advice required re: injured pigeon

[shippers]

Hello everyone,

I am after a bit of advice regarding an injured pigeon - It first turned up in our back garden in May and basically it looks like one of its wings is broken and it can't fly. Its left wing droops down a bit and when it tries to take off it only gets airborne for a few feet before it crashes back down to earth.

Fortunately for the the pigeon our back garden is totally enclosed and provides a safe environment for it to live in and it seems to be doing ok. There seem to be enough seeds etc around for it to feed on and I leave it out wild bird food/nuts I buy from the pet section of the supermarket, as well as putting out fresh water for it to drink as often as I can.

The thing is I'm wondering what to do now that winter is coming - whether to leave it outside and carry on leaving food for it as I have been doing, to try and build it some sort of rudimentary shelter so it still has run of the garden but has protection from the elements if it wants, or to try and bring it into the garage or house to protect it from the cold. A few factors in this
are 1. it is still "wild" - i.e. it runs away from me when I go out to leave food for it. 2. despite all the feeding it is quite on the thin side and 3. its wing has been injured ever since its been with us (6 months now) so I assume that its not going to get better.

There is a picture of it here if anyone can give me anymore information about it:

http://www.getjealous.com/getjealous...go=daveshipway

I'd be interested to know what type of pigeon/dove it is and if anyone could give me an idea as to what gender it might be. Its not tagged by the way before anyone asks !

Many thanks,

Dave,
Oxford, UK

[jazaroo]

Hi Dave,

I just wanted to thank you for looking after this little guy.

There are a few members that should be around, hopefully before too long, to offer you sound advice on looking after him through the winter.

All the best,

Ron

[Trees Gray]

Hi Dave,

Thank you for keeping an eye out on this bird.

I am going to forward your thread to our UK members, who can advise you better about the type of pigeon/dove this is, and how to provide it shelter.

Whole yellow to orange color corn is a good addition to any bird diet to prepare it for winter as it is high in fat and helps them compensate for heat loss.

[pigeonpoo]

It looks like a Wood Pigeon but, as it's missing the white ring round it's neck, I'm pretty sure that it's still a young one.

[cyro51]

Yes, it is a juvenile wood pigeon and they can be wary of humans.

Is your garden predator proof?

They are woodland birds that are moving into the suburbs and are happier roosting inside rather than under cover. I have mine in an aviary that they share with the pigeons, because of bird flu is is roofed with corrugated plastic, but the feral pigeons go into a shed to shelter at night whilst the wood pigeons stay outside.

If you look at the trees at nightfall you will see the wood pigeons settling on the bare branches. As long as NOTHING can get into the garden then I would make a roost that resembles a tree.

As for food, being in a garden is a bit limiting, it could do with a bit of help.

Mine like mixed corn, defrosted peas, lettuce, the occasional peanut. You can also give him a bit of apple or a crumbled fat ball.

We happen to have a member in Oxford that has experience of wood pigeons, his user name is Diogenese

Cynthia

[shippers]

Hi there and thanks for all the replies. Yes the garden is predator proof with high walls and fences on all sides. The only other things we have had in there
are a few squirrels, and on one occasion a munkjack deer !

Actually we have a big pile of branches in the corner of the garden and it generally seems to hop up onto that at night, so I will leave that where it is.

I was really thinking about the rain and the cold - I was thinking of trying to
set something up for it so that it has something to huddle under when it is chucking it down with rain - even its just a basic lean-to. My big concern is about the cold though as it will regularly get to down below freezing in the winter. I was wondering how pigeons cope with that ?

I will try and sort out a bit more of a varied diet for it. Do I assume that pet shops generally sell mixed corn ? I have been leaving fat balls out for it, but it hasn't seemed too interested so far.

Cheers,

Dave

[cyro51]

I expect tat in the wild wood pigeons can edge out of the rain and snow, so a little shelter that resembles his natural habitat would be good. They hate to feel hemmed in though, and are susceptible to draughts, so I would make it a roof only.

They have a higher body heat than ours and they maintain that in winter by having a good meal before roosting and at daybreak (if they can find the food) They also have a waterproofed covering of feathers , a natural duvet of down feathers and their wings protect their bodies from the worst of the elements. They keep their feet warm by sleeping with one, then the other, tucked in to their feathers to keep them warm.

Pets at home sell mixed corn, you could mix that and wild bird seed together to make certain that he has the variation in his diet that he needs, and add a bit of fresh food like defrosted peas and corn.

In winter what I do is watch to see what trees the wild wood pigeons are eating off and then I take a little branch with berries on home to my woodies so that they ge their natural food.

Cynthia.