Injured Pigeon

Are you in the UK? If so, is the pigeon a feral or a wood pigeon?

Feral pigeons can take quite a lot without suffering from shock, even severe blood loss at times. They quite often behave as if they are tame with humans because they have a lot of human contact.

Wood pigeons and collared doves are vulnerable to shock, but their reaction is to open their beaks and gasp, quite often they die if not left alone immediately when this starts.

Sometimes they lose their feathers in a cat attack (woodies and collared doves are designed to drop a ton of feathers if caught by anything) and if so will need antibiotics.

Examine his body carefully, looking for bruising or signs of a puncture wound. Also, look inside of its mouth to ensure that it is pink and healthy. Chesselike growths are a symptom of canker, blueness indicates lack of oxygen.

Don't try to syringe water into him unless you are absolutely certain that he is not drinking, but you could gently lower his beak into the water to see if that prompts him to drink. Also wait before you start force feeding him. Several feral pigeons that we rescued would sit stock still, ignoring food and water. When we put down peanuts and left them for a while we would return to find them exactly as we had left them, sitting like statues...but the peanuts had gone.

If the feathers of the tail have been completely "plucked" then they will grow back within 6 weeks.

Injured pigeon

Thank you for your quick reply. I "pegged" a towel around the bottom of the aviary to keep the bird warm and dark. This morning he looked very good, is walking around, drinking water and now eating the pigeon seed I bought. This afternoon he is standing on the rim of his water dish. My next question is - this aviary has no wooden spars at the bottom but has lots from the middle up, plus wooden shelving, ropes, etc. Should I leave him on the bottom or should I lift him up to one of the shelves. He can then step up onto a spar if he wants. Will he damage himself if he tries to fly down to the ground. The height is about 4ft. He looks very perky and alert so hopefully is on the mend.

Do I need to cover him in a towel before examining him? Also, as we have the two parrots, will he have any disease which would transmit to them. Obviously they won't be near one another and I will thoroughly wash my hands after handling the bird.

I don't know if it is a ferrel or wood pigeon - sorry. He looks very plump but I'm not sure if he is just plumping himself up!! I don't know a thing about pigeons. We are Scottish but now live in Spain (in the Costa Blanca area) so he has a nice temperature during the day (and night) with sunshine. I've also given him a tepid water spray!! We live on the outskirts of the town with many orchards around us - if this information can help you determine what kind of pigeon he could be. I can honestly say we don't see many pigeons at all, which is a surprise to us.

I forgot to mention! If, after the six weeks we take him into the orchards to set him free - will he survive by himself. Do we actually take him into the orchards or set him free from our house! Would he keep returning to the house for food. I don't really want this as we have three cats. They are very good around our parrots and will not touch them but I feel a bird flying low outside would be a disaster....

Many thanks again for your help.

The European wood pigeon is called Paloma Torquas in Spain. If you look in my albums you will find photos of wood pigeons of all ages. There are also some nice photos of adults at this site: http://www.naturephoto-cz.com/wood-pigeon:columba-palumbus-photo-274.html

Juveniles don't have the white "collar", but as soon as they develop feathers they have a white wing bar. That only shows properly when their wings are open for flight, but it can be seen as a white line at the bottom of a folded wing. The adult beak is yellow as are its eyes, and the pupil is an oval. Fledgelings have bluish eyses. There are also pictures of feral pigeons in my albums.

I am wondering whether what you have is a fledgeling that hasn't learnt to fear humans, or a pigeon that someone has had raised. If you can't provide a photo can you describe it?

Unless there is some danger to the pigeon, then I would leave him on the ground until he can fly. One of our rescuers had a ramp for disabled pigeons to climb and one died as a result of jumping off the ramp, thinking that he could fly. Others did the same, landing on their keels which caused lacerations. Another broke his beak.

It is best to release a recovered rescue where you find it, early in the morning when fine weather is forecast for three days. They are safer in familiar territory.

I had a look on your link but still can't determine what type of pigeon he is. I have taken three photos but I can't get behind him to show that there is no tail. There is no blood and the shaft area is a very pale pink.

First time I have tried to post pictures so not sure if they have worked.

I still haven't picked him up as he appears to be very perky now - and also nervous when I approach. Regarding whether I should lift him up to the branches, he has somehow managed to get up there on his own. He has been there all day today and sits preening himself. When I go inside the aviary to change the water dish, he hops across to the furthest away branch.

Stargatews1 said:

I can honestly say we don't see many pigeons at all, which is a surprise to us.

I forgot to mention! If, after the six weeks we take him into the orchards to set him free - will he survive by himself.

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Hello and thank you for caring for this pigeon.
Where are you on the Costa Blanca?
I am currently living in Spain for a certain while, I am around Vinaros, Costa del Azahar.
If you don't see a flock around there, the pigeon might not have the best chances to survive all alone.
If we could arrange transport until Castellon, where I have friends living who could bring the pigeon to me, I could
1)take the bird to my friends Vicente and Pilar who keep pigeons in a loft, where s/he would live a "safe life" or
2) release your pigeon here in a flock of rural ferals, who became my "amigos" because I feed them every day. The environnement is pigeon friendly, no hunters, many abandoned fincas for shelter. There is also plenty of food for them in the fields, and clean water in the "balsas"
What do other members think about this idea? Is it ok or would it be better to release the pigeon where it was found, considering that there is no flock in the neighbourhood?
Myriam/Lapalomatriste

Okay, it looks as if the best option is for us to get the pigeon to you Myriam. I have had a look on the map and I reckon it will be a 2 hour drive for us to get to Castellon. We are in Javea which is half way between Alicante & Valencia. It normally takes us just over the hour to get to Valencia. It poured and poured with rain last night so we were out half covering the aviary with clear plastic sheeting. I put a cardboard box in this morning (on its side) thinking he would we warmer lying in it - but he has managed to get to a higher spar. Would you want him after his feathers have grown in? It's no problem for him to stay in the aviary.

I have never been on a forum before and I must say what a very pleasant experience it has been. Everyone has been so helpful and I have learned a lot about pigeons. Someone said he had landed in the right garden, but we keep hearing this from our neighbours as we have taken in two dogs, three cats and one parrot. We purchased our older parrot from a breeder almost 20 years ago and the rest of our menagerie have been waifs & strays!! One of our ex neighbours from Hertfordshire wants to come back as one of our parrots as he says they eat better than him!! I think all of you are doing a very good worthwhile job and you must find this very rewarding. All your efforts have been much appreciated by my husband and me. Wilma.