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Because he is doing well and dependant on you for food and is carrying PMV perhaps. IMO, I think it would be kinder to keep him as a pet.
Returning rescued feral pigeon to nature
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Yes, hang on to him for another couple of weeks. I have a pigeon that had PMV. In the beginning only mild symptoms, but week 5 and 6 were the worst. Never thought it could be so bad, thought he was going to die.
Well he became better, but now after 4 months still cannot fly, although he does try. He is also very tame (like your's).
So don't release him too soon, if you're planning on doing that.
Well he became better, but now after 4 months still cannot fly, although he does try. He is also very tame (like your's).
So don't release him too soon, if you're planning on doing that.
Yes, it's a bit of a puzzle.
Friday he did so great, had his first controlled takeoff where he hovered a foot off the ground for a few seconds, clearly straining himself, landing perfectly on his feet as if he were a helicopter. But yesterday he was fighting his illness again, and had a couple of what only be described as seizures: spams, wings flapping in a helpless heap on the floor. Both times it stopped suddenly after a half minute or so, as quickly as the sun can burst through the clouds. He walked away dapperly as if nothing happened, head held high.
He has a healthy appetite, and the way he separates his salt crystal-sized seeds, where first he eats the red and the green ones, then on to light-brown while studiously avoiding black, well, that's hilarious.
I do add some tabbouleh, an Eastern delicacy made of fresh minced parsley, but he's not too keen on that.
The poo is getting too much. It does no damage to my hardwood floors but the constant cleanup is tedious. Should I get a large cage perhaps? Another reader suggested he should be in a cage anyway for his own safety when not supervised, but he loves to explore the apartment and relax in the turning sun. I think it is good for his mood, hence for his immune system, that he has as much freedom as possible. I'd welcome more ideas on achieving a workable balance.
Cheers,
Michael
Friday he did so great, had his first controlled takeoff where he hovered a foot off the ground for a few seconds, clearly straining himself, landing perfectly on his feet as if he were a helicopter. But yesterday he was fighting his illness again, and had a couple of what only be described as seizures: spams, wings flapping in a helpless heap on the floor. Both times it stopped suddenly after a half minute or so, as quickly as the sun can burst through the clouds. He walked away dapperly as if nothing happened, head held high.
He has a healthy appetite, and the way he separates his salt crystal-sized seeds, where first he eats the red and the green ones, then on to light-brown while studiously avoiding black, well, that's hilarious.
I do add some tabbouleh, an Eastern delicacy made of fresh minced parsley, but he's not too keen on that.
The poo is getting too much. It does no damage to my hardwood floors but the constant cleanup is tedious. Should I get a large cage perhaps? Another reader suggested he should be in a cage anyway for his own safety when not supervised, but he loves to explore the apartment and relax in the turning sun. I think it is good for his mood, hence for his immune system, that he has as much freedom as possible. I'd welcome more ideas on achieving a workable balance.
Cheers,
Michael
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Both our girls live in indoor flight cages which you can get online. Or maybe a used cage from Craigslist or a garage sale or feed store? Suggest you keep,him in a cage for his safety and to make cleaning easier. Hope you decide to keep him as a pet or find him a home as the PMV makes him in need of more care for a while.
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959 Posts
I have a pigeon like yours...I haven't been able to figure out whether it is PMV or concussion or something else. But except for the inability to fly with control, everything else is perfect in his life. He is the most aggressive of my pigeons, so I do have to call out his name in a disapproving voice sometimes to break a fight he just started, so he is absolutely terrified of me. But when he tries to fly away from me, he sometimes comes and crashes on my chest instead. He can make small upward jumps with precision, but cannot fly across the room in a straight line. I have had many PMV pigeons, and all have/had amazing personalities like yours. What is most remarkable is their will to live inspite of their disability.
You might never be able to release him, and I too would respect his need to walk around free inside the apartment. If you can give him a partner, a Mrs pigeon, maybe he will settle for a smaller space. Or maybe by that window he likes to look out of, you can plan a window aviary..
You might never be able to release him, and I too would respect his need to walk around free inside the apartment. If you can give him a partner, a Mrs pigeon, maybe he will settle for a smaller space. Or maybe by that window he likes to look out of, you can plan a window aviary..
Hi Kunju, thank you so much for sharing your own experience!
