Joe the Pigeon facts for kids
Joe the Pigeon
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| Species | Domestic pigeon |
|---|---|
| Breed | Turkish tumbler |
| Sex | Male |
| Nation from | Australia |
| Named after | Joe Biden |
Joe the Pigeon is a special bird that became famous in Australia. He is a type of pigeon called a tumbler pigeon. Joe was found in Melbourne, Australia, and was named after Joe Biden, who was about to become the President of the United States at that time.
When Joe was first found, people thought he had flown an amazing 13,000 kilometers (about 8,000 miles) all the way from Oregon in the United States to Melbourne in December 2020. This would have been a record-breaking flight for a bird! People thought this because Joe had a small ring on his leg. This ring looked like the kind used for pigeon racing and seemed to match a pigeon that had gone missing from Oregon.
However, it was later discovered that the leg ring was not real. It was a fake! Because of the initial belief that Joe was from another country, the Australian government was worried he might carry diseases. This is called a biosecurity risk. They planned to humanely put him down to protect other animals. But after the truth about the ring came out, the Australian government decided to let Joe go free. They realized he was most likely an Australian pigeon all along.
How Joe Was Found
A man named Kevin Celli-Bird, who lives in Melbourne, Australia, first saw Joe. It was December 26, 2020, and Joe was in Kevin's backyard. The pigeon looked very weak and thin. Kevin started feeding Joe to help him get stronger.
While caring for Joe, Kevin noticed a small ring on the pigeon's leg. He tried to find out where the ring came from. He thought it belonged to an owner in Alabama, USA. This owner had last seen their racing pigeon after it flew away from a race in Oregon. Kevin decided to name the pigeon 'Joe' after Joe Biden, because the bird was thought to have started its long journey in the United States.
People wondered how Joe could have traveled such a huge distance. It was thought that he might have hitched a ride on a large container ship. Flying 13,000 kilometers (8,000 miles) from Oregon to Melbourne would have been an incredible feat. It would have broken the old record for the longest bird flight, which was 12,000 kilometers (7,500 miles).
Concerns and Public Outcry
News about Joe the Pigeon spread quickly in Australian media. Soon, the Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment contacted Kevin Celli-Bird. The Department was worried that Joe might bring diseases from another country. This is why they considered him a "biosecurity risk." They said Joe would need to be captured and humanely put down to prevent any possible spread of illness.
This news made many people upset. There was a lot of public outcry against the Australian government's decision. Even some politicians spoke up. Deputy Prime Minister of Australia Michael McCormack said it was "bad luck" for Joe. He explained that if Joe had entered Australia without following strict rules, he would "face the consequences."
Other politicians, like Andy Meddick and Martin Foley, asked for Joe to be kept in quarantine instead. Quarantine means keeping an animal separate to make sure it is healthy and doesn't spread diseases. Andy Meddick even asked the government to "take Joe off death row," meaning to save him from being put down.
Joe's Freedom
On January 15, 2021, good news arrived for Joe. Deone Roberts from the American Racing Pigeon Union announced that the leg ring found on Joe was not real. It was a "counterfeit" ring, meaning it was fake and couldn't be traced back to any racing pigeon.
It was also discovered that Joe is a Turkish tumbler. This type of pigeon is known for doing cool tricks in the air, not for flying very long distances. This made it even more unlikely that Joe had flown all the way from Oregon.
After looking into everything, the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment made a new statement. They said that "Joe the Pigeon is highly likely to be Australian and does not present a biosecurity risk." This meant Joe was given a "pardon," which is like being forgiven and set free.
Kevin Celli-Bird, who found Joe, was very happy. He said he bought special birdseed for Joe to eat. Kevin said that as long as Joe is happy to stay in his backyard, he will let him. But if Joe chooses to fly off, he is free to do that too. Joe the Pigeon became a symbol of hope and a reminder of how quickly things can change.
See also
- List of individual birds
- List of things named after Joe Biden
