.

Also, I should treat people like I want to be treated.

A few years later they taught me that I should help “repair the world.” I got lucky with my stuff, but I don’t need the money, so I’m giving it away.

My most effective approach to addressing a manageable number of needs is to build a network of networks of people who know how to get the job done on stuff I care about. Mostly it’s about military families and veterans, and cybersecurity and fighting scams. Also, pigeon rescue. I find the group, fund them, nudge them to work together, and get out of the way.

I may not be the nerd you want, but I’m the nerd you got.

– Craig Newmark

Palomacy knows that Craig and Eileen Newmark are true friends of pigeons — the quintessential city dweller – sassy, scrappy, intelligent, comical, sweet, vulnerable birds.

We are delighted, honored, and grateful that Craig Newmark Philanthropies has renewed its support of Palomacy’s life-saving, pigeon-positive work by awarding us a grant of $30,000.

A feathery meeting!

Craig’s vital support is carrying our work into the new year as we rescue birds, restore their health, and place them in forever homes. Sustained effort is required to provide specialized avian veterinary care; to attract, cultivate, and coach foster and forever homes; to continuously reach out to the public to restore the reputation of this once-beloved bird; and to increase awareness of the harms that cause suffering to millions of birds.

In 2025, with Craig’s help, we brought 131 new birds into our rescue, many with serious injuries from predators, providing veterinary care, good food, and a soft place to land in our extensive foster network. We found forever homes for 125 more. The total number in our care is 279 as we head into 2026, with new birds needing help daily. In addition to on-the-ground rescue in our area, we leverage the expertise and commitment of our volunteers to provide guidance to people helping birds all over the US and internationally. We connect them to local resources, and share our collective experience and tested advice for rescuing and caring for pigeons and doves. We are working every day, reminding people of the history we share with these once-appreciated birds, and how much brighter they make our world.

Last year, Craig announced the passing of his particular pigeon friend, Ghost Faced Killer. We’d like to think that the work Palomacy does this year will honor the memory of Ghost Face with every bird we help. We are so grateful to Craig Newmark for seeing these birds for the remarkable individuals they are, and for partnering with us to help “repair the world” for pigeons, too.

Fly high, Ghost Faced Killer