found a .. pigeon..?

[davis4]

I found this bird a few hours ago, it was just sitting/laying on the sidewalk and I almost stepped on it. I figured it must be hurt or sick, and it did just let me pick it up.. but I can't really see anything wrong with it other than it's keeping its right eye mostly closed. I guess it could be someone's pet..? It doesn't have a band on a leg. I called a wildlife rescue/vet place hoping they could take it, but they said someone would give me a call back on monday... so for now I just have it on a towel in a box. I put a little yogurt lid with some water in there, and some peas and some rice. I don't think it's taken anything. I don't know what to do. Any thoughts/guidance would be appreciated.

[naturegirl]

Cool, Put some wild bird seed in there. I don't know for sure but I don'[t think rice is real good for birds. Does it's eye lookcrusty around the edges or weeping at all?

[naturegirl]

the other thing too is depending on where you are and the weather he/she could have gotten disoriented when flying in bad weather ,this happens from time to time. If nothing happens to her till Monday just keep an eye on her and offer plenty of water and seeds.

[davis4]

The eye looks ok when it has opened it.. Our weather has been pretty tame the last couple days.. I don't have any bird seed, but if it's still hanging in there, I'll get some in the morning.

[AZWhitefeather]

Hello & Welcome.
What a stunning pij.

Yes, indeed it could have been a pet, however, a pigeon found in the wild generally won't allow a human to 'just pick it up' unless there is a problem. There's definitely a problem if you find one on the ground after dusk.
This one may not be able to fly properly due to the eye issue.

Please click on the link below & follow the steps.

Basic life saving steps:
http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=8822

These are two things I always do when I receive a pigeon:
* Check the inside of his mouth of any obstructions. It should be nice & pink.
* Check his keel (breast) bone. There should be a bit of muscle around it. If it is sharp, that is an indication he hasn't eaten for a while. Although, going by the photo you have posted, he doesn't look like he has missed many meals.

Please keep us updated.

Cindy

[feralpigeon]

Hi Davis4,

Cindy's quite right about that being one stunning pij . Also looks to be of good size. In addition to the good info you've gotten here, it might be helpful for you to post your general whereabouts in case we have a member nearby.

Also, if you bring to a rescue organization, it's important to ask questions about their policy regarding pigeons. Some are not that pij friendly and will euthanize birds left w/them.

Here's a couple of links for you to look at for local help:

http://www.pigeons.com/prd.htm

http://aav.org/vet-lookup/

Best,

fp

[davis4]

Originally Posted by AZWhitefeather

* Check the inside of his mouth of any obstructions. It should be nice & pink

Cindy

How does one look inside the mouth of pigeon?

[feralpigeon]

By gently grasping the beak and prying open. If the bird fidgets too much then
you can get a towel and wrap around the body/wings, not too tightly but just enuf to keep the wings in place. Make sure you have some good lighting where you plan to do the viewing .

fp

[davis4]

Originally Posted by feralpigeon

Also, if you bring to a rescue organization, it's important to ask questions about their policy regarding pigeons. Some are not that pij friendly and will euthanize birds left w/them.

Best,

fp

ACK! Ok... good to know...


I'm in Pullman, WA... near the Idaho border, south of Spokane. and yeah.... if there's a pigeon person around these parts.. that'd be great...

[AZWhitefeather]

Could you get a picture of the right eye?

Cindy

[davis4]

looks ok to me.. i'm not sure why he's mostly keeping it closed.

[TerriB]

Hi, I'm about 300 miles west of you, near Seattle. Hopefully, you will be able to find someone closer. You mentioned giving the bird water in a yogurt lid - is it at least 1" deep? Pigeons drink by sucking water up, like we do. Since they don't have lips, they need to be able to immerse their beak deeply to drink.

[davis4]

Thanks for that info, I read that when I followed one of the links, so I've got a deep enough water dish in there now.

[feralpigeon]

Hi Davis4,

Were you able to get a look at the inside of the mouth?? Also, is the pij actually drinking water? If not, you can gently guide the beak to the water to make sure the pij knows it's there. I didn't notice the texture around the eye and cere in the first pic. Possibly pox virus, but I'm sure someone will be along shortly to give you advice on that. If so, it is not transmittable to humans.
Meanwhile, if you have a heating pad and can set on low under the pij w/a towel over it, that would be great.

fp

[davis4]

I didn't have enough skill and/or hands to manage to get a good look inside its mouth...

I can lead the pigeon to water, but I can't make him drink... Hopefully, he's got the idea and will get some if he needs it...

I made a hot-rice-sock thing... so it should be nice n toasty. Bedtime for me, I'll let you guys know how he's doing in the morning. Thanks for the help.