# Worried for a baby pigeon and need advice



## Vickster (Aug 17, 2014)

Hello, 

I hope that someone can give me some advice.

A week ago today my cat discovered a pigeon nest in our cherry blossom tree (we had no idea it was there), he went to it and took one of the babies out. We were all shouting at him and he was growling but because of its size he dropped it and it hit the floor with a nasty thud and died. I'm pretty sure it was only a couple of days old if that, it had a little bit if fluff on it and it's eyes weren't open. Anyway within a couple of hours mama bird came back to the nest and sat on her baby. I've basically terrorised all the cats including my own with water spray when they enter my garden and used a lot of cat deterrent around my tree, I've been doing it everyday and it absolutely stinks but seems to have worked, my cat won't even sit in the garden at the mo and he knows what's up there! 

Anyway, my big concern is that mama hasn't come back to the nest this evening! She has been with the babie all week, constantly, but either yesterday or the day before (probably the day before) she started to go off and come back after a while. 

I'm so worried, although the baba looks as if he's grown and has feathers it's still a chilly night here even though it's summer, the weather report says the temp will drop to 11 deg c tonight. Do you think it'll be Ok?

I did read on here that other people are encouraged to bring them in for the night but he's up to high for me to get and it's dark, it maybe easier in daylight! I also don't want to upset its Mum.

Is it normal for a mama bird to leave her baby overnight at 1 week old or thereabouts?


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

When they are newly hatched and for a few days after, they need frequent feeds and they have yet to develop the ability to regulate their own body temperature. They do not have the feathering to be able to fluff up at night to provide a thermal barrier.

Once they get past the first week or so, the parents will leave them unattended for increasing periods, returning to feed them at less frequent intervals.

I would, however, expect to see the mother bird there at night, since that's when the 'hen' does the long shift, and the male parent occasionally during the day.

Check by torchlight - if there is no parent and you do not see one at all tomorrow, there is probably a problem, though obviously one can't monitor them continuously (well, not without CCTV). In that situation, people would be well justified in bringing the baby in, since the adults are always at risk of being caught by a predator (be it cat or hawk).

Whereabouts are you located?


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## Vickster (Aug 17, 2014)

Hi, 

Thank you for your reply. I had gone to bed last night before I got your reply so never got out with a torch. I've just been out there and the baby is alone still and not moving I can't even see his eyes moving. Do you think he passed away and that's why she left :-(? 

I will keep an eye on him today because I will be home a lot, if I don't see her at any point today I will bring him in tonight, I have no idea how to get him out the tree, he's really high up! 

I will pop out every hour to see if she returns. I feel as if it's my fault because I kept checking and looking on them to make sure they were ok, do you think I scared her off? 

I live in the South West England in Salisbury, Wiltshire.


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## Vickster (Aug 17, 2014)

Just popped out again and the little fella is definitely alive, thank goodness! He's definitely alive though I saw his little head moving!


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

I think that if he is quite high up, you would not have scared them off. Good that he is still apparently okay.


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## Vickster (Aug 17, 2014)

What shall I do if the parents don't come back? I really don't know how to get up to the chick? He's up to high for me to get to him. Do you have any one that would come and rescue him? He's still young he doesn't even look like pigeon yet, I really don't want him to die!


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## Vickster (Aug 17, 2014)

Pigeon update: I've been outside every 30 mins, at about 10:30 there was a pigeon with the baby but soon after I looked up at them it flew away so he's now on his own again! When I first saw them I think the pigeon may have been feeding him. Maybe this is Dad? I read that the male is more nervous than the female. I wonder what happened to the Mum, or why is she leaving him overnight? Will he be ok overnight without her? It seems mad to move him if there's a pigeon coming to feed him - hopefully that pigeon will come back and I haven't scared him off, I'm always very quiet and don't hang around too long but they always see me with them beady eyes!


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Hi

Good sounding update. This seems fairly normal, I'd say. The male pigeons tend to do the daytime feeding, the hen maybe very early morning or around dusk, though the young one will probably only be having two feeds per day now. As long as he is being visited by one or other parent, I would not be too worried about the hen being with him at night.


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## Vickster (Aug 17, 2014)

Thank you for your advice, I feel a little at ease now about him being on his own. I've been so worried for him, I think I'll really miss home when he leaves the nest. Although, I am hoping, they don't nest there again, it's been so stressful but lovely at the same time.


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