Tiny hat-wearing cowboy pigeon captured in new photographs near UNLV in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS – Coolamity Jane, the famous pigeon wearing a tiny pink cowboy hat, is one step closer to capture.

The Las Vegas bird landed Thursday on the roof of an apartment building in the 1100 block of Century Gardens Drive, a half mile south of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus.

That’s where Las Vegas animal rescue Lofty Hopes set a trap earlier this week to catch a pair of wild west pigeons after a video showing them strutting down the street in tiny hats went viral and captured the country's attention.

Intrigue surrounding the travels of Coolamity Jane and Cluck Norris inspired a parody country song, entertaining social media commentary –  and even a report in the New York Times. 

Lofty Hopes, a rescue ran out of a two-bedroom apartment on East Sahara Avenue, had little luck this week tracking down the pigeons – until Thursday, when Coolamity Jane showed up donning her pink hat on the roof.

Chris Drescher, a local photographer living in the neighborhood, captured several photographs of Coolamity's latest appearance and the rescue's capture operation. 

Looking through the viewfinder of his camera, Drescher considered some of the questions driving this viral tale: “I thought, ‘how is this hat still on?’ And for how long?’”

Using seed to draw the bird near the trap, the rescue has become friendly with the famous pigeon.

It’s a matter of time before the bird gets close enough for capture, according to Lofty Hopes co-founder Mariah Hillman. 

"It takes about three days," Hillman said of the process of feeding pigeons to get them comfortable and familiar with people feeding them. "Once they learn something, it becomes a habit. She'll know our faces, and it won't be long before she's flying right up to our van." 

The tiny cowboy hats appear to be glued on the pigeons, Hillman said.

When the rescue encountered Coolamity's counterpart, Cluck Norris, earlier this week, there were feathers stuck to his tiny red hat. 

Who made a joke at the expense of the birds' well-being remains a mystery.

Ed Komenda writes about Las Vegas for the Reno Gazette Journal and USA Today Network. Do you care about democracy? Then support local journalism by subscribing to the Reno Gazette Journal right here.