A handwritten note left for new tenants has gone viral after a former resident explained that two rescued pigeons may continue showing up at the property—because they haven’t realized their caretakers have moved.
Moe Hawk, from Wellington, New Zealand, shared the now‑viral letter on Instagram and X where it now has over 8,000 likes. He regularly volunteers at a local bird rehabilitation center and together with his partner noticed that some pigeons in a nearby flock appeared unwell.
“I like bird watching and sometimes volunteer at a bird rehab,” he told Newsweek. “My partner and I noticed some pigeons in a nearby flock looked unwell so we took them home and I asked the rehabber for advice. They talked to their vet and we were given some medicine that we put in their water.”
The pair cared for the birds—named New and Calloway—for about a week until they recovered. Once released, the pigeons began returning daily and sitting on the windowsill.
“They were so sweet and definitely understood we had helped them,” Hawk said.
The couple recently moved into a new place but still have access to their old home for another week or two. Knowing the pigeons will likely continue visiting out of habit, Hawk left a friendly warning for whoever moves in next.
The hand‑drawn letter explains that the birds “might take a minute to understand we no longer live here,” adding: “If they visit please be kind to them and escort them out gently. They are sweethearts.”
Hawk explained that he did not want new tenants to feel confused or “annoyed” by the unexpected guests and hoped the note would reassure them.
“I wrote the note because I didn’t want the new tenants to be confused by the birds that kept showing up and I was worried they might not be kind to the pigeons,” he said. “I hope that they don’t find the situation too annoying and wanted to reassure them that the birds would go away eventually.”
Even after the move, Hawk plans to remain in the birds’ lives. “We are not moving far away and plan to continue visiting the pigeons regularly,” he said.
After sharing the note online, Hawk was amazed by the reaction.
“I definitely did not expect this response on social media! It’s been really lovely seeing my story resonate with people the way it has,” he said. “I didn’t originally intend to even post the letter… I was shocked when it started to get a lot of traction. I hope it will make people appreciate birds more, pigeons often get a bad rap but they’re really intelligent and friendly.”
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