very small mini Red Baby Pigeon, emergency please!

[Xenku]

Hello I live in San Juan, Puerto Rico and 2 days ago I found a tiny mini Baby Red Pigeon, 1st thing I did was get a towel and shape it into a nest as much as I could and made a small space in the center for it and placed it inside, it quickly cuddle up against the towel pushing deeper into it. Everytime I get close to it or I put my hand or a object (camera) close to it it expands its little Red feathered wings, it gives me the impression that it's trying to pretend to be bigger than it really is (self-defense?)(scared?).

The 1st day it didnt want any food from my hand, but on the second day I dipped my hand into a glass of water so that a drop was on the tip of my finger almost about to fall but not quite and I put my finger close to it's beak and the baby pigeon startedsoftly pecking my finger tip and drank all the water, it drank about 5 drops and it drank ALL no water fell on it or on the towl it sucked it all in. I tried giving it baby food (Gerber Corn in little glass jar) same way as I gave it water and it actually ate some, but it didn't eat much and I'm starting to get worried that it will die soon.

I want to make sure that this type of pigeon can eat this and I need a more efficient way to feed it to make sure it eats what it needs to survive, where can I buy a tiny(TINY) syringe the ones to feed babies?

I have Love Birds but this pigeon is very light weight and it looks to be very young and wont eat seeds.

(((7-26-05 Edit: I took the pictures out of this message to put some more in another message)))

[TAWhatley]

Hello and welcome to Pigeon-Talk! Thank you for helping this beautiful young bird. I'm not familiar with the species but am asking on another list for diet advice.

For right now the water is very important, and unless this is some type of fruit eating columbiform, I'd think that mixing up some human baby cereal with warm water and feeding that would work until we know more.

See this thread for ways of feeding the baby:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=9682

Terry

[TAWhatley]

When you say "Red Pigeon" is this actually the name of a native species of pigeon or are you just referring to the color?

Terry

[Pigeonpal2002]

Hi There,

This looks like some species of dove but I'm unfamiliar with South American species. We have another member here from Puerto Rico and perhaps he might be able to be of some assistance. Here is the link to his profile, try e-mailing him.

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/member.php?u=3636

[Xenku]

I refer to the "color" when I said Red Pigeon, I don't know much about pigeons I'm trying to find the scientific name for it to do better research. I see them in my yard eating seeds or worms off the yard, I have seen them in 2 sizes everyday, There are miniature ones and I see bigger ones with the same color. The mini ones come often and look like they're reddish-brown and only when they open their wings to take flight is when you see the red feathers. When I picked up this baby it was very close to the street and I was afraid it would get ran over or eaten by cats (there are many cats roaming around here), I'm guessing it's one pf the miniature pigeon's babies because a mini red pigeon followed me as I picked up the baby, I think it was it's mother or father. I tried looking for a nest to put it back up but found none so I decided to try my best to keep it alive and raise it for a few weeks until it can fly strong enough to take care of itself.

[Xenku]

I'll try to do the ballon method tomorrow, but this pigeon is very very tiny and weighs less than a quarter literally, I'm going to see if I can find a appropiate size syringe to do this.

[pdpbison]

Hi Zenku,



Wow...!

Interesting little Columbiforme of some kind..!

This looks like a mid-adolescent who will likely not know how to eat by themselves yet, since normaly, their parents feed them near the Nest area untill they are decent enough fliers to fly with their parents to graze wherever there are Seeds or other things they may wish to eat, where, over the course of these forays, the youngsters with their new flying skills, begin to learn from their elders the manner of pecking and self feeding.

What do their poops look like so far?



If you like, there are some handy tips which should apply to any Doves or Pigeons of this age, here in the following thread -

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=11244

Read all the entries since there is more info forther down.


Let us know how it is going?

Keep the Bird safe from any drafts or air conditioning...and keep them someplace warm, and quiet and with no dogs or cats to approach them in their cage.

Good luck!


The 'Wing' display is likely something of their manner of asking to be fed, or, trying to balance from weakness even...hard to say for sure without seeing them do it.

It is normal for them to 'squeak', or 'peep', and to pump their shoulders or even flap their Wings when being fed, or, in anticipations of it...

They can be quite enthusiatic eaters...and when comfortable with it, will be quite demanding and assertive and happy about it!


Good luck!


Phil
Las Vegas

[Xenku]

some locals have told me that this type of pigeon or dove "paloma" are very fragile and usually die when you try to take them in, if that is true all I want is for the bird to grow strong enough to fly on it's own like it would in nature, I would love to keep it and take care of it but I only want what is best for him/her.

