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1K views 12 replies 5 participants last post by  Skyeking 
#1 ·
I found a pigeon about 2 weeks ago. It is in a bird cage and cannot fly. It will "growl" and hit me with its wing and bite but one wing is a little lower than the other. I have never had a pigeon before and don't know what to do. I have been feeding it parakeet seeds and his poop seems normal. He had hair tangled around his foot but we got it all off and he can walk fine now. I don't know what else to do. He wats and drinks his water. He will not let me check his wing after we fixed his leg. He didn't want to come out of the cage and didn't want me to put my hand in the cage. And can anybody tell me how to check his wing for injuries without having him flap around so much. I don't want him to hurt it any more than it already is. Thanks
 
#2 ·
If you want to check his wing for injuries, then forcefully hold him in your hands. Then adjust his position such that his legs are pointed backwards keep a hand over there so that he doesn't move his legs. With the other hand hold his entire body except the wing you want to examine. Now with the hand that you held the legs, stretch the wing and check for injuries.

Hold him like the pigeon is being held in the first picture instead keep your hand from above so that he can't flap his wings. Stretch his wing like shown in the second picture. Hope this helps, because its useless :p .
-Rubeena
 

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#3 ·
Thank you for helping this needy bird. You can use wild bird seed or pigeon seed to feed him.

Can you get someone to help you? Yes, you have to gently but firmly grab the bird as noted above, but also support/hold the wing in question. If this is an injury or break it needs to be treated as much as can be done. Also, you need to see if the wing joint is swollen and is different from. the other wing.

If you can run your finger gently around the good wing and then the wing in question and compare.
Please update us and let us know what you find.
 
#4 ·
you can take him to your vet as your pet bird, just give him a name and say he is your pet and he got out for a few days and was in this shape.. that should give you some ideas of what care he may need, Im sure they will check his wing to see if it is broken or fractured. and getting a fecal check would be wise. just don't tell them he is a feral pigeon or they may euthanize it. but pigeons are not a protected species so he can be your "pet" at the time of the visit.. if he recovers you can release him privatley.
 
#5 · (Edited)
Thanks for the replies,
We have an avian vet nearby and will probably take him there soon. But was just worried that they would euthanize him cuz he is a feral. It seemed to be lower when he was nervous or out of the cage. It is not swollen and I couldn't feel any broken bones. He eats a lot and I I will see if I can find any pigeon food, if not can I give him chicken food? I know the pet store has some. And Is it possible that he won't be able to fly again?
 
#7 ·
Oh oak I'll stick with the parakeet seed then. I heard that I should add some corn to it, I have some dry corn for popcorn with no oil,salt, or butter. Should I add that? And if he cannot fly again, should I keep him? Because he would probably get caught or something. He will let me change the food and water after he bites me and growls a bit. I wouldn't mind keeping him if I need to. Will he get depressed if he can't fly though? And is it ok to keep him in the cage during the day and when I sleep he'll probably be out the rest of the time. My dad said we can keep him if we can't release him. Is it possible to tell if he is male or female? I think he is an adult, he has the white nose. And how long will he live? Sorry for all the questions, I have never had a pigeon before.
 
#11 ·
If you take proper care of him and he is getting everything like food, water, bath, sunbath and is getting time to be outdoors for sometime then he will be happy. Yes, it is possible to tell if he is a male or a female by its behavior but it can be done by an experienced pigeon keeper perhaps we can tell you its gender if you explain his behaviour and maybe post some video ( but we can't guarantee you that it is correct :p ). A pet pigeon can live up to 10-15 years. I agree with Skyeking you should think about getting him a partner.
-Rubeena
 
#8 ·
Yes, you can add whole corn, the orange-r to red in color , the better.

No, pigeons do not get depressed, he needs just a few requirements, and fresh air is best for them. He can be in cage, as long as he gets out and is allowed to be free inside an aviary for a few hours. Fresh air and sunshine outside is good.
You can get him another pigeon also, pigeons do live in flocks.

You can put a mirror in the cage and see how he reacts to it. If it is a male it might start strutting his stuff for the image in the mirror.
 
#12 ·
We are going to call the get today. We let him stand on our hands and lifted him up and tried to see if he would fly. He would only flap one wing and just fell. He is out of the cage most of the time, but he is in my room because we have a cat and since he can't fly we are afraid our cat will be able to get to him. Should I let it out in the hard to get some fresh air? It is raining now and there Are also hawks and crows in our area. Can I just open the window to let him look out the window? We have a net for our window so he can't fall out, or should I still let him in the yard? And if I do let him in the yard, how wil I prevent him from getting away or having hawks get him? He is eating a lot and knows to go in his cage at night and to eat. His poops are still normal looking and is less aggressive now. Hopefully the vet will know what is wrong with his wing.
 
#13 · (Edited)
No, do not ever let him outside, he is a target for predator attack and would not survive. Keep the bird in a cage or carrier and don't force him to fly, he is injured or sick and if injured it can make it worse. Keep bird in warm location away from drafts of air. Sunshine and fresh air are great but only when the bird is healthy and not let out to free fly. You can put him in an enclosure infront of window.
 
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