Found a Lost Bird?

First: See if has any type of tag or band on its leg. If there is no band or identifying markers, chances are that the bird is wild. Just give it a little food and water and it should be fine.  If it has a band that will indicate that it belongs to someone. Finding the bird's owner can sometimes be traced through one of the national pigeon organizations:

Pigeon Links    Clubs & Organizations
American Racing Pigeon Union
International Federation of American Homing
National Pigeon Association
The Ultimate Pigeon Portal:  Clubs/Organizations
Canadian Racing Pigeon Union

The IF or AU are the most common in the USA.
To identify a banded bird, there are usually a series of letters and numbers on the leg band. A typical band would read as follows: AU 2008 GE 112. The fist two letters will be the organization followed by the year the bird was banded. The next set of letters usually identifies the Club. The numbers following the club represents the bird’s registration number. So, in example, Joe Frazer is listed as the secretary of the club and if that club has 800 bands, he knows which person is responsible for that band number. The Club secret

It may not be necessary to immediately contact the organization. After twenty-four to forty-eight hours rest with food and water, most homing pigeons are more than capable of finding their way home on their own. Simply release the bird in an area free of wires or other obstacles and it will usually head home immediately.

Water:
Most lost birds are hungry and thirsty. Water is necessary before all else. Since pigeons drink by suction, any water container should be at least 1 – 2” deep. While a thirsty bird may drink immediately, it also may not. A bird, which has gone without water for a while, is sometimes a bit less than itself. It may be so exhausted; it may not realize that water is in front of it. You can trickle a few drops of water from above, into the container to make a splashing sound. When they hear that, most birds will drink.

Food:
Pigeons are grain eaters. While park pigeons will eat bread, most domestic birds have been raised on a multi-grain mixture and grit. Popcorn (maize), rice, split peas, barley, buckwheat (kasha), canary seed, and wild birdseed are all good first options to feed a lost bird with.

What Should I Keep It In? Any container that a dog or cat can't get into will be fine. An old bird cage will hold the bird for a day or so with no problem, as will a cardboard box - a screen on top of such a box is better than simply closing the flaps since there will then be enough light for the bird to see to eat and drink.