Help please with injured collared dove

[Pauline]

Six days ago I found an injured collared dove in my garden. Don't know what had attacked it - hawk or cat - but the wing was bleeding and it could not fly. I have bathed the wounds in warm water and TCP. Bleeding has stopped, dove is very alert, eating and drinking. Can't tell if the wing is broken - it is drooping slightly but the dove does use it (eg. if I try to get hold of her she raised both wings). Dove escaped from open-top box I had her in so now I leave her in my dining room, where she perches underneath my chairs and sunbathes (but will not go outside when I leave door open). Where do I go from here? Do I need to try to tape up the wing?
Any advice would be most welcome.

[Feefo]

Wings are usually immobilised to stop the bird from using the wing and damaging the soft tissues. To set it correctly a vet would need to take an X-ray and probably perform surgery but birds' bones set very quickly, so it would be best not to try to set it now. I have had many birds with wing injuries recover the ability to fly once the injury had healed (on after having its wing shattered in two places by a bullet). However, a dove has to be very agile to avoid hawks and I think yours would be better off if it spent some time in an aviary or a sanctuary before you consider releasing it.

Keep washing the wound, but use sterile saline (they sell it in Boots) instead of TCP.

Don't tempt it to go into the garden yet, it would not be able to escape predators.

Can you tell us roughly where you are? We might know of a good sanctuary you could go to.

Cynthia

[Pauline]

Many thanks for your reply. I live in Wigan, inbetween Liverpool and Manchester and don't know of any sanctuaries in this area - but then again I have not encountered this problem before. In the past I have looked after (ie. kept in my home, fed and watered) feral pigeons unable to fly with no obvious injuries and after a few days they were well enough to fly off but I have not had a wild bird with injuries like this before. I'm quite happy to keep this little dove in my home until she is well enough to be released if I can treat her properly. She seems to enjoy my bathing her wing in warm water (I will get some saline from Boots tomorrow) and will sit still on my lap when I do so. She has spent all day today sunbathing in my dining room with an outside door wide open (I have not tried to tempt her outside but I am surprised that she has not tried to go out - especially when she can hear other birds in the garden). She has been raising the injured wing today and preening herself. Do you think the wing is broken? It's looking a lot better than it was when I took her in and she doesn't seem to be in pain.
I must say that I am getting very attached to this little creature!
Pauline

[Feefo]

Hi Pauline,

I usually rely on my vet and an X-ray to determine whether and where a wing is broken. The fact that she can lift both wings is promising.

Birds are best released into their familiar territories, so it would probably be best for her to stay with you, but if you need a sanctuary the nearest is the Three Owls Sanctuary at Rochdale:

Affiliated to the Jean Sainsbury Animal Welfare Trust
Wolstenholme Fold
Norden
Rochdale OL11 5UD
Tel: (01706) 642162
Fax: (01706) 659090
24 Hour Helpline: 07973 819389
Email: info@threeowls.co.uk

One thing collared doves don't like is being in cages with the door shut...you could offer her a cage and a perch, but always leave the door open.

[Pauline]

Hi Cynthia
Thank you for your advice. I feel a lot better about the situation now - especially as the dove has been flexing both wings today (the injured one droops down a little when she is perched but she can raise it as high as the good wing when she wants to eg. to stop me from picking her up!). I didn't know about the sanctuary in Rochdale and am much happier for knowing that there is somewhere I can take injured wild birds in future. For now I'll try looking after the dove at home until she is ready to be released.
I'm so glad I discovered this website.
Many thanks again.
Pauline

[Pidgey]

That wound is actually out on what would compare to our wrist and hand. If it turns into a problem later, it would be that she couldn't extend the wing far enough. Rotation won't be a problem with that wound.

Pidgey