Today I unwrapped Chance's wing. The wound has healed, new feathers are growing in and the broken bone is healing nicely. As soon as the weather warms up (and it stops snowing) I will move him into a small cage outside so he can exercise his wing a little bit. After a couple of weeks of that I'll move him into the big cage for a couple of weeks and then I'll release him. He is a fiesty guy and slaps my hand with his good wing every time I reach in to clean his carrier or give him food. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you! Yes, he does that, too.
So, Chance will join the ranks of other pigeons and songbirds that have been released in my backyard. He will most likely fly up into the big maple tree without hesitation, without a glance back at the big cage, without so much as a "thank you". And that's okay. That's the way it should be. It will be a good release.
