Roof pigeon now in-need advice

1745 Views 18 Replies 7 Participants Last post by Charis, Apr 2, 2009

Lunacy

Discussion Starter · Mar 28, 2009

Ok guys, the little pigeon that was on top of my neighbor's roof yesterday is inside my apartment now. I watched her most of the night yesterday and most of today and no other pigeons came to feed her. Earlier today she jumped toward a tree located near the roof and ended up in one of the lower branches. She just sat there close enough for me to reach up and touch her. One of the neighborhood felines was starting to take an interest so I decided to bring her in. I picked up Kaytee baby bird food for her and a couple of syringes but I need your help in trying to figure out how old she is. She spreads her wings out but can't seem to take off. I'm attaching pictures. I also need clarification on preparing the baby bird food. When the directions say to mix 1 part of the food to 2 parts of water does that mean that I can use the scoop that comes with the food - mix 1 scoop of the food with two scoops filled with water?

I've put a dove mix of seeds in her "nest" but she doesn't seem interested so I assume she needs the baby bird food.

One other thing. I'm actually not the bird lady in the neighborhood - I'm the cat lady. I have several felines. I just finished rehabilitating an adult pigeon and that worked out well. I would keep her in a kennel with screening around it so she couldn't put her head through while I was at work. In the mornings before going to work I would put her in one of the cat carriers and spend time with her in the balcony. In the later afternoons I would do this again and then also exile the felines from the living room for a bit so she could have the run of that space for a bit. When she was able to fly well in there, I let her go. With this little guy I have now - what exactly should I do in terms of quality of life and getting him ready for life outside? Would a similar schedule work - out in the balcony for a bit in a cat carrier in the mornings and afternoons. Some time in the living room so he can spread the wings. Will he successfully learn to fly this way?

Roofy and I would appreciate any help you can offer ;-)

Lunacy

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Charis

· #2 · Mar 28, 2009

I think you have a Dove rather than a Pigeon.

Lunacy

Discussion Starter · #3 · Mar 28, 2009

She's one of those doves/pigeons that have the black band around their necks - only hers hasn't shown up yet. Told you I was a cat lady not a bird lady. ;-)

Lunacy

Brummie

· #4 · Mar 28, 2009

Dove? pigeon

Keep it by the light, a window. Pigeons have this sense about night and day.If you take any bird and put it into a dark and secluded area,it's out of sort's.we think you should treat a pigeon like us human's. Not so. There usualy scared and need that glimmer of light, they want to go back to where they came. You have done a great Job!

Charis

· #5 · Mar 28, 2009

I sent you an email.

Grimaldy

· #6 · Mar 29, 2009

Hi L.,

It appears to lack the colored barred feathers that a dove has; and besides if you say pigeons were feeding it, it is clearly a pigeon. Pigeons do not feed doves.

When you say it spreads its wings do you mean it fans its wings rapidly, or does it just stretch?

From the pictures it appears to be healthy, but there are certain diseases that will disable a bird from flying. A little time will tell.

Jaye

· #7 · Mar 30, 2009

Pigeon or Dove...first and foremost if it is NOT eating any solid seed food, you are going to have to handfeed it. It cannot go long w/o food and water.

I am assuming Charis' e-mail contained that info, but if not...you need to feed it via the seed-popping method, where you gently pop one seed (not the big seeds, start with the medium-sized seeds) at a time into it's beak (near the front, not the back) and see if she swallows that. if so, try more...but go slowly. If that doesn't seem to be working, then you need to be staring her on baby bird formula...handfeeding w/ syringe or similar.

Also...keep an eye for the red flags:

1) Fluffed up feathers most of the time.

2) Droopy/closing eyes often.

3) Lethargy and non-alertness.

4) Strange colored poops, or no poops.

5) Laboured breathing.

You are providing good supportive care. But if she doesn't eat, more aggressive care is required. Thanks for reaching out (literally and figuratively) and saving her life ! Keep us posted.

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Grimaldy

· #8 · Mar 30, 2009

HI L,

The bird does not show the yellow pin feathers, which would seem to suggest that it is eating solid food by now. However in answer to your question about the KayTee, mix it up with warm water to about the consistency of ketchup. Do not heat it in a microwave and do not store uneaten mix.

Pigeons and doves eat by drinking food up through their beaks, something like a soda straw. That means you have to offer it in a tube or something resembling a tube. Some people use a small plastic baggy tucked between the forefinger and thumb. Don't be surprised if it does not want to eat the KayTee mix. It just means that it does not recognize the mix as coming from its parent's beak. Sometimes an eyedropper will help them get started.

If you put bird seed in a small lid, about two inches in diameter, it will be easier to tell if it is eating solid food. And it will spill some of the seed out of the dish as a give away.

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Charis

· #9 · Mar 30, 2009

I actually referred Lunacy to our Moderator Reti. She also lives in the Miami area and has vast experience with Doves. The Dove is a protected species, Reti has the expertise to offer guidance until the Dove can be turned over to a licensed rehabber which Reti can help with too.

