Pigeon phone home

We picked up this pigeon today from the Ocean club (our private condo association clubhouse). Seems he had been hanging around for awhile, even coming into the building at one point! The rainy and windy weather was too much for him to fly in. He was pretty tame and we noticed he had a green band on his leg. Turns out he is a homing pigeon. Homing pigeons have been selectively bred to be able to find their way home over long distances. They were used as carrier pigeons and white homing pigeons are used in ceremonies that want a dove release.
Now they are raced as a sport. We were able to use the codes on the band to locate the owner, who lives near Gainesville, FL. We are supposed to give him food and water for a couple of days, then release him a few miles away. The owner will give us a call when he finds his way home!