Homing pigeons aren’t just trained to deliver messages, their strongest instinct is simply to return home. No matter where they are released, they can travel hundreds of miles to find their way back using the earth’s magnetic field, the sun, and even scent. They are part of the dove family, and often form long-term pair bonds, staying together and raising their young side by side. Their bond begins in a quiet, simple way, with a gentle touch of beaks. What looks like a small “kiss” is part of how they choose each other, how trust begins, and how that connection deepens over time. That same closeness carries into how they care for their young. Being a wildlife rehabilitator, I always found it fascinating that pigeons feed their babies differently than most birds. Most bird parents feed their young by gathering food and placing it into the baby’s beak, which then goes down into their crop. With pigeons, it’s different. Both parents produce something called “crop milk,” and the baby reaches directly into the parent’s beak to receive it. The same place where their bond begins, becomes the place where life is nourished. And if you have ever fed a baby bird, watching how a baby dove or pigeon feed this way has got to be one of the most precious things I have ever seen. There’s something really beautiful about that. It's a quiet kind of love you don’t forget once you’ve seen it.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department to the rescue. This story stirred up all kinds of emotions for me. Anger that someone could treat an animal with such dismissal… followed by the quiet reminder that sometimes things unfold exactly as they are meant to. On February 2nd at Harry Reid International Airport, a little Goldendoodle was abandoned after his owner was denied boarding. Officers intervened, charges were filed, and Animal Protective Services stepped in. After the mandatory hold period passed, Retriever Rescue of Las Vegas took him in and lovingly renamed him Jet Blue. Here’s the part that made my heart happy. The very officer who responded to the scene, had already been on a waiting list with Retriever Rescue for months to adopt a Goldendoodle. His family was chosen to be the forever family for this precious soul. Some things really are meant to be. 💛

A friend of mine in Texas, and a member of this community, Russell, has a pair of Eastern Screech-Owls that return to his property every year to raise their family. This year, he was lucky enough to capture video of the pair together on his roof, reaffirming their bond as breeding season begins. Video included, so consider this your Rated R warning. 😉 A few beautiful facts about Eastern Screech-Owls: • Eastern Screech-Owls often form long-term pair bonds • They return to the same nesting territory year after year • Breeding season usually begins in late winter and continues into early spring • They nest in tree cavities, but readily use well-built owl boxes when natural spaces are limited Providing habitat matters. Leaving mature trees when possible, or installing an appropriate owl box, can give these owls a safe place to raise their young, especially as natural nesting sites disappear. Moments like this are a quiet reminder that love, commitment, and home are not uniquely human. Sometimes, love really is in the air. 🦉🤎 If you have any questions for Russell, please leave them in the comments. 😊👏

Question:Which bird can sleep while flying? A) Eagle B) Albatross C) Swift D) Falcon 👉 Drop your guess below. I’ll share the answer tomorrow. 😊