Baby Dove Found - Please Help!

[kalabu]

Today a baby dove came running into my store when a customer opened the door. He was unable to fly but his wings seemed to be ok (he was able to flutter and flap around). His beak appears to be broken - it's a bit out of alignment - but he is able to open and close it. He has all his feathers but is very small ... fits in the palm of my hand. I have tried to get him to eat wild bird seed to no avail. Also tried a hot dog ground up very fine with my food processor but he doesn't seem interested in that either. In the past I have had good luck with handfeeding wild robins or sparrows with strained baby beef in an eyedropper but don't know if this will work with this little fellow. He also doesn't seem to know how to drink the water in the bowl I have in the cage for him. Any ideas on what to feed him and how to get him to eat? Do you think his crooked beak could be a problem?? I would dearly love to save the little guy as he is quite cute. I have cockatiels so have some bird experience but this dove is a little different from anything I've cared for in the past. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Kat

[Charis]

Hi Kat...as you know, baby birds have really soft beaks and it could be that the beak on this one will be ok with time. Doves and pigeons eat different things from the other birds you have mentioned as they are vegetarian.
I don't know where you are located but if you have a large pet shop near-by, you might call and see if they have Exact Hand feeding formula. I will find some helpful links and post for you in a minute.
It would be helpful if you could post a picture of the bird so we can have a look at the beak.

[Charis]

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=9682

Off to see what else I can find for you.

[Charis]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bin7r...elated&search=

[kalabu]

I tried to get a few shots of the bird. The close-up of his beak is pretty blurry because I can't figure out how to get the macro to work but you can sort of see the alignment is a bit off. The full shot shows his feathers are all in but he's not interested in the seed on a plate or in a cup. And no interest in water either. Will try to get a better photo of the beak if I can figure out my dratted camera!

Thanks for your help ....

Kat

Removed bad pics ... see better pics below

[Charis]

More pictures please...from that dratted camera because I can't tell a thing from those blurry pictures.
He isn't drinking because he doesn't know how. How long have you had him?
Feel his crop and let me know if it feel like he has any food in it. If he has food in his crop, he probably hasn't been away from mom and dad for very long. If not, You will want to make sure he is well hydrated. Of course there is a link I can provide for that.
Where are you located?

[kalabu]

He just came running into our store this afternoon. Our store is located in a small downtown area (no woods or trees anywhere around) and the door is just feet away from a very busy street. We have no idea where he came from. Anyway, that was about 3 pm today. Our store is in Canonsburg, Pa. (southwestern corner of Pennsylvania). There were no wildlife refuges in this area, so couldn't find any help there. Canonsburg is full of pigeons but I've never seen any doves. Very strange that he showed up. I stopped in my vet's office on the way home and showed him to them (they were the ones who told me he was a dove and that his beak looked broken) but they didn't have any tips about how to care for him. From pictures I've seen on the web, I guess he's about 10 - 12 days old. He can almost fly but not quite. Runs like the dickens though!!

As for another photo, I'll try again tomorrow. I'm afraid to try to feel his crop because the little guy was so traumatized after I took his pictures that I don't want to upset him again now. I'd rather he get some rest. But I do worry about the food and water. I left a plate as well as the food cup with seed in it. Do you think he might eat it off the plate easier than the cup?

Kat

[Charis]

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=11265

Read this.

[Pidgey]

Usually cameras have a minimum focal distance of about four feet without the macro feature. You might want to set it at its highest resolution and take a flash picture from about four feet. Then, you can either crop the picture or send it to one of us to do it if you don't have the software or know how.

Anyhow, it's possible that the beak is broken although you'd normally see some blood, bruising or evidence of some kind of trauma. Another possibility could be that canker (not cancer) has damaged the bone from the inside of the beak. We need you to look inside the bird's beak and throat to see if there are any cheesy lesions or anything else that doesn't look like basically pink flesh.

Pidgey

[Littlecoo]

Originally Posted by kalabu

about the food and water. I left a plate as well as the food cup with seed in it. Do you think he might eat it off the plate easier than the cup?

Kat

The plate would be better or you could even just scatter the seed on the paper or whatever you are using as flooring under the dove. A shallow dish or plate of water placed in with the bird is a good idea too... some ways to encourage him to drink: place him in the water so he can feel it on his feet and he may get the hint, if not, gently dip his beak in the water and he may sip at it, if this doesn't work out, drip water from a syringe or eyedropper along the side of his beak (do not squirt it directly into his beak) he should drink that- a couple of mls at a time, doves don't drink all that much water but dehydration can lay them low very quickly especially if they are stressed.

[Jaye]

She/he looks pretty darn young...my guess is she wasn't weaned yet, so you may want to prepare yourself for having to handfeed him/her.

Folks, is this Mourning Dove or a Rock Dove ????? I can't tell.....

As Charis said, Kaytee Exact handfeeding formula for birds....and a narrow syringe will do the trick. Read the links Charis has provided, they are helpful. if you get ready to handfeed, please ask any Q's here if you have doubts....

From the blurry pics the beak doesn't look like a terrible situation...so it may have nothing to do with birdie not eating seed or drinking water from a dish or bowl. A little hard to tell, though....

By the way...thanks for coming here and keep us posted. The folks here will give you all the support we possibly can.

[nikku-chan]

i think it's a mourning dove. It definitely isn't a rock dove.

[kalabu]

Good morning all. Thanks for your help. The little fellow is alive this morning and quite frisky although I can't see any signs that he's eaten or drank anything but maybe he has. He was flapping his wings like crazy. I did figure out how to do the macro focus on the camera, so later today I'll take some better pictures to post. I have errands this morning and don't have time to get him into a secure area to photograph him but I'll do that later. I will go to Petco and pick up some of the Kaytee formula although I'm concerned about the handfeeding process. I looked at all the links and it seems straightforward enough but the problem is that the bird is so frightened of anything that I am worried he won't let me feed him. Anyway, keep your fingers crossed and I'll keep you posted. Again, thanks for all the help. He's such a cute little thing and I really hope I can keep him alive.

Kat

[Charis]

Kat,
He's flapping his wings because he is hungry. He isn't going to eat on his own because he doesn't know how. The only way you will keep him alive is if you feed him. I wish we could advise you about the beak but I just can't tell from the pictures. I asked Pidgey but I don't think he can tell either. You can try to get him to drink by putting a deep dish of water in front of him and very gently pushing the back of his head until the beak is in the water. He may start to drink. You might try putting seed in a deep dish. playing with it with your fingers to get his interest.
He will act afraid of you as this is all new to him as well. Also, start asking around for a rehabber in your community. I'd call every vet clinic within 20 miles and ask if they know of anyone locally that can help you. The bird literally walked into your life and I think it was because you are the kind of person that will take action.

[kalabu]

Here are some good close-ups of the beak problem. Seems out of alignment. There was some poop today so I think he must have been eating something. It was a little wet as well so maybe he drank some water. I am worried about him and have called a few wildlife rescue places and left messages. Hopefully someone will call me back and they would be willing to take him. I'm afraid I am not savvy enough to take care of this little sweetie.

Kat

P.S. We have 4 cockatiels in the house now as well as 2 labs, a golden retriever we're dogsitting for my son, and a cat. So I am afraid the little guy is overwhelmed with all the animals. I currently have his cage inside the dog crate to keep the animals away from him. They won't hurt him but their curiosity makes him nervous. He's been poking his head through the cage bars madly trying to escape. I think he's just about ready to go out on his own but I don't want to try it unless I know he can eat by himself.