Flight lessons for baby pigeon?

[PigeonFinder]

Hi everyone,

I recently found a baby feral pigeon. I estimate (s)he's 3 to 4 weeks old (almost all of his/her baby fuzz is gone), and while the baby seems to understand the concept of flapping its wings as a means to get someplace, when I found him/her, (s)he didn't have the strength to get any lift. I figure I would keep the baby until it learned how to fly a bit better, and then release him/her (I considered keeping the bird, but it wants nothing to do with me. Despite the dangers of the outside world, I think it would be happier living there).

My question is this: how do you help teach a baby bird to fly? My system has been basically to go into a small room, hold the baby up in the air, and drop my hands so the baby is forced to flap down to the ground (I also have a pillow on the ground in case of bad landings). Is there anything I can do to make this more effective, or to enourage the baby to actually fly *up* to something?

Also, the baby seems relatively healthy: is eating, drinking, is active. (s)he was completely bare under the wings and on the sides of his/her body, but after a few days living with me, the feathers are starting to sprout and fill in. The only thing that puzzles me are the baby's droppings. The baby is eating seed (finch food to be exact, and quite eagerly), but I see whole, undigested seed in the baby's droppings. Does the baby need more grit in it's system? (I thought, being from the city streets, it would have plenty of grit already).

Also (one last thing, I promise! ), I seem to remember there being a powder that cuold be used on pigeons to get rid of lice (I don't think this baby has any, but just to be sure). Does anyone know where I could purchase such a product?

Thanks!
Eden

[maryco]

Hello

I also found a baby pigeon last year in the same situation, i found him trying to lift himself off the ground but didn't know how to fly yet, at first he seemed like he hated me or didn't want ANYTHING to do with me but after 2 days he started adapting(i found his brother afew days before, so then i had 2)....(if you would like to keep him you must give him a chance to get used to you and his surroundings i am sure he will make a wonderful pet!!)

I would suggest you hold your hand open(palmside up) let him stand on your hand and then lower your hand quickly without dropping him just enough to make him flap that is really enough!! i did that for a few days until all the feathers under the wings are white and all grown out, then you could stand on one side of the room and put the food on the window ledge or on a table (that way you will incourage him to fly to his food)
if he doesn't, try giving him a push and he will fly over.

You may need to get some grit for him and you could get some Crushed oyster shells( at pet shops).

Check out the topic "Basic medications on hand.."
Fred suggests some powders for external parasites that you could purchase and i think there are some you could get from garden centers or hardware stores but i can't think of the name....someone else here can probably tell you about that!!

Good Luck for now!!
And keep us posted on the little one

Mary

[This message has been edited by maryco (edited June 18, 2002).]

[raynjudy]

Hi, Eden!

Welcome aboard!

Alex routinely flies to Judy's shoulder or mine now (this is our new rescued feral). She has developed flight skills entirely on her own, making short jumps onto tables, chairs, us--or Cosmo!

Since Alex, possibly Alexis, showed no signs on "bugs", we decided to forego any dusting. He/she is still in semi-isolation and not sharing food or water with Bernie or Cosmo--in fact, Bernie's never been in the same room with Alex. We had hoped Cosmo and Alex would become friends, since Bernie has no time for Cosmo...

Yes, it's time to add grit! Get this from a pet supply store. We use L&M Animal Farms.
Pigeons don't hull their seeds, but swallow them whole. They require grit, not only as a nutritional supplement (salts & calcium), but for the literal processing of food.

This is anecdotal, but in some dinosaurs, we find smooth stones called "gastroliths" in the gut area of the body cavity. These were used in a muscular gut, or gizzard, to grind the food into a more digestible form--a system that replaces the complex dental batteries found in other animals. Columba livia, the pigeon, is believed to be the closest link to one branch of dinosauria now living on the planet! A pretty noble family, that!

With other birds that hull their seeds, grit is more of a nutritional supplement than a necessity for digestion.

You will need to spend time with your pigeon to bond with it. To learn more about this, read "Lucky In Love", available via the front page. Also, click on "Resources" above, to learn about nutrition, care, and even grit!

--Ray

PS. An easy dust to get from any garden center, is "Sevin". Keep it out of eyes, nose and mouth. Do apply a fine dusting, elsewhere, being sure to get it under wings, fanny, etc.

[cataclsm]

Pigeons will fly when they are ready, some are quicker to get the hang of it then others. Most pigeons wont fly until there wings and tail feathers are fully formed and feathered in, it can be up to 8 weeks before these guys will take off.

As suggested above, the seven dust will take care of most any external parasites, borax and water will do the same thing but a little safer if they birds accidentally ingest it.


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Jason Bolton
Malystryx Lofts
http://www.malystryx.com

[fred2344]

Hi,
Sevin is a good dusting powder to use. Many other powders that are used on dogs and cats are toxic to birds but Sevin is good, Ectoban D from Foys is good. Stay with the poultry dusting powders.
Honestly, I am concerned about the seeds you see in the droppings. Everyone is right about giving some grit but it still should not happen, even without the grit.
If I could make a suggestion to you; Stop the finch food and go onto either a pigeon feed mix or a cockatiel seed mix but take out all unshelled sunflower seeds. Obstructions you don't need with a young bird. See if changing to larger seed will stop this "passing through." The bird is probably still too young to eat peas and corn.
Please come back and let us know if changing the seed stopped this. I would really like to know if it did.
You aren't doing anything wrong in the way you are trying to get this bird to fly. If you left it alone and did nothing, the bird will learn to fly. That flapping is their way of strengthening their wing muscles in preparation for flight. One day the little bird will lift off the ground a few inches. A couple of days later, the height will increase. Soon, the bird will fly up to a higher perch. They get there.

