[Guest]

Hi,
I have a young pigeon hanging around in my courtyard in Melbourne, Australia. He has been here for about a week now, maybe longer. He mostly sits in his corner behind a tree trunk fluffing his feathers up and looking fat. He wanders around a bit but doesn't really fly, except when I tried to catch him half and hour ago and he flew up on to the fence (seemingly easily). But I have seen him try to fly before and crash into the roller door.

I figure that he is young because his eyes are black and he is small (but not tiny - i thought he was normal size until an adult pigeon flew into the garden). He doesn't have any apparent injuries - his wings look good when he stretches them out. I'm not sure if he is eating and drinking - i put some water out and some handfuls of museli but i haven't seem him eat anything. I don't know if "he" is male or female.

One more thing - when an adult flew into the garden today the little guy got awfully excited, trembling and shaking his wings (i thought he was having a fit!) and he ran at the adult and began pecking at its beak (?wanting food). They looked like they were wrestling for a while but the adult shook him off and eventually flew away.

What do you think is going on with my pigeon and is there anything i can do to help him (if he ever comes down off the fence)?

 

[AnneinAustralia]

i forgot to include that his poo is green like grass, but not watery.

 

[Feefo]

From the description you have given of his begging for food and then wrestling - I assume beak to beak? - it sounds as if he is being fed by his parents, it may be that he fell from his nest before he was able to fly properly.

If you are able to catch him can you look inside his mouth to ensure that it is a healthy pink?

He will be vulnerable to predators so I would take him in at night, but let the parents feed him dduring the day. Is there anywhere you can move him so that the parents still see him and feed him but he is safe?

Cynthia

 

[AnneinAustralia]

Thanks. I'll what I can do if he's still around tomorrow.

 

[Grimaldy]

You will find it easiler to catch him at night, than during the day. As soon as it gets dark, take a flashlight, hold it against your chest so only a small beam of light gets out, get up to him, close the flashlight and reach down and grab him.