Awful Experience Today

[Lin Hansen]

Hi Everyone,

I had a terrible experience today with one of the pigeons from "my" feral flock.

This morning about 5:45 am, got up to use the bathroom and on my way back to bed stopped in my son's room to turn off his a/c. I glanced out his window and saw a pigeon that I hoped was asleep on the roof of the building that is right across the driveway behind my house. The building is two stories high with a slightly pitched roof. The bird was flat with it's head down, in the middle of the roof between the peak and the edge. If it had been on the side facing away from our bedrooms, I never even would have know it was there (would not have been visible from the street or from my house.) It was still pretty dark out so I knew the bird must have been there all night, which was probably not good.

For the next hour or so, I kept checking to see if there was any movement and there wasn't. Around 7:00, the rest of the flock (about 80 birds) started showing up for breakfast. I put out the seed and they all ate and left, but when I ran upstairs to check to see if the bird had come down too, she had not. She had moved somehow a few feet over, but she was still in the same position. I called my husband and told him what was happening and asked if he could come home from work as soon as he could and to bring the huge ladder from work so we could get the bird down. There was no way anyone would be able to reach her w/o the ladder my husband's company has to access a very high roof.

All of the other birds ate and left and I kept looking out the window to see if there was any change with her. Around 9:00 am, two pigeons came back and started bothering her. One kept pecking at her head and doing "the dance," so now I knew it was a girl. But the poor thing was only moving her head to get out of the way...My son yelled out the window to try to scare the male away from her, but he wouldn't quit. Finally the poor thing tried to drag herself away from him with her wings, but she was so weak she started to roll and oh God, she tumbled right off the roof to the ground. It was awful, awful, awful....We heard her hit the ground...it was so terrible.

We ran outside and thank God, she was dead..I don't think I could have taken it if she was broken up and still struggling.

I know I couldn't get to her to help her w/o the ladder, but I still feel so terrible for the way it turned out. I know she came here when she was so sick because she knew she was welcome here and probably felt safe here. I just wish I would have had the chance to help her --- if not to get well, then to at least pass in a safe and peaceful way. I know it all happened fast, but oh God, what a way to go. We buried her in the yard by the bird bath.

I am so sorry to post such a sad story. I guess I just need to get it off my chest by telling people that I know will understand why I feel so bad. Most of my friends (and they are good people) just don't get it. They think my interest and caring for the pigeons is a little odd, I know, but that's okay.

I get alot of pleasure from my feathered friends, but boy, I just hate it when things like this have to happen.

Linda

[phyll]

Linda,
I'm sorry you had to witness that poor pigeons's death. At least you, your son & your husband were trying to help her. God bless you.

phyll

[Pigeonpal2002]

How awful and sad....terrible that you had to see that. I wonder what caused her to be in that state on the roof to begin with.



Brad

[Lin Hansen]

Hi

Thank you Phyll and Brad.

Brad, I wonder too....Just by looking at her, could see nothing wrong that was noticeable. Her eyes and mouth looked clear. When she tried to fly, her wings worked, but she was too weak. She did look thin though. Such a shame.

Thanks again,
Linda

[maryco]

Hello Linda and so sorry to hear about the pigeon

I'm just wondering because of the first pigeons I rescued was an egg bound pigeon and something similar happened to her..
It was a hot day and she flew in and took a drink from the water dish I put out but once she perched up on the side she got this severe pain in her body and it was like a shock that I could see it in the expression on her face... Her beak opened wide open and her eyes as well and it's as if she wanted to scream but with no voice coming out.
Then she fell off and rolled all the way to the side of the balcony and in a split second ALL the birds there attacked her and tried to bother her until they managed to push her right off the balcony - I had no time to do anything.. I just managed to open the balcony door but she fell all the way down to the ground (and we are on the 4th floor so it's pretty high!)

I went down there and she was STILL alive, but in so much pain that I just can't imagine it. The poor thing had an egg and it broke inside of her from the fall but thank God after many months and some surgery she was saved and released back into the wild.. She is one of the miracle stories and thanks to pigeons.com I had so much info and managed to catch the signs of her being eggbound.

Perhaps your pigeon could have had an egg problem as well? I'm just wondering because a broken wing or leg wouldn't cause her to lay like that all the day. Or maybe she had a broken spine or something?

I'm so sorry again but thanks for looking out for her, and she is going to a better place..

[cyro51]

What a very sad story! I am so sorry!

It reminded me very much of Mary’s rescue hen Eggy. She fell off Mary’s balcony in very similar circumstances . Fortunately she survived the fall. Initially people thought that she had been poisoned but she turned out to be egg-bound. She was brought back to health by the rehabbers that Mary uses then returned to Mary for release.

Cynthia

[Christina Coughlin]

Oh my! I do believe these are the worst death and survival stories I have ever read. I am going to pass them along to my Pastors son as he is new in his love for the birds but would be sad and amazed.

[Lin Hansen]

Hi Arty,

Thank you for your kind words. It's nice hearing from you. You and Rose take care.

Linda