Grimaldy

· #10 · Mar 30, 2009

It is great that there is someone nearby who can help, but...

Not all doves are protected species under the federal Migratory Bird Act, many species are not. Secondly people should know there are several exemptions within the Fish and Game laws about rescuing protected birds. Not illegal.

I raise this point because warning people about possible legal prblems will likely scare them off and cause them to avoid rescue if they are led to believe that legal problems will be the result of any attempt to rescue a dove.

Charis

· #11 · Mar 30, 2009

Grimaldy said:
It is great that there is someone nearby who can help, but...

Not all doves are protected species under the federal Migratory Bird Act, many species are not. Secondly people should know there are several exemptions within the Fish and Game laws about rescuing protected birds. Not illegal.

I raise this point because warning people about possible legal prblems will likely scare them off and cause them to avoid rescue if they are led to believe that legal problems will be the result of any attempt to rescue a dove.

It would be wonderful,Grimaldy, if you would start a whole thread with Doves that are not protected.
Pictures, for identification purposes, would be heklpful and greatly appreciated.

Grimaldy

· #12 · Mar 30, 2009

It would be difficult to do that as a practical matter.

The statute lists the protected species by scientific name alone; for most members that would be meaningless. As far as putting pictures with the scientific name, well believe me the list runs for several pages of small type.

The two most important things however is that the statute provides an exception for rescuers, and there is also a provision for a one-shot permit to keep a protected bird for purposes of rehabilitation. My experience is that by the time they act on the permit, the bird is usually well and gone, if it is going to survive at all.

I know many members are law abiding people and mean well when they warn people about the possible legal ramifications of picking up a protected species; but after all we do not tell people to file income tax returns, comply with the state motorvehicle laws, or traffic code. Why should we be telling them about protected game birds when the possible effect may be to cause them to avoid giving help and assistance to a downed bird?

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Reti

· #13 · Mar 30, 2009

Thanks Charis. I spoke with her last night, seems like the baby is almost ready to be on her own.
This particular dove is a ringneck, seems like.

Reti

Grimaldy

· #14 · Mar 30, 2009

Maybe somebody better tell Lunacy that ring-neck doves, Streptopelia resoria, are for the most part domesticated doves, if a dove it really is. That means they have no concept of a predator, how to forage, or how to find food or shelter. Releasing a domesticated dove into the wild is consigning it to a quick and certain end.

There are some ring-necks that have been spotted in the wild in feral flocks, but according to the dove breeders still very rare.

Reti

· #15 · Mar 31, 2009

Grimaldy, there are tons of feral ringneck doves down here. They are flocks of hundreds all over Miami. They are not native species and not protected. In pet stores they sell for 15$.

Reti

Grimaldy

· #16 · Apr 1, 2009

I have been listening to the breeders on the dove forum say they rarely see feral ring-necks. It would not be surprising to me that there are large numbers in some places like Florida where there are large numbers of elderly people who pass away and their children just throw their birds out into the street.

Most people have no idea whether a dove is feral or not until they try to pick it up. If it hops up onto their hand, it clearly is not a feral bird.

So how is Lunacy doing with the baby?

Whitefeather

· #17 · Apr 1, 2009

Reti said:
Grimaldy,
there are tons of feral ringneck doves down here. They are flocks of hundreds all over Miami. They are not native species and not protected. In pet stores they sell for 15$.

Reti

We have several ring neck doves that frequent our backyard.

In fact, it was a ring neck dove that literally saved our baby Whitefeather.
This was pre PT days when we found a baby pigeon that had fallen out of one of our palm trees. A ring neck dove came down and began feeding the baby. She must have known I had not a clue of what to do and that baby was going to be in dire straights real soon.

Cindy

Lunacy

Discussion Starter · #18 · Apr 2, 2009

Yes we have quite a nice flock of ringnecks in my neighborhood. My mom feeds pigeons. The baby or teen rather is doing great. When I spoke to Reti I had decided to put him back up on the roof of the house to see how it would go because when I had him in a cat carrier out in my balcony he started calling his parents and a couple of doves were hovering nearby looking at him anxiously. As soon as I put him on the roof, the parents came by and fed him. I watched him most of the night. He ended up flying up into the tree right next to the roof. The next day in the morning I threw seeds on the roof and also put a container with water there. I spotted him in the branches. He eventually came down to the roof with some other doves and ate the seeds. My mom kept an eye out during the day and did not see him on the ground or near it. In the afternoon he was again with the other doves on the roof, ate the seeds and seemed to be flying up into the branches of the tree more easily. I'm leaving water up on the roof for him for a few days and have continued to throw seeds just to give him some more support but I think he's doing great. Today he flew from the tree branches up onto the top of my building which is three stories high. MANY thanks to Reti and all the others here for your advice and support. I think I'm now officially both the neighborhood cat AND bird lady ;-)

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Charis

· #19 · Apr 2, 2009

That's wonderful news. The little Dove ended up just where he was suppose to be.

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