Found a pigeon just yesterday

[anna]

Hi there! I found a pigeon just yesterday on the side of the road. It was just sitting there and wouldn't move. I took it home. It won't fly and although it eats, it still scared of me. It also has some kind of skinny, brown bugs in its feathers. Please tell me what could it be so i could get right stuff for it, and how to make it not to be scared of me?

[TerriB]

Anna,

Thank you for helping this bird! Here is a link containing a lot of information that will be helpful for you -
http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=9556. If the bird wasn't moving, it might be injured, so gently check for any injuries. It could also be a young bird. On the top of the beak near the eyes, is it white and a bit rough (adult bird) or still dark like the rest of the beak (young bird)? If it is eating and drinking, that is a good sign. Try to move slowly and quietly so the bird will relax and learn to trust you. Pigeons are prey animals and quick movements make them nervous because it could be a predator.

The skinny brown bugs are probably lice. You can get Sevin powder at a garden shop or a pyrethrin powder at a pet store. Be careful to keep the dust from getting into the bird's eyes or nose or mouth. You can use a small paint brush to lightly apply the powder to the bird's back and belly, and under the wings.

[anna]

TerriB,

Thankyou a lot for answers. I think that the bird is an adult. Its already flies, a little, around the room. It is surly getting better, but still is scared. Last night i took it to "petco" they said that it looks like a domestic pigeon. But they don't know what the bugs are. Thankyou a lot again for the medicine suggestions, it saves me from the trip to a vet.

[Trees Gray]

Hello and welcome to pigeons.com

Thank you for helping this bird.

Does the pigeon have white above the nostrils (on top of the beak)? If it does, it would be grown up and should fly well, and we need to determine why it isn't flying well, whether injury or other issue.

If it is a youngster then we know the bird isn't hurt, or something, just inexperienced flyer.

[anna]

Hello Trees Gray,

It does have white above the nostrils and I am pretty sure that it is a grown up bird. It does fly rarely, just to get on top of things. It likes just to sit, clean itself, and sleep. I put it on my balcony during the day. I don't have a cage for it, so it just walks around free. I think if it was healthy it would have flight away by now. I think maybe it is just old.

[pdpbison]

Hi Anna,


Well, make sure it has plenty of good Bird Sees to eat...

This Bird may also be injured or ill...if you can let someone who has experience have a look at it, then that would be good.

If you let us know your location, maybe someone here can suggest a rehabber in your area.

A not-flying Pigeon adult is usually a sign of injury or illness...even if it may do some short little flights to get up on things.

Thanks for helping him..!


Phil
Las Vegas

[Trees Gray]

Hello again,

Where do you live?

Check the following for a rehabber in your area, they can find out if the bird has any injuries or suffers from something else.

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

www.wildlifecare.org/list.html

[anna]

Hi pdpbison,

I always make sure the bird has fresh water and plenty of seeds. It looks fine, but i do want to make sure that there nothing wrong with it. I live in Portland, OR.

Thankyou for suggestions.

[anna]

Hi Trees Gray,

Thankyou for the links. I will defenatly check if there is any rehabber around my area.

[Rockie]

Originally Posted by anna

I put it on my balcony during the day. I don't have a cage for it, so it just walks around free. I think if it was healthy it would have flight away by now. I think maybe it is just old.

Hi Anna,

Thank you for helping this pijie. How awful to not be feeling well on the side of the road...you saved him!

Do you think he may fall from your balcony - or - a predator might be able to get to him? If he's not flying up to par, he may be helpless. Any chance you can leave him in your bathroom?

I hope you have luck w/finding a rehabber.

[anna]

Hi Rockie,

I just bought a cage. I think he doesn't like it. But overall he is doing better. He doesn't have lies no more and looks healthy. In the morning he got to flight a lot while i tried to catch him and put him in the cage. He is still scared of me. I hope he will get used to me some day.
Does anyone knows if there any kind of toys pigeons play with, that keep them busy in the cage?

[anna]

I ment lice not lise, sorry for my spelling.

[anna]

I feel so sad

My pigeon flight away today! I left it go out of the cage for a little while, as usually on the balcony. I came back to check on him after two hours. He was fine sitting warm on the sun. I came back the second time to put it back in the cage, but he was gone!
Well, I know he will be fine. He looked healthy and he started to fly again. I just hope he will come back to me.

[Victor]

Hello Anna,

I just read about you helping the pigeon in distress. It was a kind act you performed bringing him to safety and caring for him, if only for a breif time.You may have very well saved his life.

After you provided him with rest, food and shelter and treated him for his lice problem, he was strong enough to move on, and I suspect he got reunited with his flock or maybe even his mate.

On your first posting you were concerned because he was scared of you. It takes time, months actually for a pigeon to get accustomed to you and learn to trust you completely. Remember, he was a wild feral pigeon, and being around a human being was probably a concern for him as well. so please do not feel bad for that. Deep down he knows that you helped him. He might just come back to visit and have a meal and drink. It does happen.

[anna]

I know that i saved his life. It makes me feel very happy that he got better and got strenght to fly again. I leave food and water outside, on my balcony. To my surprise the pigeon has been coming back to viset me. I'm happy to know that he is fine living on his own. It is probably better for him to be in a wild than in the cage. Eventhought i've red that the pigeons can live more then 15 years with people and only 5 years in the wild.
I have had expireance with a hurt bird before. When i used to live in Estonia (its in Europe), my family always used to find a hurt birds and help them out to get their strenght back. So now whenever i see an animal that's looks like something wrong with it, i can't just pass it by; i always help it out.
Vdog505, thank you for your pigeon pictures. It looks like the pigeon is the part of the family and that is good to see.