Bianca was a white pigeon, one of the many released at weddings or funerals. She is very likely one of those dove-like selectively bred white homing pigeons. Customers are usually reassured that reputable companies train white homing pigeons to fly immediately home after being released and that they ensure the birds’ safety throughout the event and beyond. What is advertised and sold as being a homage to a person passed, or as a magical moment and talking point during a wedding, is just another example of animal abuse and the cruelty caused by human self-centredness and ignorance. Bianca is one of the many released birds, who did not find their way back to their loft.

Bianca came to us in January 2014 as a probably a one or two year old bird. She is one of the few lucky white pigeons, who got rescued after getting lost. Many of the released birds get disorientated, starve to death, get run over by cars or get killed by predators. The simple reason is that these birds are nothing else than pets. They do not know how to survive in the wild. Her white colouration makes them prime targets for predators, even if they manage to join a local feral pigeon flock, when looking for safety in numbers. Bianca has been found unconscious on the ground by a caring person, when she lay in front of a large building. She obviously collided with an obstacle, most likely a window, whilst trying to escape a bird of prey attack. Not long after she arrived at our sanctuary, Bianca regained consciousness. However, her situation remained critical. Unsurprisingly, she was in shock and our admission assessment revealed a severe concussion with traumatic injuries to both eyes and multiple deep piercing injuries consistent with a bird of prey attack.

We managed to stabilise Bianca and treated successfully her wounds. The most difficult task was to give her the reassurance and safety she desperately sought. Bianca was obviously not able to use her eyes, and was essentially blind. We found out quite quickly that the only way to keep her calm was for her to be as close as possible to us. Physical contact, gentle touch and calm voices were the key. And so she stayed with us day and night for several weeks. We managed to safe one of her eyes. The other eye remained unfortunately permanently damaged.

After Bianca made a good recovery, she stayed with us indoors in our bird room. She was still vulnerable and needed a secure environment. Then a new admission of an injured racing pigeon arrived, who we named Pierre. Pierre has been literally discarded by its owner, but found a new home with us. It did not take long that both birds, who got along very well, bonded. Unfortunately, their time did not last very long, as Pierre two years later became seriously ill, and despite all treatment attempts passed away peacefully.

After her partner Pierre passed away, Bianca bonded with another lost soul, a rescued crested archangel pigeon we named Merlot. Both birds lived happily together until July 2018, when Merlot passed away unexpectedly peacefully in his sleep, next to Bianca. In their short time both birds were incredibly caring foster parents. The last foster child of them was Däumelinchen, which is still in our care at the time being.

Despite the loss of two partners, we decided to introduce Bianca to our small outdoor feral pigeon flock. She accepted the challenge and adapted very well to the new environment. After a few months of grieving she bonded with Marcus, a disabled feral pigeon. Bianca was fully independent, despite her visual impairment. She loved to be in the outdoor part of the aviary and enjoyed basking in the sunshine and the odd rain shower. It filled us with much joy, when we saw her being happy and content again enjoying her life with Marcus. Interestingly, she never broke our bond with us, as she regularly came to us for a cuddle.

In the beginning of February in 2026 we noticed that Bianca became unwell, and we took her indoors again. She was unsteady on her feet, and we fed and treated her. Sadly, Bianca’s health declined and she refused at some point to eat and drink. She became very still and slept very much, in particular in our arms, where she felt the most secure. On the 6th of February she took her last breath. No struggle, no fight, totally in peace.

Although we are heartbroken, we also feel privileged to have been able to spend 12 years of our lives together with this beautiful unique sentient being Bianca was. Bianca is now gone, but she stays forever in our hearts.