Wild pigeon rehab question

[astroturtle]

Good morning from Birmingham, Alabama! Please excuse typos- am a bad typist! tee hee!

My husband recently rescued an injured nestling (?) pigeon from the power plant where he works. This is not a safe place for pigeons at all as they often poison them despite his efforts to have natural predators placed at the plant to control the populations.

On to our questions- Danny rescued "Ozzie" a very young, injured pigeon about two months ago that we have been caring for since. Ozzie had what we now know is a broken phalanx and had been down for awhile as he was very dehydrated and starving when we brought him home. We feared the wildlife center would put him down so I took him home for TLC- (I am a long time employee and volunteer at the center BTW). After now two months of rehab on his foot and leg which he wouldn't use at all until a month ago, he is using his foot and leg and his muscles are starting to build up in the thigh again. He grumbles at his rehab but I'm very kind and gentle.

However, it seems that he should have his full flight feathers by now and still has the sheaths intact mainly on his wings- he is strating to feather out on the rest of his body. I offer him warm baths which he loves to help shed the sheathes but how long do pigeons normally take to get their full flight feathers and be releasable?

He seems healthy & alert, is eating well and on a great diet though no 'pigeon milk' (a variety of seeds, greens, a little science diet mush, vitamin supplement & calcium. supp.).

Was he just younger than we orginally thought- 'pincushion' Ozzie bird- or do they just take longer than some others? I am experienced with raising raptors (have raised literally hundreds I think!) and they seem to be ready to leave the nest so much sooner than the Ozz. Can someone email me off the list and offer some advice? I can take some digital pics for you to help to age him if needed but we are growing increasingly concerned about our funny Ozzie bird.

Also, if I release him in my wooded yard near a river will he/she mate with doves? We don't want to take him back to the power plant or downtown where the rest of the pigeons live a city lifestyle. I have five feeders and lots of good cover but also have a resident Cooper's Hawk that kills at least 1-2 birds a week and he seems vulnerable to both a feral cat that comes a callin' and the resident Cooper.

Any advice is greatly appreciated from all of y'all and thanks for offering such a great forum!

Donna
dndcobb@bellsouth.net

[cyro51]

Hi Donna,

Good afternoon from the UK!

Hi Donna, and welcome!

Can you post a photo here? He could be younger than you thought or he could have “pipey feathers”.

Pigeons usually leave the nest at 35 days, but their parents look after them for a while after that so hand-reared pigeons would take longer to be independent.

They are descended from the rock doves . As the name implies, rock doves like cliffs and caves which is why the feral pigeons go to the “cliffs” formed by city buildings and nest on ledges. He would not be in his ideal surroundings in wooded a area.

Single pigeons will appreciate the companionship of a dove but their language and courtship rituals are different so he or she would not attract a mate and would be unlikely to join a flock.

A pigeon without a flock in an alien environment would be even more vulnerable to predators so I don’t think he would last long!

Cynthia

[Lin Hansen]

Hi Donna,

Thanks for helping this pigeon.

I can't offer advice about the feather situation, I'm sure more knowledgeable members will post soon, but....

As far as releasing Ozz, believe it or not, he would probably have more chance for survival if you release him in the city. He will need a flock for companionship, protection and to "show him the ropes" of what it takes to live as a feral pigeon. I am afraid if you release him by you, while he may have an easier time finding food (because of your feeders), but may be too easy a target for the Cooper's hawk, being on his own and all.
Just my thoughts on the matter....I am sure others will be along to offer additional advice.

Thanks
Linda