ANBERRA, Australia – A racing pigeon has survived an extraordinary 8,000-mile Pacific Ocean crossing from the United States to find a new home in Australia. Now authorities consider the bird a quarantine risk and plan to kill it.
Kevin Celli-Bird said Thursday that he discovered the exhausted bird that arrived in his Melbourne backyard on Dec. 26 had disappeared from a race in Oregon on Oct. 29.
Experts suspect the pigeon Celli-Bird has named Joe, after the U.S. president-elect, hitched a ride on a cargo ship to cross the Pacific.
Joe’s feat has attracted the attention of the Australian media but also of the notoriously strict Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service.
Celli-Bird said quarantine authorities called him last week to ask him to catch the bird.
“They say if it is from America, then they’re concerned about bird diseases,” he said. “They wanted to know if I could help them out. I said: ’To be honest, I can’t catch it. I can get within 500 mil (millimeters, or 20 inches) of it and then it moves.’”
He said quarantine authorities were considering contracting a professional bird catcher.
The Agriculture Department, which is responsible for biosecurity, said the pigeon was “not permitted to remain in Australia” because it "could compromise Australia's food security and our wild bird populations.”
“It poses a direct biosecurity risk to Australian bird life and our poultry industry,” a department statement said.
Pigeons have been known to contract a variety of diseases, including coronaviruses.
The 3 birds arrived this morning in Aurora, Colorado safe and sound. Thanks. We'll do business again!!
Hello. We received the two boxes today with the four Hansenne pigeons. Arrived in excellent condition.
She is SOOOOO BEAUTIFUL! Thank you guys for looking out for me. Can’t say enough about how much I love the bird and birds you have sent me.
Thank you so much, i got the bird! He's so beautiful, pin tail apple body, nice wing :)
Hello there, My name is Mike and live in Az, I had racing pigeons when I was young and now Im not young haha 61, Semi retired and determined to move to a place where I can fly birds again, want to get my grandkids involved. Anyway as a kid I flew some Sions and really enjoyed your website. When Im ready would love to get a few Sions again and see how they do. Any advice for an old newbie? lol
Hey Donnie, Saw your Birds on Ipigeon and must say, those are some Beautiful Heitzmans. They are very true to what I called the real thing. Beautiful Hansennes as well. Take Care, Chuck
Hi
I have placed the pigeon recieved from you recently in a priority express shipment back to you in same box recieved. Bird was beautiful and healthy but we realized it’s nature is such that it needs to fly and be a racing pigeon. We can’t offer that life to it and realize it was a mistake to try this based on our situation
Bird has had not been outside and has been confined indoors in isolation since recieved.
Please give it the home it deserves.
Appreciate the care you took getting it to us!!!
Need some color on my team. Had some sion couple years ago when i had a partner who sick and could not care for his own birds. He liked sions so i bought some from you on pigeonauction.com. We alot of fun his sions against my team .He has since past on. His family called me and thanked me for letting fly with me he really looked forward race day. HE WON EVERY WEEK
Path: https://www.clayhavenfarms.com/pigeons/for-sale
Thank you guys so much for allowing me the opportunity to love these birds.
Thanks again for the most beautiful Pure Paul Sions pigeons ever!! The loft is full of happy sounds from the birds strutting around in their new home. Y’all were so easy to work thru my problems of birds I chose.
Thanks a million times over Pam and Donnie. Your friend Jimi
Good evening
What a surprised New Year’s gift from you guys
I received the very nice young pure white hansennes hen this pm.
I was not aware that you sent her already/
Thanks for sending 12046
I really like her.
Please keep me posted when you have bastins availabe
Wishing you a safe, healthy and prosperous New Year.
Thanks so much
I received the birds this morning.
As I expected, they are all very pretty and healthy.
I need a nice sion cock to pair up with my almost white hen.
I believed, I inquired a white splash white sion cock,
Not sure if he is still available, trying to breed out pure white sions
From your loft.
The Hansenne cock, very handsome, pls keep me posted for a solid
White hen. The hen very beautiful, can’t
Wait what they will yield.
Thanks so much
