Bringing a baby inside from the pouring rain

[Paris]

This is a continuation from "Can an 11 day old squab keep itself warm?" thread. Now that I've solved that question, the urgent question of the day is what to do after bringing in a baby from the pouring rain. Or rather, getting her back to the nest before the parents find it missing... So I've started a new thread so that more pigeon people see the question.

It's now 4am in Paris. I awoke 15 minutes ago because the sound of the rain was so loud and raining in against the windows... which meant that Hope was getting wet in her window-box nest. I got up and saw poor baby Hope, still all alone and looking miserable. I immediately read Lovebirds' post (from the above mentioned thread) and have brought her in. She didn't put up a struggle at all. She's soaking wet and I have her on toweling and a very soft velveteen fabric in a big plastic box. I don't have anything to put over the flower box that will stay afixed.

I have no idea when the parents will be back. They only just started leaving her alone for so long.

Questions-
What happens if I don't put the baby back in the nest before the parents get back and they find her missing? Will they come back later? What if they see her through the window (her box is on the shelf-ledge by the window.) What happens if I wake up and a parent is there? Can I put the baby back in the nest in front of them?

I'd really like to go back to bed....perhaps i should set my alarm for just before dawn (6:15am here) and put her back then, but what if it's still raining hard? If it doesn't let up, I would hate to put her back out in the pouring rain but do I dare risk not having her in her nest before the parents arrive?

She does seem comfortable now...

Thanks to all for your advice!!!
Jane in Paris

[maryjane]

Don't worry! She will be fine inside until you put her back out. The parents should continue to feed her, no problems. Of course, check her and make sure this is happening by feeling her crop (the spot on her chest, under her beak, that fills with food until it digests) to make sure they are still feeding her. If they come back to the nest and she is not there, they will continue checking back, I would think. I would also think it okay to put her back in the nest even if one is there and watching.

I haven't seen the other thread yet, so I don't know what's been suggested, but you might keep some Kaytee or other baby bird formula on hand just in case. If the weather continues this way, I would say it's definitely better to keep her in with you and hand-feed, if possible for you. At her age (12 days, right?), it shouldn't be too much of a task, and not too much longer until she's fledged. If you need help on hand feeding, please ask. Good luck!

[pdpbison]

Hi Jane in Paris,




Found the Pictures, and viewed them in their correct order too...


Wow, really lovely...all through...



Sure, may as well bring in the little-one and let him dry off and be warm and so on.

He will be fine to coast a while without being fed.


Poppa will look for him once it is light out, and if Baby is not there, Poppa will look again later, knowing Babys can 'hide' sometimes.


You can blot a Baby somewhat dry with soft cloths...


Warmth would be good, since even though he is making his own Body heat, once 'wet' he could have got a little chilled.



Lovely Birds..!


Lovely Baby...



Since it made sense to bring him inside, you may as well have him in your palm a little, in 'Hand Nest'...and do the things you wanted to do, 'preening' his back lightly and visiting with him...


You could even open your window and extend the Nest area a little by having a small platform inside, which is convenient height-wise for him to be in or out then, as he likes, and as long as Poppa does not object or find it worysome, it should be alright.


You can be the Aunt then...


And fuss over him, within reason, and sort of keep an eye on him, even as you had been.


Probably my biggest concern when you were asking originally, is of your getting too attatched to him!


It can be 'a slippery slope'...


So, as long as you do not do that, things will probably be just fine..!




Phil
l v

[Noisy_minor]

good idea taking him inside. like every one has said the parents will continue to look and feed the young one. i would do what maryjane suggested and buy some baby bird formula just in case. and keep a close eye on her crop ensuring the parents do come back and feed the little one after the rain has stopped. would you be able to continue feeding her if the rain dosnt let up??

[cyro51]

Hi Paris,

I just saw your photos, they are lovely. I am glad that your posts explain that Hope was panting...wood pigeons seem to get distressed by the heat much sooner than feral pigeons, they open their beaks and flutter their throats to get the cool air in. But if he just has his beak open, then there could be a problem.

I have a book about wood pigeons, would you like me to scan the pages about bringing up young and e-mail them to you?

I would put her back in the nest as soon as possible, please be wary of taking her inside and hand feeding her or of handling her more than is absolutely necessary. Although adult wood pigeons are extremely nervous, youngsters can maladapt very quickly if they are hand raised. They need their parents to show them what they can eat (unlike feral pigeons they do not rely on scraps for survival . IF they maladapt, or lose their parents they become unreleasable and as they like to live in the open (in my aviary they will not take shelter at night) they would not be comfortable spending their lives inside.