[PigeonFinder]

Originally posted by cataclsm:
As suggested above, the seven dust will take care of most any external parasites, borax and water will do the same thing but a little safer if they birds accidentally ingest it.

What's the formula for the borax and water solution? 50% water, 50% borax, etc.?

Thanks,
Eden

[maryco]

Are unshelled sunflower seeds bad??
I usually unshell them and give them to Tooty and she loves them, should i stop doing this?

Mary

Originally posted by fred2344:
take out all unshelled sunflower seeds.

[WhiteWingsCa]

Originally posted by PigeonFinder:
What's the formula for the borax and water solution? 50% water, 50% borax, etc.?

Borax is a powder...we use "muleteam" stuff up here in Ontario.
2 Tbsp. of borax to gal/ water, mix well.

[devorah]

No Flying Lessons!

Okay, this is my opinion. You don't need to teach any bird to fly: he'll fly when he's ready! I think you're terrifying the poor thing unnecessarily when you teach him to mistrust you because at any moment you'll drop your hand and let him fall. If a bird is in your hands or perched on you, he should feel comfortable!

I've worked in bird rescue with zillions of baby pigeons, and I've never had to teach anyone to fly. I keep an aviary of non-releaseable pigeons: their injuries prevent them from flying well enough to be released. I try to never do anything to invoke fear or mistrust. Some of my critters and tame and some aren't, but I let them decide what they want to do, who they want to partner with, and where they build their nests, etc. Nature knows more than we do (she's had a lot of experience!), so I trust Nature to determine when a bird is ready to hop out of the nest, flap his wings, and later fly.

(just my opinions here)
Devorah http://www.austinduckpolice.org

[turkey]

I agree with those who said, your pigeon will learn to fly on his own, when he's ready. If the bird is not comfortable with you, I assume trying to make him fly would cause him to have more fear of you.

I found my pigeon at approximately the same age as yours. I also felt that the bonding was not taking place as it should have and maybe he'd be happier if I let him loose.

This is what I did to change that:
I did not ever grab him. He will get on your hand if you lay it flat and gently push towards his legs. If he walks over your hand, let him. This is part of working on the trust. Try it again. If he seems a little cranky. Let him be and try again in a while.

Like Ray said, spending time with him is a way to bond. Try stopping and talking to him everytime you go pass him. Then he won't think of your company as something to fear, and he'll get used to your voice.

Turkey is finally, 1 month later, showing his gratitude to me. He now knows my voice and searches the room when he hears me come in. Because of my busy schedule this weekend, I have not spent "normal" time with him. He has told me that he misses me by flying to me and landing on my head. (Something he did not do before) He's getting more enjoyable everyday.

But, in the first few weeks that we were together, he would always peck at my hand when I went near him. I felt totally rejected.

Good Luck! Many happy days to come gradually.

Julie

[PigeonFinder]

Originally posted by devorah:
No Flying Lessons!

Okay, this is my opinion. You don't need to teach any bird to fly: he'll fly when he's ready! I think you're terrifying the poor thing unnecessarily when you teach him to mistrust you because at any moment you'll drop your hand and let him fall. If a bird is in your hands or perched on you, he should feel comfortable!

The only reason why I thought I should take an active part in this (e.g. "teach" him how to fly) is because I keep him cooped up for much of the day (while I'm at work). For the short time that I'm able to let him out, I wanted to make that "constructive."

And, I know I'm probably scaring the poor guy a little, but I don't necessarily consider that a bad thing. I want him to retain his wariness of humans so that when I release him, he'll know to keep his distance.

Eden

[PigeonFinder]

Originally posted by fred2344:
Hi,
Honestly, I am concerned about the seeds you see in the droppings. Everyone is right about giving some grit but it still should not happen, even without the grit.
If I could make a suggestion to you; Stop the finch food and go onto either a pigeon feed mix or a cockatiel seed mix but take out all unshelled sunflower seeds. Obstructions you don't need with a young bird. See if changing to larger seed will stop this "passing through."

I switched the baby to a larger seed and gave it some grit. I find the "passing" really puzzling, because I would imagine that if the baby isn't digesting his food, that he would be listless, or at least *something* else would be wrong with it. But no; the baby eats, drinks, runs, flaps, he's curious about his surroundings, his eyes, nose, and mouth are all clear and healthy looking. There was the baldness that I mentioned before, but that's improving.

Very odd.

Eden

[fred2344]

Eden,
Other than the seeds going through, how do the droppings look?

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"Until he extends the circle of compassion to all living things, man will not himself find peace."

Albert Schweitzer

[raynjudy]

You said, in part, "I want him to retain his wariness of humans so that when I release him..."

That's why I recommended the readily available "Sevin", as opposed to a harder to get formulation...

The Borax thingy is interseting--does he bathe?

For more pertinent info--e-mail me!

--Ray

[PigeonFinder]

Originally posted by fred2344:
Eden,
Other than the seeds going through, how do the droppings look?

Hi Fred,

They're blackish green (or maybe greenish black?), and what I would describe as mucousy (e.g. not necessarily very watery, but squishy looking). The undigested seed isn't bunched up together in the poop (I think I saw this called "popcorn poop"), but spread out, suspended in the rest of the droppings. There's also no white part to the baby's poop. I don't see any worms in the droppings, either (unless there are those that are too small to see with the naked eye). I did an Internet search under "undigested seed" and "droppings," and something called megabacteria came up, as did "white muscle disease," which they said is caused by vitamin E deficiency. Could either of these be possibilities?

Eden, who realizes that to a non-animal/non-bird person, that description of poop would seem WAY too detailed.