Is it ever okay to leave a baby pigeon?

[birdlady26]

I am new to the world of pigeons and birds, and am trying to understand their development and life cycle. Just over the last few months, I have seen quite a few baby pigeons on the ground, and know it is part of a baby bird's development to be forced out of the nest by the parents and taught how to fend for and take care of itself. I am just wondering, when you see a young pigeon and it appears to be well, eating and walking around but not yet able to fly, should you still be concerned? Whenever I see one, I feel compelled to help and to rescue it. I've written again to Grimaldy here in Chicago, because I found another baby pigeon near where he kindly rescued one in bad shape over the weekend. I'm just trying to gauge when intervention is necessary, and when it's best to let the little one be and learn to navigate the sidewalks and streets.

[Lady Tarheel]

This is, to me, a really hard question to answer. As a rule of thumb, we will pick up a baby/fledgling pigeon if it cannot fly. On the ground, they are so vulnerable to predators, cats, dogs, raccoons, humans, etc.

The part that always bothers me is that I know it would be only a few days until that youngster can fly but I just don't take that risk.

However, if it is a songbird or even a dove, we try to leave them be, sometimes putting them back in the nest or under a bush for cover, because the parents are usually around to try to run off an intruder but pigeon parents don't and their nests are usually so high it is impossible to put the baby back in the nest.

[birdlady26]

Thanks for the advice, Maggie. I've seen so many baby pigeons this summer, and each time I grapple with what I should do, what would be best for the little one.