Yes, above all, this pigeon too has a very strong will to live. I noticed this in the first hour where, after almost drowning, he was shivering energetically to get warm. I initially draped him with warm towels but after a couple of hours he crawled out from under them and started to explore the bathtub. It was nature at her breathtaking best.
Over the next several days he got progressively stronger, lost his "deer in the headlights" aspect, and started taking care of his feathers in an almost compulsive manner.
Now, three weeks later, he struts around the hardwood floor as if he owns the place. When he is energized, he's really energized, moves quickly and with purpose, and focuses on any sound or anything unusual. He also found a way to climb up a ledge near my plant and attempted to eat it. (Does this mean he has certain mineral or vitamin deficiencies?)
He also likes to doze in the sun, lying down in a state of languorous repose.
His attempts at flying are improving steadily and his head inversions have reduced a lot in frequency, if not in movement. He fights them hard. It is now almost as if he immediately wills his head back up.
His poo, well, is much less watery than before. It now looks like what I read "healthy pigeon poo" should look like.
He has also been gaining weight and his feathers appear to be filling out.
I'll post another picture once I get a good one.
Thank you again for your kind post.
Cheers,
Michael
Yes, above all, this pigeon too has a very strong will to live. I noticed this in the first hour where, after almost drowning, he was shivering energetically to get warm. I initially draped him with warm towels but after a couple of hours he crawled out from under them and started to explore the bathtub. It was nature at her breathtaking best.
Over the next several days he got progressively stronger, lost his "deer in the headlights" aspect, and started taking care of his feathers in an almost compulsive manner.
Now, three weeks later, he struts around the hardwood floor as if he owns the place. When he is energized, he's really energized, moves quickly and with purpose, and focuses on any sound or anything unusual. He also found a way to climb up a ledge near my plant and attempted to eat it. (Does this mean he has certain mineral or vitamin deficiencies?)
He also likes to doze in the sun, lying down in a state of languorous repose.
His attempts at flying are improving steadily and his head inversions have reduced a lot in frequency, if not in movement. He fights them hard. It is now almost as if he immediately wills his head back up.
His poo, well, is much less watery than before. It now looks like what I read "healthy pigeon poo" should look like.
He has also been gaining weight and his feathers appear to be filling out.
I'll post another picture once I get a good one.
Thank you again for your kind post.
Cheers,
Michael
Hi Jay, yes, thanks. I've been shopping for a large cage but haven't pulled the trigger yet. There are a number of manufacturers as well as assorted reviews with a wide spectrum. 'Will have to visit a good bird store here in Manhattan. I dislike the idea of confining him, but there indeed has to be a balance to keep this workable.
Cheers,
Michael
Cheers,
Michael
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959 Posts
Forgot to mention about pigeon-proofing your house, since he is roaming freely in it. We don't want him attempting to fly and getting stuck somewhere, or falling into water. The water dish provided to him should only have say 2cm deep water. PMV pigeons have been known to drown in their own water dish, since they have little control over their head movements.
Also, if he gets the right opportunity, he might actually make the leap to freedom through a high window or some place you wouldn't believe he would actually fly out of in this state. So it is best not to take chances.
Also, if he gets the right opportunity, he might actually make the leap to freedom through a high window or some place you wouldn't believe he would actually fly out of in this state. So it is best not to take chances.
Hi Kunju, yes, pigeon-proofing. Windows-wise there is no issue since I live in a Manhattan high-rise where windows are blocked from opening more than a crack because of legal reasons.
I mentioned I've been shopping for a cage or aviary. No idea really how big or small it should be. The bigger the better for Mr Pigeon, I suppose, but again there has to be a balance.
I do only keep 1-2cm of water in his dish just in case. He does have perfect balance, is able to pick up seeds with sharpshooters' aim, stands on one leg often and all around appears very comfortable. Quite often he lies down altogether on either wing and dozes off, especially in the sun. When he wakes up he's energized, looks around with curiosity, runs to his food, and eats his seeds in order of color. First up are the red and the green ones, and then it's on to light-brown. He doesn't care for the black seeds so those stay behind. Finely chopped parsley is ok, but other vegetables I've tried he systematically throws out of his dish with vengeance.
Quite a character, this Mr Pigeon!
His head inversions are still there, but at lower frequency than before. He almost always recovers within a second as if he's willing his head back up. He also practices flying several times a day, usually in the early evening, and is able to hover more easily. He always lands on his feet now, in perfect control. He has also gained weight, his feathers are filling out nicely, and he spends lots of time arranging them just so.
