Any Pigeon lovers here? Let's form Dublin Stringfoot Pigeon Help Group.

Curious1002 · 05-01-2025 05:20PM #1

Hi, I am a girl that loves pigeons and for the last 4 years I have been helping them remove various foreign matter from their feet, whether actual string, thread that people often remove from their clothes, real or artificial human hair (most common), dental floss, yarn, or the many other materials discarded by us. So many of these beautiful birds are suffering pain and disfigurement as a result of a condition known as Stringfoot.

Because urban pigeons often do not have access to natural materials for nest-building, they pick up these materials and use them to line their nests. Even worse, the chicks in these nests get these materials wound around their feet and as they grow, the materials become embedded in their flesh.
Whether adult birds or chicks, these foreign materials wrapped around their feet or legs — and sometimes binding their feet together — results in pain, infection, loss of digits or entire feet, and the subsequent inability to walk, stand, perch, land, feed or bathe properly, sometimes leading to illness or death...

Unless we help them.

I have been de-stringing pigeons on my own for so long now but maybe there are similar helpers out there that would be willing to meet on some weekend so we could choose a spot and "tackle" the flock together for a quicker and bigger impact? I would love to do that so we could help more birds together. I live in Dublin 1 but similar groups could be formed in any other city/town in Ireland.

Please feel free to reply to this post or send me a private message, if preferable.

I attach samples of my relatively successful work so you know what a big problem these beautiful and smart birds face. I also hope we all could stop discarding items and materials that contribute to the birds' misery and pain. I know that people don't do it on purpose, but just to be aware of what these items cause.

Thank you.

WonderingJu · 07-03-2025 11:36AM

Delighted to find your post. I'm in! In fact I already work on this with some others. I'll PM you later :-)

holly_urwin · 19-03-2025 02:49PM

hello!

I’m very glad to have seen this! I live in the inner city and I have been longing for a group like this for so long! I’ll PM you here but I am definitely interested!

Curious1002 · 19-03-2025 08:31PM

Oh my goodness, it's been two long months since I posted my message, and I had almost lost hope of finding anyone like me. I never got notified about any new replies until today when I received a private message from Holly.

That's fantastic!

I’ll share my phone number with both of you, and maybe we can create a WhatsApp group to discuss when, how and where to organise our first meeting. I’m so excited to see your replies!!

pigeongirlie · 24-05-2025 11:29PM

Hi, I’m visiting Dublin the 29 May to 3 June and was looking to destring while there. I wanted to connect with the local pigeon seen in case I found any tricky cases needing cage rest. Can I be temporarily added to the WhatsApp, please?

Chloeluvspigeons · 12-06-2025 02:24PM

I just joined to respond to this! I've been looking for a pigeon group for a while but haven't had the time but I've loads of free time now! I live in Dublin 8 and would love to be a part of this!

moodonnell · 26-06-2025 04:11PM

Hi! I have just come across this thread as I have been wanting to find other pigeon lovers that know more about the destringing method, to potentially give me a crash course on how to do it properly. Is there a group you are a part of? Thank you!

Esel · 26-06-2025 04:19PM

Just wondering - how does one trap the pigeons to do this job?

Curious1002 · 24-07-2025 05:51PM

Hi Pigeongirlie, Thank you so much for reaching out - I’m terribly sorry I only just saw your post now! Notifications never seem to reach me unless they’re sent as a private message (so I only discover replies when I randomly check here).

I’m so disappointed we missed each other during your Dublin visit in May/June. It would’ve been wonderful to team up. I’m still destringing solo every day (even on lunch breaks) and always carry my homemade "tool kit" for emergencies. (You never know when you’ll spot a bird in distress!)

While there’s no WhatsApp group yet (no takers so far), I’d love to connect if you’re back in Dublin. I’ve handled some severe cases recently and would be happy to share tips or help with tricky rescues.

Attached are photos of my tool kit and a few recent stringfoot cases. These poor birds are finally pain-free, though their feet show lasting damage. It’s heartbreaking, but so rewarding to help them.

Thank you for caring about these amazing creatures—it means the world to meet fellow rescuers! Let’s stay in touch.

Curious1002 · 24-07-2025 05:58PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123581613#Comment_123581613

Hi Moodonnell,
I’d be delighted to give you a crash course, if i can call it that! From my experience I can tell you that Sunday at 7am somewhere in the city centre, e.g. GPO area is perfect, the birds are hungry, the streets are quiet, and we can work without distractions. I'd bring my toolkit and show you everything I’ve learned from years of destringing solo.

There’s no formal group yet, but maybe we can start one together! Feel free to PM me and we can take it from there. Also, please have a look above, I just posted what my "tool-kit" looks like, it's very helpful and each day at the end of the day I sterilise it so it's ready for next day work.

These birds are surprisingly trusting when they’re used to you. By the end, you’ll be spotting stringfoot from a mile away!

