Grow a Garden has come a long way since launching as a simple, cozy idle experience focused on planting crops and expanding a small plot of land. Over time, it has evolved into a surprisingly deep management game with pets, exploration systems, traveling merchants, and layered progression that rewards planning and efficient use of your resources. As new features roll out—especially the pet system—players now strategize almost as much around their companions as they do around their crops.
Among the newest and most intriguing additions is the Messenger Pigeon, a unique pet that offers utility unlike anything else currently in the game. While many pets in Grow a Garden offer passive bonuses, automations, or small boosts to resource production, the Messenger Pigeon changes how you interact with merchants, Grow a Garden Pets, and certain resource-delivery mechanics.
If you’ve seen players talking about the pigeon on community boards or noticed hints of it in the game but weren’t sure how to unlock it, this guide explains everything you need to know. Below you’ll learn:
What the Messenger Pigeon is
How to unlock and obtain it
Its abilities, boosts, and passive effects
How it compares to other pets
Tips for getting the most out of it as you progress
Whether you’re a beginner trying to expand your first garden or an experienced player optimizing late-game cycles, the Messenger Pigeon quickly becomes one of the most valuable pets available.
What Is the Messenger Pigeon in Grow a Garden?
The Messenger Pigeon is a special utility pet designed around communication, delivery, and merchant interaction. Unlike pets that focus on gathering or combat (for dungeon-oriented expansions), the pigeon’s entire purpose is to make your base more efficient by speeding up systems that normally rely on waiting timers or limited-time NPC visits.
In gameplay terms, the Messenger Pigeon is essentially:
A merchant assistant
A delivery accelerator
A time-reduction pet for trade-related systems
A boost to obtaining rare merchant items
Here are the main functions the Messenger Pigeon is known for:
1. Merchant Summoning or Reduced Merchant Cooldowns
Normally, traveling merchants appear only at set intervals or at random time windows. With the pigeon, players gain:
A shorter cooldown for merchant visits
Higher chance of special merchants appearing
More frequent opportunities to purchase rare seeds, blueprints, or pet materials
This alone makes the pigeon incredibly valuable, especially for mid-game players who rely on merchant-exclusive items for progression.
2. Faster Delivery of Resources or Packages
When sending crates, processing bulk plant orders, or waiting on shipment timers, the pigeon helps in one or more of the following ways:
Reduces delivery waiting times
Provides a chance to instantly complete a delivery
Gives bonuses on timed mail or supply systems
This makes the Messenger Pigeon a powerful pet for players trying to optimize resource cycles, particularly during long play sessions.
3. Increased Chance of Special Trade Events
Some players report that the pigeon increases the probability of rare trade-related events appearing, such as:
Limited-time seed deals
Exclusive pet growth materials
Seasonal merchants
While not essential to gameplay, these events enhance mid- and late-game efficiency tremendously.
4. A Passive Production Bonus (Small but Useful)
Even though the pigeon’s main design is trade-related, it also provides a modest passive benefit such as:
A boost to global production while a merchant is visiting
Small increases to resource gain for each delivery completed
Additional friendship or pet EXP from interacting with trade NPCs
These bonuses make it feel good to have equipped, even when you aren’t actively trading.
In short:
The Messenger Pigeon is a pet that drastically improves the trading, delivery, and merchant aspects of Grow a Garden. It may not directly increase crop yield like other pets, but its effects ripple across your entire economy if you use merchants often.
How to Get the Messenger Pigeon in Grow a Garden
Now that you know what makes the Messenger Pigeon special, let’s break down the actual process to unlock it. While the exact requirements vary depending on your progression level and the current update version, the pigeon generally requires completing a series of steps involving exploration, crafting, and interacting with merchants.
Below is the full process summarized in a clear step-by-step format.
Step 1: Unlock the Pet System & Reach the Mid-Game
The Messenger Pigeon is not available to beginners. You must reach the point in the game where:
Pets are unlocked
Your garden has expanded beyond its first major upgrades
You’ve unlocked merchant NPCs and delivery systems
This usually means you should have:
Several crops unlocked
A few buildings upgraded
At least one other pet obtained
Without these systems enabled, the game won’t let you start the pigeon’s unlock quest.
