Found exhausted pigeon with band on leg? Help!

[shannonjc]

The craziest thing happened... my husband and I noticed a beautiful white and brown-spotted pigeon in our front yard last week. We were concerned because it wasn't flying away. Then it flew to our roof so we thought it was probably fine. Days later I was sitting at a cafe across town and saw the VERY SAME PIGEON squatting in the middle of a busy sidewalk right next to my table. It was all puffed up and didn't even move when people almost stepped on him. I picked him up and took him home. Now we have him in a cage with bird seed and water. We're not sure if his right wing is broken. He is still able to fly small distances. It seems more likely that he's just exhausted. He has a green band around his left leg. Does this mean he has an owner? The band has a number on it that I wrote down. If he does have an owner and is an homing pigeon, is this a cruel practice? I read that it exhausts these little guys, just like the guy I found. (He's also missing some feathers, I think a cat might have gotten him while he was grounded.)

Advice appreciated!

[jazaroo]

Hi Shannon,

Welcome to Pigeon_Talk and thank you for rescuing this lost bird.

Yes, the band would indicate he is someones bird that may have lost his way, or was injured in someway and could not finish the journey home. How is he doing right now, is he eating and drinking? Has he produced any droppings since you've had him, if so what do they look like. You say he may have been injured by a cat, were the feathers are missing are there any scratches or bites, please take your time to examine him well for this, as this is important. Do you happen to have any antibiotics around, such as Amoxicillin, Cipro, Doxycycline? What city do you live in, as there may be some local help available for this bird. Please post the band information as well.

In the meantime, here is a link that will be of use:
http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=9457


Good luck with him,

Ron

[flitsnowzoom]

Hi Shannonjc,
Thank you so much for taking the time to help this pigeon and welcome here.
Lots of folk are here to help you and will come on later (if they haven't already replied) to help you, but here is a quickie guide until the experts come in.
More than likely he is exhausted and rest, food, and water is important so this bird can get to feeling better. If it is in a race, you have yourself a highly-trained athelete who probably ran into some bad weather or evaded a predator and then didn't have the reserves to get back home.
If he has a band please report the numbers to 911 Pigeon Alert (and you can post them here as well). The band means he was human-raised (at least) so someone did care about him.
To care for this little one:

Pigeons need grain like millet and milo, plus they will eat (and you can feed) unseasoned popcorn -- unpopped, oats and wheat berries until you get proper food for them --The straight stuff no human flavorings as that can be dangerous to a bird.
Place clean water in a dish at least 1 inch deep so they can suck it up.
Please provide him with a safe quiet place to rest and recooperate. A large cat carrier will work in emergencies or a box, but if the bird is flying around and may be injuried it's best to restrict its movements so it doesn't further injure itself.
Check the wing for damage and also check the whole bird over. There are experts that will guide you on how to do this without further injuring the bird.

Again, welcome, and thanks for taking care of this lost bird. You can't come to a better place for assistance in helping this bird.

[Trees Gray]

Thank you for rescuing this domestic pigeon.

Where are you located, perhaps we can find you some help?

[shannonjc]

I am overwhelmed by the response I've gotten already! Thank you!

I checked the areas on the pigeon where he was missing feathers, and there are no visible scratches or wounds. He is eating and drinking, and his poop is white with green in it, very normal looking. I have antibiotics in the house, do I need to give him any?

His band is green and reads: NBRC 04 (the 04 is printed sideways) R721

I saw that there is an NBRC club so I have contacted them. The pigeon is very sweet and yesterday before I had him in a cage I called to him and he came running to me. It does seem that he is trained.

I am feeding him bird seed and clean water with a teaspoon of Gatorade mixed in. I put the water in a tea cup so it's deep enough for him.

And I live in Laguna Beach, California.

[TAWhatley]

Hi Shannon,

I responded to your post on the 911 Pigeon Alert group also. I am over in Lake Forest if you need any help with the bird, just let me know. Also if you hear back from the NBRC before I do, please post that information so I can update our 911 records.

Terry

[shannonjc]

Thanks, Terry!

I don't mind caring for the pigeon until we find the owner, but I was wondering if he should be kept indoors or if outside is fine? I have him in a large cat kennel with shredded newspaper, birdseed and water. I just want to make sure he won't get too cold if kept in our outside laundry room at night.

[feralpigeon]

I think an outdoor laundry room would do fine, the main thing is that
it is predator proof and not drafty. Thanks for helping out w/this pij.

fp

[jazaroo]

Hi Shannon,

It seems things are under control for this little guy. Please do keep an eye on him for signs of him still being listless after he has had a chance to have a few good feeds (please also keep an eye on how he is eating an watering) in a safe place to recuperate.

Please get a hold of Terry if you are in any doubt, whatsoever.

Good luck with him,

Ron

[shannonjc]

Thanks everybody! The pigeon's doing great and today we found the owner!

[shannonjc]

Turns out the owner is over 400 miles away. I spoke to him today, and he's very nice. He said I can keep the pigon which made me very happy since I've gotten attached to the little guy. The pigeon's doing great. He's eating and drinking, and I think he was just thoroughly exhausted from his journey down here (he's a Birmingham Roller and the owner said they're unable to forage for food on their own).

So, I'm taking him to a vet tomorrow morning for a general check-up after his long journey.

I'd love to get tips on how to house him, how often he should be let out to fly, does he need a friend (???), whether we should house him inside or outside, and any general websites that sell pigeon "coops" or can help me along my new process of becoming a pigeon owner.

Thanks!

[Pidgey]

Boy, I sure wouldn't have expected a B.R. to make it that far from home! One thing you better keep in mind is that this guy is a "WrongWay Fellman" (Gilligan's Island episode, I think) and that he'd get lost 20 feet from home. So, it'd be best if you're real careful with him around doors and whatnot.

Pidgey

[TAWhatley]

Hi Shannon,

There is almost no way a roller pigeon managed to get 400 miles from home under its own power. The bird had to have come from somewhere fairly near to you. It was most likely sold by the original owner to someone down here in So Cal. Please privately post me the owner/breeder's contact information so I can close the case on 911 Pigeon Alert as adopted by you. I still have not heard back from the NBRC and most likely because they already looked the band up for you and don't want to do it again. I really do need the owner/breeder information for the 911 database.

The bird would most likely be happy to have another roller as a buddy or mate. I'd suggest getting to know the bird a bit so you have at least a good guess at the sex of the bird and then get a member of the opposite sex to be the friend/mate.

As to letting the bird out to fly, that's very risky as this bird already got lost once and may well do so again. It's also risky due to hawks that may predate the roller.

I would suggest taking this a bit slow for now and just keep the bird safe and well cared for.

JMO ..

Terry

[shannonjc]

Thanks, Terry.

I'll send you the information when I get home tonight.

The pigeon is male, he has a blue cuff on his right leg which the owner told me denotes that he is, in fact, male.

Talk to you soon,
Shannon

[TAWhatley]

Originally Posted by shannonjc

Thanks, Terry.

I'll send you the information when I get home tonight.

The pigeon is male, he has a blue cuff on his right leg which the owner told me denotes that he is, in fact, male.

Talk to you soon,
Shannon

Thanks, Shannon! Enjoy your new pijjie!

Terry