Curious1002 · 24-07-2025 06:00PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123537584#Comment_123537584

Dear ChloeLuvsPigeons,
I love your nickname! Feel free to PM me and let's get to work! :)

Curious1002 · 24-07-2025 06:15PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123581630#Comment_123581630

Dear Esel,

Oh, how I wish there were one perfect solution to help every bird in need! Trust me, I’ve faced many heartbreaking cases where I couldn’t reach them in time or they few away. But here’s what does seem to work most of the time:

Patience & Trust - Visiting the same spot regularly with food, wearing calm-colored frills-free clothing (dark blues/greys blend best), and moving slowly to avoid startling them.
Timing & Technique - Positioning yourself downwind with a ready-to-go hand, waiting for the right moment, then making a swift but gentle move.
Challenges - Noise, abusive people, traffic and crowds often foil attempts - it’s a battle I face most of the days.

I once designed an “invisible” net, but it tangled hopelessly when i pulled it out (lesson learned!). Most importantly, I’d never use traps - they’re cruel, stress even healthy birds, and often catch the wrong ones. Our goal is to help, not harm.

It’s a labor of love, but worth every effort when you see a bird finally freed from pain.

pigeongurl507 · 22-09-2025 05:40PM

hey! I’d love to get involved with this! I’m currently building my destringing kit but I would love to meet other people who love pigeons as much as I do! I’m based in Lucan, Dublin - can I please join? ☺️

Curious1002 · 30-09-2025 11:36PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123840818#Comment_123840818

Of course, you would be the first and only person who would actually join me as nobody has called me since I started this post in January 2025. Thank you!

lc888 · 17-10-2025 01:46PM

Hey, I'd be interested, I feed pigeons weekly in town and have rescued several but never destringed, do you just destring them on the street? There's lots under tara street train station that I feed weekly with stringfoot

Curious1002 · 17-10-2025 02:08PM

Wow, I love it! Welcome to my little rescuing group, there are now 3 of us.

I just sent you a private message with my contact details. We can do Tara pigeons too, the more the better!

And thank you the message.

anabellabobcatz · 12-11-2025 12:02AM

Hey! This is exactly the kind of group I've been looking for! Literally signed up to boards just so I could reply- I'd LOVE to come chat about all things pigeon care. Are you folks using whatsapp? (prepare yourselves, there will be before and after bird success pics huehhuehue)

Curious1002 · 12-11-2025 12:18AM

This is fantastic! Welcome to the growing team, Anabella! There are 4 of us now then!

Look forward to meeting you this Sunday at 8am, if you can, if course. I sent you the exact details on your private message.

G3rryC · 21-12-2025 03:33PM

I'm in the Bray area and could meet up once a week. I'm looking after a flock of pigeons (also corvids and the usual garden birds) who visit our garden. It's mostly just providing food, water and a safe space for them (I've tied bells to the hedges and shrubs where cats used to hide). I usually pass any injured / struggling birds on to a neighbour who has experience rescuing them, but I'd love to get involved in an organised group.

Curious1002 · 02-01-2026 01:07PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124086915#Comment_124086915

I am delighted to see your post, which I see only now as I dont receive notifications on general comments but only on private messages sent via this portal. I am sending you a private message now.

lake.ocean · 04-03-2026 01:20PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058386601/any-pigeon-lovers-here-let-039-s-form-dublin-stringfoot-pigeon-help-group

Hiya, this is super late I realize, but I've just fallen into the world of stringfoot and helping pigeons on social media and I'd love to learn how to help. I've watched so many videos on how to do it at this point, but I think seeing it in person would be great help (considering I don't know how to safely catch the sweet pigeons anyways). So I was glad to see there's someone doing all this in Dublin! Please let me know if there's a group I can join or even if I can tag along one day :)

mervelimo · 06-04-2026 09:05PM

Dears, so happy to find this group. I would like to be a part of this group as well and learn from your experiences to help the pigeons. Please let me know how i can join you guys :)

Curious1002 · 10-04-2026 03:20PM

Hey hey, Marvelimo! Lovely to hear from you! I just saw your reply to my post about pigeons :) Thank Goodness I checked this platform today at random, as I never get notifications when someone replies to the main post.

I will send you a private message now and we can take it from there.

Curious1002 · 03-05-2026 07:09PM

Dearest All,

With a full heart, I'm letting you know I'm stepping away from my attempts to run the group. After 1.5 years of trying, I didn't manage to create the army of pigeon rescuers I dreamed of - but I found a handful of true bird lovers who have contacted me through this portal.

I won't be organising meetings or teaching anymore as I have simply burnt out to ashes. I was meeting with one-two persons every 2-3 months, and by now I have used all 16 of my toolkits I created for new joiners so they have an easy start. Sadly, the new joiners (and toolkits) never came back. I was also carrying 8-10 kg of rice with me almost every Sunday to teach, just in case joiners didn't bring seeds with them for the training - but it's very rarely that anyone came.

I have no doubt that people love birds and have the right heart to help, but life gets in the way. I do know that now and fully appreciate that.

So, what's next… I am "closing" this post and will not be checking it and responding to messages anymore.
I'll continue destringing on my own going forward, and I hope with all my heart that one day (soon) Ireland becomes a true, loving home for pigeons and their helpers.

Thank you all for your wonderful messages and your willingness to help.
Sometimes having a golden heart is just not enough.

"Dublin Pigeon Destringing Group".

Any Pigeon lovers here? Let's form Dublin Stringfoot Pigeon Help Group.

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