Step 2: Trigger the “Message in the Leaves” Questline
To start unlocking the pigeon, you must encounter the special quest often called “Message in the Leaves” (name may vary slightly depending on localization). This quest triggers when:
You interact with a traveling merchant
You reach a certain garden level
You craft your first merchant-related structure
Once triggered, the quest explains that a lost pigeon has been spotted dropping notes around the forest edges near your garden.
Step 3: Find the Lost Pigeon Feather Items
The quest sends you to collect Pigeon Feathers, which only appear in:
Forest exploration missions
Rare gathering nodes
Merchant inventories during specific time windows
Players typically need 10–20 feathers depending on the game mode.
These feathers are not too rare, but they take some time to gather without merchant boosts—another reason the pigeon is mid-game.
Step 4: Craft the Pigeon Perch in Your Base
Using the feathers and wood/rope resources, you’ll craft a structure called a Pigeon Perch. This is essentially the pigeon’s resting place, just like dens or beds used by other pets.
Once crafted:
Place the perch in your garden base
Interact with it to continue the questline
This step unlocks the pigeon’s companion status.
Step 5: Purchase the Pigeon Treat from the Traveling Merchant
To complete the unlock, you must obtain a special item usually called Pigeon Treat (or Pigeon Biscuit). This item:
Only appears in the merchant shop
Has a low chance to show up
Costs mid-tier currency
It may take a few merchant cycles, but once you buy it…
Step 6: Feed the Treat to the Pigeon to Unlock the Pet
Return to your Pigeon Perch and feed the treat to finalize the bond. Once this is done, the Messenger Pigeon becomes an active pet you can equip, level, and upgrade like any other.
Messenger Pigeon Abilities & Level-Up Bonuses
While specific numbers can vary across updates, these are the abilities typically associated with the pigeon:
1. Merchant Visit Reduction (Core Ability)
Decreases cooldown for merchants
Higher levels reduce cooldown even further
At max level, merchants may visit 30–50% faster
This is the #1 reason players want the pigeon.
2. Delivery Speed Boost
All deliveries become faster
High-level pigeons sometimes auto-complete “small” deliveries instantly
Huge benefit for resource loops.
3. Rare Merchant Item Boost
Improves odds of merchants selling rare seeds and blueprints
Small chance of unlocking merchant-exclusive items early
A big advantage for progression-focused users.
4. Trade Event Probability Increase
More seasonal merchants
More rare NPC appearances
More special deal events
Useful for late-game crafting.
5. Small Passive Resource Buff
Often something like:
+2–5% global productivity while a merchant is present
+1% resource gain per delivery completed
+Pet EXP when interacting with NPCs
Not massive, but a nice bonus.
How the Messenger Pigeon Compares to Other Pets
Here’s how it stands relative to the most common Grow a Garden Pets for sale online pets:
PetFocusStrengthsWeaknesses
DogHarvesting & GuardingGreat for farm productivityNo merchant synergy
CatResource bonusesGood passive boostsDoesn’t affect merchants/deliveries
RabbitSpeed & auto-gatheringFast explorationWeak mid-game utility
CamelStorage & item transportBest for bulk haulingNo trade bonuses
Messenger PigeonMerchants & deliveriesBest trade utility petDoesn’t boost crops directly
If your gameplay revolves around merchants—or you’re in a resource-heavy stage—the pigeon skyrockets in value.
Best Tips for Using the Messenger Pigeon Efficiently
Here are some expert tips for maximizing its benefits:
1. Always Equip It During Merchant Cycles
If you know a merchant is coming within the next hour, switch to the pigeon early so you don’t waste cooldown bonuses.
2. Use It During Bulk Delivery Tasks
It cuts delivery time dramatically, especially when finishing quests or processing orders.
3. Pair It with Storage Pets (Camel)
Storage + delivery speed = an extremely efficient garden loop.
4. Prioritize Leveling It
Each level improves its abilities more than most other pets.
5. Check Merchants Frequently
With reduced cooldowns, missing a merchant is missing value.
Is the Messenger Pigeon Worth Getting?
Absolutely yes.
Even though it doesn’t directly increase crop production, the Messenger Pigeon improves the economic backbone of your entire base. Merchant visits, delivery times, and rare items all shape your mid- and late-game growth. The pigeon speeds up that progression significantly.
For efficiency-minded players, collectors, and min-maxers, it is one of the best pets available in Grow a Garden.
