Worry for a wild baby pigeon - Please help, any advice?

[rachybaby]

Hi I'm new to Pigeon-Talk and new to the idea of caring for a wild baby Pigeon too. I've never really been within 2 foot of one so I'm quite open to any help you all could give.

My dad found a pigeon face down in my pool today sadly, a baby one - like the one we both found outside our front door that we are trying to help. The one we found has lost its feathers (it looks like) on the back of its neck and it looks sore like it was attacked maybe by a magpie or a cat. The pigeon is only small can't fly although tries when given the chance -probably because he is only young.

I have followed some advice already and placed the poor bird in an animal carrier thats quite big (enough space for him/her to stretch its wings) lined it with newspaper and paper towels and placed a small cup of water big enough for him to stick his beak in and an ashtray with a bit of eggbiscuit watered down with a tiny amount of luke warm water. I also put a sock with some rice in it that I heated in the microwave for a couple of seconds and I keep doing so to keep him/her warm.

I then tried to feed the bird using a small pipette to suck tiny amounts of food up and place it in his beak I had to open his beak myself carefully to get him to eat and did the same with lukewarm water with a tiny amount of suger and salt in it. To feed and help him to drink I wrapped him loosely in a small towel to stop him from struggling against me, he has alot of fight in him so I hope my help will suffice in him living a long happy life.

I don't know how old he is I just know he is young and smallish and hurt - I do have pictures too if you can have a look and judge him he is about 6 inches judging how he fits into my hands.

After reading more into your site I tried dipping my index finger middle finger and thumb into the lukewarm water and gently rubbing his beak he then reacted and I got him to dip his beak into the cup and drink from the cup. I was pleased with this progress that I had made in just an hour or so. I tried the same tecnique with the egg biscuit and I'm not sure its working. So I think I'll continue to use the pippette every few hours untill further advice.

Please help me to make this little guy/gal well again and reply asap.

Thankyou,
Rachael

P.S. The pictures are below.







If you need better pictures I'm sure I could get some please help give advice ect

[Grimaldy]

Hi rachael,

It is hard to say what might have caused the cut in the neck, but since it can hold its head up it is not likely anything critical was damaged. Check the rest of the body over carefully for puncture wounds however, claws carry disease that usually kills in a few days after the infection takes hold. As for the cut just apply a good antibiotic salve or cream.

Your bird is going to need vitamins and certain nutrients if it is going to live; it can't get them from crackers. If you go to any good pet store they will have a powdered baby bird formula you mix with warm water. A pigeon sucks food up, if it will eat at all. So you can put it in a tube, a small plastic baggy that you hold between thumb and forefinger, so it can stick its beak in and eat. If it does not eat you will have to force feed it until it can transition to seeds. There are stickys on the forum board for making feeding tubes and force feeding you may find helpful. Your bird looks to be about two-three weeks old. Keep him warm at all costs, loss of heat will kill.

If you need more info I am certain the other members will be along soon. If this is too much for you to handle right now, contact a local pigeon rehabilitation center. It will take about a month before he is ready for release assuming all goes well.

[Lovebirds]

Here's a couple of links for you to read. I've sent a PM to a member who is more familiar with that baby, which I think might be a dove rather than a pigeon, but I'm not sure.

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

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=9918

[rachybaby]

Thats exactly what I needed to know do you think the feathers will grow back?

He is sleeping after I've fed him the eggbiscuit that I mentioned before. Egg biscuit is the sort of baby bird food you mentioned I got some from a pet store u mix with the lukewarm water - my mum used to have an avery and said the eggbiscuit would be good for a young one like him.

I am keeping the sock warm and near him at all times and leaving him time to rest for now with a watchful eye.

The month should be full of surprises and I will give him the care he needs untill well enough to go back into the wild.

Will he learn to fly? how do I help this process? he keeps trying but cant fly properly, thankyou for the help and advice you have given.

Rachael

[little bird]

She's in England .... might be a woodie...... I think so from the white on the wings.

[rachybaby]

Very helpful I just assumed it was a pigeon I don't usually handle birds only ever handled finches and canaries bought from the shop.

Would I have to treat the bird differently if it is a dove?

Rachael

[rachybaby]

My parents think it could be a wood pigeon - because there was a nest in the back with a croaking sound coming from it like a big toad would make in a cooing way anyway if you understand what that would sound like haha

[Lovebirds]

Yeah, think it is a woodie. Hopefully Cyro501 will be on soon. You can feed this one the same way as you would a pigeon I believe. There was a thread not to long ago about a baby woodie....let me see if I can find it......

[Lovebirds]

Here ya go................probably some good info in the second one.


http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showpo...17&postcount=5

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=29121

[cyro51]

Hi Rachel,

Yes, that is a young wood pigeon and egg food is fine. Yu could try putting the egg food in a disposable icing bag and easing the baby's beak into the mixture. Otherwise you could put it into a spoon, a plastic spoon with the sides bent inwards would be good. Make it quite moist if the baby isn't taking water on its own yet.

The big worry would be if a cat caught it, 90% of cats carry pasteurella in their saliva and cat caught birds can get pasteurella septicemia if the bacteria gets into their blood stream, to avoid this they need to be treated with Synulox.

However, the neck looks plucked and I wonder if this was a sparrowhawk's attack...

He is old enough to be thermoregulating by now, but you might want to keep the warmth up for a couple of days just in case there is infection.

The feathers will grow back and unless one of his wings is permanently damaged it should learn to fly on its own. It might stand a better chance if it went to a sanctuary before releease so that it could be part of a small flock of wood pigeons and learn from them what it can and can't eat. The wood pigeon's diet varies according to seasonal availability of food.

The 3 Owls sanctuary at Rochdale could rehab him for you.

You won't want to release him near farmland where he could be shot as game or as a pest!

Cynthia

[rachybaby]

i have got the bird to drink ,i put my index finger and middle finger and thumb into luke warm water and gently stroked his beak he definately tried to drink the water on my fingers and followed my fingers into the cup of water i had placed in the carrier for him. Its just the feeding thats a worry. i'm feeding him by putting the food near his beak with a pipette (like a syringe but tiny) and squeezing th end to release the little moist pices of egg biscuit into his beak and he seems to be eating it so I guess I'm happy

If there is a better and more simple way I'd love to know.

I will definately take him to some sort of sanctuary before release I wouldn't want him to end up in the same situation hurt and alone.

thankyou
rach

[cyro51]

Hi Rachael,

You can prise the beak open and put food in it. Soon the baby will associate your hands with food and if you put his beak between two of the fingers of your hand he will gape for you to put food in...usually they do this inside the parents' beak and the food is pumped in. But try the icing sugar bag approach...only make certain that the eggfood mix is about 39 degrees celcius.

This thread shows some other methods of feeding:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showth...referrerid=560

[rachybaby]

The wood pigeon didnt last the night. I found him dead just a few minutes ago when stirred from my sleep. I inspected his injuries a bit more and under his feathers there is a big gash like a hb pencil had been rammed into the side of his neck. I never knew. I don't think the shock has settled I grew attatched as i really thought I could help.

Rest in Peace Little Fighter

Rachael

Thankyou for all your help

x x x x

[lwerden]

Rachael,

So sorry about the loss of your little one. It's amazing how quickly you become attached.

Thanks for everything you did to help him. I'm sure he knew he was loved and cared for while he was with you.

Regards,
Louise

[cyro51]

I am so sorry, Rachael. You saved him from being eaten alive and gave him a loving shelter which he must have found such a comfort.

Cynthia