American racing pigeon to be euthanised after landing in Melbourne backyard

Bad news for a racing pigeon that landed in a Melbourne backyard after going missing from a race in America.

Kevin Celli-Bird found an American pigeon in the backyard of his property in Officer. Picture: David Caird

An American racing pigeon that ended up in a Melbourne man’s backyard will be euthanised by the Department of Agriculture due to biosecurity risks.

Kevin Celli-Bird said the department called him on Thursday and asked him to try to catch the bird.

“I said I can only get half a metre close but can’t catch him anymore because he is back to full health,” Mr Celli-Bird said.

Mr Celli-Bird said he was told that any attempt to stop the bird’s euthanasia would be met with penalties.

“I understand why they have to do it but I don’t see why they can’t capture him and check for diseases or why they can’t contact the owners and send him back to America to let him live out his days,” he said.

The pigeon, named Joe after President-elect Joe Biden, landed in Mr Celli-Bird’s backyard in Officer on Melbourne’s outskirts on Boxing Day nearly two months after it disappeared from a race in the US.

While it remains a mystery as to how Joe ended up in Australia, more than 15,000km from home, Mr Celli-Bird suspects he caught a ride to Melbourne on a cargo ship.

Mr Celli-Bird said when the bird first arrived it was weak, allowing him to pick it up.

“That’s when I noticed a tag on its leg.”

“I picked him up and wrote down the details and contacted Victoria’s pigeon association who said it didn’t match with any of their records,” he said.

“So I jumped on Google and it showed that it was registered with an American racing organisation.”

Mr Celli-Bird said he had no luck so far in contacting the bird’s owner who lives in Montgomery, Alabama.

“Maybe if he was called Trump he would receive diplomatic immunity.”

The Department of Agriculture has been contacted for comment.

Mr Celli-Bird said he didn’t give much thought to the bird when it first appeared outside his home in Officer on Boxing Day, and was shocked to learn it was from the US.

“The pigeon landed and started having a drink out of a water feature,” he said.

“I didn’t pay much attention, but then it started wandering around the yard, hoped on to the deck and started looking at us through door.

Kevin named the pigenon Joe after discovering it had flown from America by its tag number. Picture: David Caird

“It looked a bit weak and fairly emaciated, so I crushed up a dry biscuit and it had a nibble and wandered off.”

It was when the bird returned the next day that Mr Celli-Bird said he first noticed a tag on its leg.

“I rang up Victoria’s pigeon association and the woman there said it didn’t match with anything they had on record,” the building inspector said.

“I googled and it came up registered to the American Racing Union.”

After a bit of digging he discovered the bird was owned by a man in Montgomery, Alabama and had flown off during a race on October 29, he said.

Despite the bird’s sudden liking to him — and a fitting last name — Mr Celli-Bird has had no experience with pigeons until now.

He said he and his wife Elizabeth have been trying to get in touch with the bird’s American owner but for now the pigeon seems content.

“He kind of adopted us,” the Officer local said.

“I’ve been feeding him and he just rocks up sits outside all day.

“But he’s in a pretty safe place and seems happy.”

How and why Joe ended up in a Melbourne backyard, more than 15,000km from home will most likely remain a mystery, but Mr Celli-Bird and his wife have one or two theories.

“The only thing we can think off is in this race he was blown off course and out to sea, landed on a boat and hitched a ride,” he said.

“Perhaps he was sick of Trump and decided to leave.”

Health Minister Martin Foley said he hadn’t been briefed on the case but had heard news of the bird’s arrival on the radio.

“I think he’s name’s Joe. As I understood it, it was the Commonwealth’s quarantine officials who had indicated a very short time that Joe’s got left on this planet,” he said.

“I would urge the Commonwealth’s quarantine officials to show a little bit of compassion.”

Asked whether that same compassion should apply to Victorians stuck in QLD and NSW Mr Foley hit back.

“Absolutely. But I’m pretty sure we’re not planning to euthanise the people from Victoria who are in New South Wales, so I will take great exception to that,” Mr Foley said.