help young pigeon in UK garden

[John_D]

I just picked up a message from a chap who found a 'young pigeon'
(but he doesn't describe it). It sounds like it might be old enough to
feed, if it is at wing flapping stage, but if it isn't I have no experience
with feeding young birds. It may now be too late, but I'll post this to
pigeons.com anyway. He doesn't say if it is a feral or wood pigeon,
but I expect the routine should be the same. Any input welcome. I have replied, but I don't think my input will be too helpful unless it can be encouraged to feed and drink(Copied to Cynthia)
------------------------------------
Vincent Keane <Vincekeane@btinternet.com> writes
>Hi,
>*
>I'm looking for some help with a young pigeon I've just 'rescued'
>from my garden.
>*
>The bird seems totally unable to fly, plummeting to the ground
>when attempting to do so from any sort of height and completely
>unable,it seems, to get off the ground.
>*
>On the advice of the RSPCA, I put the bird back into the garden
>hoping for its parents to return and aid it. For hours, I maintained a
>close watch for predators. Although other adult pigeons came down
>to join it - for the food I surrounded it with no doubt - the youngster
>made no attempt to fly off.
>As I couldn't bear to just leave it at the mercy of the many local
>cats, I brought it back indoors.
>*
>The RSPCA have not been at all helpful and suggested that I leave
>the bird to "take its chances like all the others". What chance, I
>asked, when it can't fly and is surrounded by cats? Finally, they
>said they would, if necessary, collect the bird but would only put it
>to sleep as it could not learn to fly without its parents.
>*
>If there is no other hope for the little thing, I would prefer it to be
>humanely destroyed than torn to bits but I thought I would give the
>internet a shot first to see if I could find some alternative. Any help
>or advice you might be able to offer would be much appreciated.

[raynjudy]

It ain't over till it's over. E-mail on the way...

--Ray

[Nooti]

I too have sent an email.

[TAWhatley]

Nooti,

Just curious, but this is the third or fourth time someone has quoted a rather inane statement made by the RSPCA ... do they not know much about pigeons or just not really care? Somehow, I had it in my mind that the RSPCA was really a top notch organization for all birds and animals.

Terry Whatley

[Nooti]

Terry wrote - Somehow, I had it in my mind that the RSPCA was really a top notch organization for all birds and animals.

Reply -
Hah!!!!
If only you knew!
I have no time for the RSPCA.
They have no time for me.
They are very good with dogs and cats.
They do not care about birds or wildlife.
If people ring up saying they have found a baby bird they are instructed to tell these people to feed it bread and milk. Bread has no nutritional value and milk contains lactose which will eventually kill the bird. I am certain it is done deliberately, for reasons I have yet to determine.
They will not attend any wildlife in distress unless there is a television camera crew in the vicinity to portray their so called caring attitude.
But if you really want the full truth about the RSPCA - take a good long look at this website.
I could add a few horror stories of my own. http://www.webtribe.net/a/animadversion/

[TAWhatley]

Nooti,

Well, thanks, I guess ... sorry to hear that yours is about as worthless as ours. Not to say that both the U.K. and U.S. versions do not do good work, but perhaps just not enough for all species.

I never had any luck here getting help from the big organizations such as the ASPCA, PETA, HSUS and so forth. I seem to have better luck just going the "grass roots" route. Give me two dozen good people willing to go out and actually rescue birds and animals, and we can do a whopping bunch more for those species we care about than all the bigtime ones ... just my opinion.

Terry Whatley

PS: I would almost kill to have two dozen .. we do it with mostly me and the help of only about six others ...

[John_D]

I guess the thing I'd always thought about the RSPCA (and, I assume, the US equivalent) is that they are supposed to deal with cases of cruelty to animals, rather than animal rescue. I doubt I'd think of them if it were a case of wildlife rescue - in my area we have a bird & wildlife hospital (30 mile) and an animal rescue service run by volunteers specifically for that purpose right in town.

I have read some stuff about them on UK newsgroups - good and bad - and (perhaps too charitably) supposed the organization is just not consistent enough in its approach - seems to depend upon where one is in the UK as to what they will and will not handle.

But having seen Helen's link to that website - well, I sure wouldn't refer anyone/anything to them - just in case!