# How can I tell if my Pigeon is blind?



## Milagro's Mom (Jun 4, 2008)

Hello wonderful people.

We (Milagro's first parents before the amazing Cindy took him in) have a new baby. He seems about less than a week away from having all his feathers. We are going on about 8 days of having him.

The group has been great talking us through his feeding. We finally figured a way to get him to eat from us. We are using Extra hand feeding formula, like with Milagro, but had to use different method. But is droppings are no longer green. Each day they are more solid...still some water them though.

Here is our situation. I think he might be blind. I have read postings about other blind pigeons and it seems people know how to test this - which I would love to know how to do.

Here is what I can tell you - he doesn't like to fly high...he doesn't seem to direct himself to anything, it is only if I catch him in mid air or maybe he will accidently find something. He responds to my voice in a way which seems like he is trying to find me...especially now he has figured out I have baby food...and boy does he squeek.

I have a bird cage for him. He seems to know where the water is. He has a brick to perch. There is seed in a holder, I also put some on the ground. The other holder has grit. I keep these in the same spot.

Now he will wander, bump into the seed dish, try to perch on it, steps in it. I know he is making a mess with it when I am gone, but I haven't seen him eat a seed yet. Milagro, by this time, was all about the seed, but we did get her much younger...so I am hoping this is more about weaning.

Anyway...yesterday I tried a few things. I left his cage door open. He knew I was still there, calling is name...which is Puffy...my husband did this...do not hold me accountable When he got to the edge...he seemed to notice his head could fit through a large opening...he seems surprised by this. He tried to fly out...which certainly had enough space, but he seemed hesitant. I moved his brick foward to the opening and put him on his brick, to give him height, then he leaned in, realized he still had open space and fluttered enough to find the edge for me to help him out.

Then I put him back in, shut the door. He walked over until his beak hit the cage...he seemed to realize..."nope" can't go through here.

Then I opened his cage door. call his name...he came forward again...bounced his chest up against the cage (I had put is brick back) and he quickly flutter in a way to get him to the ledge.

(He did this again today...he has figured out this much...very smart bird - but again...he doesn't seem to look, he seems to wander into.)

Then I put him on top of the cage with newpaper under his feet, right up to the edge. I called his name, he walked right off he edge, which of course caused him to flutter and I caught him mid air.

Please help...what do I now????


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

It sounds like completely normal baby behavior to me. Like human babies, they have little depth perception or understanding of the edge of a surface, when they're that young. Kind of just bumbling along as they learn.  At least, that's what I remember from mine. There were several days of "test flights" before any actual accurate landings.  Try using a flashlight in a dark room and see if his pupils dilate, I believe that is one of the eye tests you can do. I think also they are so interested in food at this point that they can't really pay much attention to much else. Hopefully he is just still learning and will get better at it each day.


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## Whitefeather (Sep 2, 2002)

Milagro's Mom said:


> Hello wonderful people.
> 
> We (Milagro's first parents before the amazing Cindy took him in) have a new baby.
> 
> ...


Hi Susan,
Being hesitant to fly seems normal enough, however, I, personally, don't think his bumping into the seed dish or the side of the cage is normal, at his age.

When I received Rae Charles I had no idea he was blind until I went to put his food/water inside his cage & he didn't move.

Suspecting this might be the case, I circled my finger around his head & face. He didn't budge. You might try that.

Realizing he was blind, I started working with him to find his dishes. I placed a perch in front of his dishes & would tap the seed dish against the cage until he followed the sound & stepped up on his perch. Once he was on the perch, he discovered his dishes. He soon realized *every time *he stepped on his perch his food & water was in front of him.
I never move the order of his dishes.

This took a little time, but he's been doing wonderfully for nearly 4 years. 

Here is a picture of Rae Charles' set up. I have replaced the round perch with a flat one that's about an inch & a half wide & about a half inch thick.


*Malio visits Rae Charles*


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## lwerden (May 31, 2008)

Hi Susan,

I have a one eye bird whose behavior sounds sounds exactly as you Puffy. 

Definately do the flashlight eye test. Take Puffy into a dark room and shine the light directly into each eye moving the light closer and then further away from him. The pupil of the eye should get larger and smaller as you move the light towards or away from him.

Although much of this behavior is perfectly normal for his age, he could have a partial blindness or just be blind in one eye. The could explain his banging into things if he has a blind side.

Keep his food and water in the same spot, he will learn exactly where they are and find them without much difficulty in a short time.

I want to reassure you that if he is partially blind or totally blind, just like Ray Charles, these birds can do fine with there limited ability, although they are restricted to being house piegons. My "One Eye Jack" is a healthy, happy, spoiled rotten house baby. He is our joy and a pleasure to have in our home.

Please let us know how the flashlight test turns out.

Regards,
Louise


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

I've got one bird right now that his eyes are fine--he just seems to be... kinda' dense. Always was. He came from the vet as a baby and just doesn't "get" a lot of things, or didn't get 'em as early as the other children. I have to bring him in every night so that he can eat and drink from his bowls in the house because I think he'd starve in the middle of a bunch of other pigeons eating all around him.

Pidgey


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