What the heck?????

[Podgy's Mum]

Hi, can you tell me what my almost 6 week old pigeon pet is doing? Two days ago s/he began to do a really strange thing with his beak - I thought he had something stuck in his throat - I almost had a panic attack . He stretches his head up and opens his beak wide, then he puts it down, then does the same thing again. He did this a few times and after I watched nervously for a little while to determine if he was choking on something, my son suggested he might have been hungry. (Even though he has access to his seed tray. ) We fed him some peas (& for the first time he ate them by himself - he scoffed about 20 of them down like he was starved!) Then he went back onto his roost and settled down to sleep. He has done this a few times and we have fed him each time but I am wondering if this is normal behaviour? As yet I havent been able to find any pigeon grit and the only grit he gets occasionally is the stuff in the budgie seed I am giving him at the moment. I will be buying pigeon seed next week now that he has started eating the larger peas.

Thanks for any help,
Dana

[Jaye]

Is it very hot there ????

[Podgy's Mum]

Hi Jaye,

As a matter of fact yes, it has been hot here! You think he might have been thirsty?? He is kept in the house though, and the temperature is quite comfortable. We have the airconditioner on if it gets too warm.
Dana

[John_D]

Actually, it is possible that he was/is trying to swallow something or that there is some kind of small obstruction or discomfort.

I have sometimes seen one kinda stretch his neck up and 'gulp'. That can be just from getting a small feather from preening temporarily lodged across the entrance to the windpipe, which clears itself.

Some seeds ~ linseed particularly ~ can stick to the side of the throat (to any damp surface, in fact) and possibly cause a slight discomfort. Usually will be dislodged eventually by other food.

A less welcome possibility is a canker nodule if he continues to do this, but if his throat looks clear using a torch then that is less likely.

It won't be related to grit or lack of it, as that is used in the gizzard.