Cheers,
Michael
I mentioned I've been shopping for a cage or aviary. No idea really how big or small it should be. The bigger the better for Mr Pigeon, I suppose, but again there has to be a balance.
I do only keep 1-2cm of water in his dish just in case. He does have perfect balance, is able to pick up seeds with sharpshooters' aim, stands on one leg often and all around appears very comfortable. Quite often he lies down altogether on either wing and dozes off, especially in the sun. When he wakes up he's energized, looks around with curiosity, runs to his food, and eats his seeds in order of color. First up are the red and the green ones, and then it's on to light-brown. He doesn't care for the black seeds so those stay behind. Finely chopped parsley is ok, but other vegetables I've tried he systematically throws out of his dish with vengeance.
Quite a character, this Mr Pigeon!
His head inversions are still there, but at lower frequency than before. He almost always recovers within a second as if he's willing his head back up. He also practices flying several times a day, usually in the early evening, and is able to hover more easily. He always lands on his feet now, in perfect control. He has also gained weight, his feathers are filling out nicely, and he spends lots of time arranging them just so.
Cheers,
Michael
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959 Posts
He is quite a character, I think you can one day write a book on him!
Seems like his is just a mild case, as he has much of his control intact. I have seen that the neck twisting happens in times of stress, or in moments of 'self-consciousness' as I would like to put it. In my experience it doesn't happen when there is something to catch their attention, to keep their hyper minds active. They constantly need something to look at. My first pmv pigeon used to find glittering stuff and toys interesting, especially my daughter's barbie stuff. Also mirrors, pigeons love them. You can try giving him one.
Seems like his is just a mild case, as he has much of his control intact. I have seen that the neck twisting happens in times of stress, or in moments of 'self-consciousness' as I would like to put it. In my experience it doesn't happen when there is something to catch their attention, to keep their hyper minds active. They constantly need something to look at. My first pmv pigeon used to find glittering stuff and toys interesting, especially my daughter's barbie stuff. Also mirrors, pigeons love them. You can try giving him one.
Thank you Kunju and CWebster for your continued conversation!
'Still shopping for that cage.
Meanwhile, Mr Pigeon dozed off completely on his back underneath the couch. Here's a picture. Unless this has medical significance I take it he's really enjoying his first-class resort where, somehow, food, water and sun arrive at the perfect time.
He woke up a few minutes later and took some flying practice. He achieved almost a full circle hovering around my coffee table.
Cheers,
Michael
'Still shopping for that cage.
Meanwhile, Mr Pigeon dozed off completely on his back underneath the couch. Here's a picture. Unless this has medical significance I take it he's really enjoying his first-class resort where, somehow, food, water and sun arrive at the perfect time.
He woke up a few minutes later and took some flying practice. He achieved almost a full circle hovering around my coffee table.
Cheers,
Michael
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)Haha, yes, Mr Pigeon is a character!
He's been very, very comfortable, dozing off a lot and waking up to have some snacks or water. He must think he's a cat! The head inversions persist, worrisome, but he doesn't appear to be terribly concerned. His flying has shown some improvement, but not nearly enough declare him healed.
His feathers keep growing and he loves to arrange them just so. The occasional feathers he sheds show a marked increase in size. Initially they were minuscule but now they average over an inch in size. I take this as a good sign.
When he does, he walks around with speed and purpose.
He never again slept on his back, but I can see how that might have happened. He likes to rest on one or the other wing, at the verge of tipping over. On one instance, perhaps coupled with an involuntary head movement, he must have rolled completely on his back and found that comfortable.
With best wishes for the Holiday season,
Michael
He's been very, very comfortable, dozing off a lot and waking up to have some snacks or water. He must think he's a cat! The head inversions persist, worrisome, but he doesn't appear to be terribly concerned. His flying has shown some improvement, but not nearly enough declare him healed.
His feathers keep growing and he loves to arrange them just so. The occasional feathers he sheds show a marked increase in size. Initially they were minuscule but now they average over an inch in size. I take this as a good sign.
When he does, he walks around with speed and purpose.
He never again slept on his back, but I can see how that might have happened. He likes to rest on one or the other wing, at the verge of tipping over. On one instance, perhaps coupled with an involuntary head movement, he must have rolled completely on his back and found that comfortable.
With best wishes for the Holiday season,
Michael
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