# Feral Fledgling Rescued, need advice



## cecilianwc (May 14, 2020)

Hi all, I need some advice on this rescue I found 5 days ago. This is my first rescue and I’m not sure if I’m doing it right. 

I am planning on keeping this adorable pigeon since I couldn’t bare the thought of him living a hard life in my neighbourhood (not very bird friendly). 

He had a leg and chest injury when I found him in the middle of the street but after a few days they are doing better. No bleeding, no limping anymore. Yet still swollen on the leg and a hard bump on his chest. (Pictures) 

He started to chirp at me and wiggle his wings today whenever I am close to his food. He would also wing slap me (I’m okay with it) while chirping when I move his food bowl. Yet he would eat out of my hand. 

Questions:
1. What does the wiggling of wings mean? 
2. How do I know if he’s full? 
3. How do I know if he’s a boy or girl? 
4. When is the appropriate time to introduce a friend? 
5. How to bond more with him? 
6. Are mirrors okay for him if he is a single bird for now? 
7. Does he need me feeding peas? (He flings everything out and eats all the quinoas. I’m afraid that he’s not getting a balanced diet) 

Thank you so much


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## Spencer (Jan 16, 2020)

Hi there I to have a rescue Pigeon that I've had for 9 months I can answer a couple of your questions apparently the wing waggling is a show of affection and also a way of demonstrating that he wants to be fed . as to determine whether he is a boy or a girl when he or she is older and becomes sexually mature if he's a male pigeon he will bow and cooi drag his tail along the floor almost incessantly just as my fella is doing right now as I'm typing this and yes Pigeon love mirrors my Peter has three which he spends a lot of time admiring himself in he particularly likes his budgie mirror with a bell attached when it comes to bonding this is quite a tricky one you might find quite a lot of the time when you're handling him her they can be quite aggressive but don't take this personally it's just the way they are because within a couple of seconds he could change and be the sweetest little thing I hope this helps but I know for sure there are many people on this website who can give you more informative answers to your question good luck with your Pigeon.


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## cecilianwc (May 14, 2020)

Thank you so much Spencer, when did you start raising Peter? And do you know at what age do they mature?


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

Give him a variety of seed, they always eat the best tasting seed first but will move on to the other seeds when no more is available. He will know when to stop eating. Pigeons love chopped up raw unsalted peanuts. First put some in his food, and when he starts eating them then you can offer from your hand. 

They mature at about 5 to 6 months. The only way to determine the sex will be if eggs get laid. So it will still be some time before you know for certain. Males often don't like their mirror image and will attack the "intruder". 

To get him more tame: never chase him to put him back in his cage. Rather wait till it gets dark, then pick him up to put back in. The cage is his territory, first let him out before you clean and refill the water and food bowls.

Does he have access to grit? This helps with digestion. They also like greenery esp spinach. If he is going to be an indoor bird, he will need vitamins esp calcium with added Vit D3. Apple cider vinegar in his drinking water (5ml acv to 1 litre of water) will keep him healthy. You can give this 2 times a week.


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## cecilianwc (May 14, 2020)

Thank you Marina! This is super helpful. I am wondering if I need to hand feed him peas as well? and how do I know if I am providing enough seeds? Because for the first 2 days, I think Ive fed him way too much and he just flings everything out (except quinoa, he loves those). And today Ive reduced the amount so Im not sure how much is the right amount.

Yes, I got him grit today, placed it next to his seed bowl. Yet he kept pecking at the flooring of my kitchen lol


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## Spencer (Jan 16, 2020)

Hi I first came across Peter when he was about three to four weeks old covered in used engine oil when I found him at my place of work I must say Marina B has been most helpful regarding my Pigeon Peter it is so reassuring to know that there is such knowledgeable people on this site that can help guide you through this crazy journey that can last for 20 years apparently but I will say I have found up to now that Pigeons can make really fantastic pets they're intelligent inquisitive and so observant they really can be such great fun


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## cecilianwc (May 14, 2020)

Awww Peter is so lucky to have you <3
haha yes, only a few days in the house and he is bringing so much joy to the fam (and poops to clean up lol)


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## Spencer (Jan 16, 2020)

Oh yes plenty of poo to clean up and it seems to me that all pigeons like to throw the seed out of their bowl for some reason quite funny really this is Peter chilling on my foot


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## cecilianwc (May 14, 2020)

omg... yessss... Mine's (his name is PiDan) flings his seeds like its a celebration of some sort, and only eats the quinoas... which led me to reduce the seed amount and realised its improving. Yet, I am not sure how much is enough, don't want PiDan to starve lol


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## Spencer (Jan 16, 2020)

Hi by the way when it comes to cleaning the poo up try to steer clear of any anti bacterial sprays or any other such chemicals .what I find works quite well is one of those small handheld steamers works for me really well you can be sure that there won't be any toxic effects from steam birds have very sensitive respiratory systems apparently and are quite vulnerable to most chemicals especially fumes which are given off by Teflon frying pans and suchlike I never use my now for fear of affecting Peter.


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## Spencer (Jan 16, 2020)

When it comes to feeding I find Peter will only eat as much as he wants it's quite difficult to gauge how much to put in his feeding bowl I was always worried that I might be overfeeding him but up to now it doesn't seem to be a problem I weigh him quite regularly and his weight seems to remain quite stable so I wouldn't worry too much about overfeeding though saying that I am aware from what I've learnt on the sites that it can be a problem if too much seed accumulates in the crop and doesn't move through quickly enough I'm sure somebody else on the site might be able to give greater guidance on this .


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## cecilianwc (May 14, 2020)

Oh myyy The Telford pan, that's something I am not aware of! Thank you for telling me 

I am currently using pure water (adding a bit of white vinegar occasionally) to clean the poop. I have a labrador (9yrs old, very lazy and calm, not interested in anything, so PiDan is safe) so I tried to stay away from chemicals as well.


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