[Xenku]

he's peeping right now and it's 10:52pm do you think it's hungry because I can't feed it right? I'm so worried it's going to die on me, right now I have it in a LoveBird cage with a Towel on the floor for him. I leave him in a quiet room and try to not interact with him unless feeding him because locals told me they are a "nervous twitchy" bird when adult atleast. Maybe since it's so baby perhaps it doesnt know any better yet and can be tamed not to fear me? I hope so, least thing I want is a baby getting a heart attack.

I think I'm going to try to give it more food, it's peeping. Could it be dreaming?

[Pidgey]

Don't know--is it a loud peep or a soft peep? It's very hard to know how to take care of a bird when you don't know what it is. Does it "gape" for food (open its mouth wide when you get near) or does it always have its mouth closed when you approach?

Have you tried searching on google with the words "puerto rico bird species red"?

Pidgey

[Xenku]

it's a soft peep but when I get close with dropper filled with baby food (gerber corn) to give it food it keeps mouth close. So I just opened it's beek with my finger nail and dropped some food in the back of its mouth and gave it a rest then when he looked done moving his beek like (tasting food) I went and gave it more.. I did it like 4 times, my mother said it should have a pouch under it's neck in the front that should feel filled sorta like a hamsters pouch? Is that true because I don't think she knows about pigeons and I don't want it to die of starvation but also not choke it with food.

I cleaned off the food on his face and chest and put it back in the "towel nest" but it started peeping a few minutes ago. Gives me the impression that it misses it's mom for some reason, that's just my gut feeling.. dunno.

[Pidgey]

You might try going to this website:

http://www.kingsnake.com/westindian/

You can scroll down on the left to almost the bottom and it'll give you a bird selection. I can't load it very fast because I'm on dial-up but if you've got broadband you might be able to see it a lot quicker. If you can find a true name for the bird, you might be able to run an internet search for emergency feeding procedures.

Pidgey

[pdpbison]

Hi Zenku,


If you can, post a few more images showing close ups of it's profile and face.

I at first thought this was a sort of Dove, but I may have been projecting...! Lol...

Get us some close ups, and we can likely tell if it is some order of Columbiforme or not, which will be important for feeding considerations in several ways...


Best wishes..!

Phil
Las Vegas

[TAWhatley]

Good find Pidgey .. two possibles from that site are Key West Quail Dove and Bridled Quail Dove .. both appear to have reddish/rusty plumage.

Terry

[pdpbison]

Hi Zenku,


Please consider the link I refered you to above.

Dropping liquids into the back of this Bird's throat can all too easily go into their airways and eventuate heart wrending and protracted spasms as it spend the next couple hours dieing.

This is rather a small Bird, and if in fact a juvenile or adolescent, it will wish to insert it's Beak "into" something for being fed.

Please consider this...

If this is an older Bird who from illness or injury was grounded, it's manner if eating will be either pecking at it's own descretion, or it will have to be fed in some manner which will not endanger it's life from accident of liquids getting into it's air-ways.

If you will consider to make friends with it in terms it may understand, it may elect to eat, willingly, in the manner my link informs about, which occasions no dangers for asphyxiation.

The light electrolytes in tepid Water initially, in the Nipple as a sort of cup, is a very nice 'ice breaker' for getting along with them.

Prying open their Beak to put food or liquid in there is a trust killer and a stresser for them, and should be only the resort if all else fails, and should not be done with liquids, but with small whole Seeds or other dry foods only.

I have never had any sort of Dove of any age, who would not gently drink from the Nipple or a small Bowl, as long as I was slow, gentle, patient and kind to them, and had the water 'luke warm'...and, importantly, did the other things mentioned in the thread I posted the link to.

Doves are fragil in their way, and very sensitive to things they feel are stressful or threatening.

Be as gentle and quiet as you can..and slow moveing in your dealings with them.

And please reconsider your method of feeding them.

If they 'peep' or quietly 'squeak' and it is midnight or two in the morning...feed them, they are hungry, and for now, that matters more than what time it is.

Gaining their trust and putting them at ease, also matters very much, and if they are willing to be fed, and you can be deferential to them, and do in fact feed them in a way they are comfortable and familiar with, you both will have made it over the first serious hurdle.

At any rate, we are proceeding on the supposition that this is some order of Dove, and not a Song Bird.

My initial impression was that of 'Small, Adolescent Dove' and untill closer images may ba made and posted, that will have to stand...!

Good luck to you both...

All my best wishes...!


Phil
Las Vegas