Injured Pigeon in Toronto

[flitsnowzoom]

He is looking so good. You've done a marvelous job!!

I don't think I'd release him at his old home. The life is too risky there and his mate has moved on to another. I doubt if he could stand another round of poisoning.

I think you should start working on a poisoning thread that could be turned into a sticky. You've been successful in providing the supportive care and have been able to observe the recovery of this bird and that information could be so helpful for others that may find a bird in similar straits.

BTW, good tip about kitty litter as an absorbing medium for poisoning. I hadn't thought of it as an organic compound binding medium (which is kinda dumb of me since I used to do clay mineralogy), but there are certainly lots of open sites on a clay molecule. Do you think that a very thin slurry of potter's clay or slip would work as well? I can't imagine it any less "pure" than cheap kitty litter, and it's a lot harder to find the stuff without any scents or "deodorizing" ingredients (and when it comes to kitty litter, I'm as cheap as I can be )

[Pidgey]

I imagine that just about wherever you release him, he'll try to go home. I kinda' doubt you're going to be able to stop that.

Pidgey

[Lady Tarheel]

Releasing is the worst part of rehabbing.

Ron, personally, I would release him with your flock. I don't think he will stay there but it is worth the chance. A few years ago we rescued an adult from "the bridge" who was really sick. We kept him for a few months and then released him where we release all the birds (it has old buildings, a stream, trees, even bridges) but the problem was it is only about 2 miles from the bridge he called home. When Lewis went to the bridge the next day, he was there and stayed there for about the next 5 years until we never saw him again. He was easily recognized so we knew for a fact it was the same pigeon.

I don't know what to tell you about keeping him awhile longer but, maybe, if you keep him an additional month, it will just further improve his chances of survival. I honestly don't worry as much about the adults being released as I do the ones we get in as squabs/fledglings because the adults are already savvy in the ways of the wild.

[jazaroo]

I think you should start working on a poisoning thread that could be turned into a sticky. You've been successful in providing the supportive care and have been able to observe the recovery of this bird and that information could be so helpful for others that may find a bird in similar straits.

BTW, good tip about kitty litter as an absorbing medium for poisoning. I hadn't thought of it as an organic compound binding medium (which is kinda dumb of me since I used to do clay mineralogy), but there are certainly lots of open sites on a clay molecule. Do you think that a very thin slurry of potter's clay or slip would work as well? I can't imagine it any less "pure" than cheap kitty litter, and it's a lot harder to find the stuff without any scents or "deodorizing" ingredients (and when it comes to kitty litter, I'm as cheap as I can be).

Mary, I think a sticky on poisoning might be a good idea. They use fuller's earth to make clay kitty litter and I know this type of clay can be recommended to use in cases of poisoning. I would don't know if I would recommend using potter's clay as I don't know enough about its composition and there could be variables in its composition, depending on where it's sourced from.

I imagine that just about wherever you release him, he'll try to go home. I kinda' doubt you're going to be able to stop that.

Pidgey, that's what I kinda figured as well.

Ron, personally, I would release him with your flock. I don't think he will stay there but it is worth the chance.

Maggie, that's what I think I may end up doing, as you say you never know. If he doesn't, I am not worried at all, in the sense that the distance to where he used to live is not that great, and if this guy could survive for as long as he did as messed up as he was, he truly does know how to survive out there. I do think I will keep him for a while longer, as you suggested, and let him make up the last little ground so he is 100% when I release him, and yes it is hard to send them back no matter how long you've had them.

All the best,

Ron