MORGANTOWN — White doves, also known as homing pigeons, symbolize peace, innocence and gentleness.
Folks in the area of Northwestern Avenue, off Willowdale Road, might just see the pigeons circling above their coop, while looking out the window of the soon-to-open children’s hospital or just tilting their heads to the sky in that area.
“It is uplifting to watch white doves circling,” said Amy Hindley, 71.
Hindley is the caretaker of a coop of 15 of the gentle birds – 13 adults and two babies, which hatched on Wednesday and Thursday. The two baby birds were being guarded in their nest by Freddie, identifiable by a red band around his leg.
There are always two eggs, sat on by the dad during the day and the mother overnight, Hindley explained. Once hatched, both parents help feed their offspring.
“There’s something very wonderful about it, how they live together and how they take care of each other,” Hindley said. “And the releasing is very fascinating. It’s also uplifting for people … They circle up here. White pigeons in the sunshine circling and then they come in. It’s quite a sight.”
Hindley said releasing doves is a way to celebrate, wish for peace, or pray.
Once the birds are trained to come home, they become homing pigeons.
First, Hindley teaches the birds to enter the coop through a hatch. Next, she releases them a short distance away in the yard. She has released birds from 10 miles away.
Every flight carries a risk though.
“The problem is the hawks. And we’ve got hawks right around here; quite a few,” Hindley said. “So I’ve lost quite a few in the meantime.”
In December, a hawk even figured out how to pull the birds from the coop through the hatch and Hindley had to install protection.
Taking care of the animals includes feeding, watering and mucking the coop twice a day.
Hindley said she loves birds and all animals. She started learning to care for pigeons last summer.
Pigeons have an important place in everyone’s life, she said.
“Actually all animals do, I think, and to take care of them, to help them live to the full, helps me and us and the whole world, I think,” Hindley said. “… It’s a wonder of creation to look after these birds.”
Hindley is a resident of the Church Communities International’s Morgantown community.
The Christian community welcomes visitors, and those who want to see the pigeons or learn more about the community should visit bruderhof.com/en/where-we-are/united-states/morgantown
