Help! Baby(ish) (wild?) pigeon!

[katwin]

Basically, I found a pigeon that had fallen out of it's nest. I know you're meant to just leave birds like this, but I literally picked it up just before it was mauled by a dog :S. I have it in a cat carry-case. What can I do?
I'm in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. Is there anyone in this area who can take a pigeon off me?
I think it's pretty much as close to wild as pigeons get.

[Pidgey]

Well, if you're in the UK then it's possible that it could be a wood pigeon. The folks on here that you really want to talk to are Cynthia (cyro51) and John (John_D). I'll see if I can message them about your post.

Pidgey

[Pidgey]

I've sent emails to both Cynthia and John so hopefully one of them will post an answer and advice before too long. In the meantime, you might read up on basic care here:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=9556

and here:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=11265

and let us know the approximate age so that we can identify which is the best diet and feeding techniques at this stage.

Pidgey

[katwin]

Judging by this site's information, it counts as a 'young pigeon'. I have got it to drink, but it's not really eating.

[Trees Gray]

Hello and welcome to pigeons.com

Thank you for helping this needy pigeon and keeping it out of harms way.

Please follow the basic life support steps on this thread for now:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=8822

Hopefully John and/or Cynthia will be with you shortly.

Thanks for your help Pidgey.

[Pidgey]

And it might not know how yet. Is there any yellow down left on it? You can feed it thawed frozen corn and peas for one thing but you'll likely need to open its beak to get them in. Young pigeons don't "gape" (hold their mouths wide open begging for food) like many other young birds do. They eat by way of putting their entire beak in their parents open beak and eating regurgitated food from inside the parent's throat. It's comical.

Anyhow, you can also use fresh, wetted puppy chow pellets if you have any.

Pidgey

[katwin]

right. How exactly do I open it's beak? I'm scared of hurting it!

[katwin]

I think it has a little yellow down. It certainly doesn't have all of it's feathers yet.

[Trees Gray]

Hi katwin,

You should probably at first wrap the bird in a towel, not too tight, just so he can't squirm out, keep his head uncovered.

Gently open beak with thumb and forefinger and use other hand to administer fluids with dropper or syringe, to back of throat behind tongue.

You can use a rehydration solution of pinch salt/& sugar to cup water, stir well and give.

[katwin]

It was already drinking...I read from one of your info pages to dip it's beak in water, and it's fine drinking like that...It was thirsty. I just can't get it to eat much.

[bklowe]

Sounds as if this bird needs to be on formula. Kaytee brand Exact Hand Feeding Formula for all baby birds, available at most pet stores. Using a kitten nursing bottle with the nipple cut back so the bird can get s/he's beak into the hole [ but not so large that the nostrls are covered ]. Mix the forumula [ 2 parts water/1 part formula ] transfer to nursing bottle and insert the beak into the nipple and s/he should begin to drink.
Keep bird seed as well as water available in s/he' container.

[Trees Gray]

If the pigeon is drinking, you can put thawed and drained peas or corn down its throat, one at a time, and then let the bird swallow. Also puppy chow, that has been soaked and drained, and broken into small pieces.

You can also see if the bird will eat some wild bird seed. Offer it to him, he will soon learn to eat it, but for now you will have to feed it by hand.

A tablespoon of food (the above) 4 times per day.

[John_D]

Hi Katwin,

Just picked up on this (just home from work).

Don't know if you will have looked at these pics of pigeon day by day development, but they'd give you an idea of age

http://www.speedpigeon.com/baby_racing_pigeon.htm

It may be at the stage where it has just learned to peck and eat but still gets fed by parents.

The suggestion for how/ what to feed are covered by others, but here is a method we use with 'borderline' babies

http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pi...nge_method.htm

Maybe we can establish what the bird is. if it seemed to have come out of a tree then it is likely to be a woodpigeon or collared dove, otherwise probably a pigeon. Here there are some pics of both 'woodpigeon development' and 'collared dove development'

http://community.webshots.com/user/cyro51

We'll try to locate a wildlife place somewhere near, if one exists.

John

[cyro51]

Hi Katwin,

You did exactly the right thing taking this baby in. I know what the RSPB and RSPCA say about picking up young birds or animals , but with pigeons and doves if it looks like a baby then it is too young to be out of the nest and must be picked up. The same applies to baby hedgehogs, if you find one wandering around in daylight get it to a hedgehog rescue place because it is in trouble (orphaned, abandoned or ill).

If you can't get a photo to us can you describe the pigeon (colour of feathers, feet beak and eyes)?

A good food to use when hand feeding if you are not used to it is canary egg food. Soak it in warm water, make a paste, then roll it into pea sized pellets. Soak each pellet in water before opening the pigeon's beak and pushing the pellet to the back of the throat. You can also feed chick crumbs (soaked for half an houtr in hot but not boiling water) which can be liquidised and sieved if you need to make them of a thin consistency. Other emergency foods you can find at the shops are dog biscuits which you soak and feed by hand and Ready Brek.

I will e-mail you my home and office numbers in case you need to talk things through. I am at work from 9:30 to 6:30 then home from 7 pm.

Cynthia