I would just like to emphasise that wood pigeons are wild birds, unlike the rock pigeon and the dove they have never been domesticated. If they see someone removing their remaining baby, or interfering with their nest by returning it then they might regard the person as a nest predator and go.

Please let us know if the parents retun and resume their parenting .

Cynthia

[Paris]

First off, many thanks to Phil, Maryjane, noisy_minor and Cynthia for your advice and reassurance!!! I went back to bed at 5:00 with the alarm set for 6am, at which time I lifted Hope back into her nest. It was misty-raining then.

By mid-morning it was sunny and Hope's feathers were visibly drying out and looking a big fluffier. But no parents. Constant, the dad, showed up just around noon and fed Hope. He returned at 3:30pm for another feeding. Both parents came this evening just before 7pm and Patience fed her. So they have resumed parenting and feeding, and baby Hope has not been rejected

It's never been my intention to make pets out of these birds, but I want them to be safe and healthy. Phil, I do heed your caution about getting too attached. Cynthia, I really appreciate your knowledge about wood pigeons. Your offer for the scanned pages is very kind, but it seems a lot of trouble for you. Because of your very helpful insights I understand that I need to limit handling the baby, and why.

In case of a severe and miserable downpour, then, would you advise not to bring her in, ever again?

Last but not least, very glad you enjoyed my photos! Will gradually be adding more photos to the album as Hope grows

Kisses from Paris
Jane

[cyro51]

Hi Paris,

I am so glad that they are back. Not just for Hope's sake, but because I really believe that pigeons suffer when they don't know what has become of their young.

Wood pigeons will usually nest in trees where the thick foliage will offer protection from heavy rain . If you had something with foliage on it that you could shelter hope with then that might be better than taking him indoors.

And now I am going to look for a link to my favourite You Tube video ever. I love it and I hope that you will too. I will edit and add the link when I find it.

OK, here's the video...wood pigeons love the rain, although they hate to let on!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VxZno-SNiA

Cynthia

[Paris]

Oh, Cynthia, I love this video! I watched it four times and it made me laugh every time. Ok, I won't worry too much about a wood pigeon getting wet. Thank you so much for the link.

I'll try to see if I can rig up some foliage...
Thanks for everything
Jane

[cyro51]

I am so glad you loved it too.

Hope will need to have good feathering and waterproofing before he enjoys the rain like the ones in the video did.

Cynthia

[amyable]

That is priceless Cynthia, like Jane. I've just kept playing it and still keep laughing.

I was watching the white feral flock last week when it was raining, you'd have thought it was Christmas. One by one they came out of their building and flew up to the roof and window ledges. They were sitting there, lifting their wings and preening in the rain, they looked like they were in seventh heaven.

[pdpbison]

Hi Paris,



I mis-spoke...



Wood Pigeons have a more sensitive disposition than the ones I am used to, where, it would in fact be better to keep your interactions with the little one to a minimum, so as not to confuse him or his parents.


Many Columbia livia Pigeons when approached rightly in their terms, are quite tolerant or even gladly accepting, of allowing or welcoming 'Aunts' or 'Uncles' to be on the fringe of their Baby raising...


Phil
l v

[maryjane]

I also mispoke, I didn't understand they are wood pigeons. Like Cynthia said, the least contact is the best for these ones, it sounds like. I am used to pigeons and mourning doves, which are more used to people, sounds like (at least around here). Is there any way you can put a shelf or covering a few feet above the nest? Maybe that would help.

[Lovebirds]

Well, I guess I mispoke too and I DID know they were wood pigeons.....but I didn't know that wood pigeons were any different than other kinds of pigeons. So, lesson learned I guess. Sorry Jane.

[Victor]

I have to join in on this learning experience too.

Cynthia, that is just an adorable moment of the wood pigeons absorbing their showery moment.

They are beautiful!

[Noisy_minor]

haha when i saw your pictures last night and realised they were wood pigeons i googled them and realised i also mis informed you. when i suggested keeping her as a pet if the parents rejected her i would only advise this if it were a feral pigeon this is why i edited my post above.

anyway im glad the parents came back and are feeding her again. nice video cynthia laughed my head off.