# Oh look, a pigeon!



## ohlookapigeon (Jun 6, 2018)

A friend of mine found a pigeon with a broken (?) wing and, long story short, it's here at my apartment. He (?) has a tag on his leg and I tried to contact the owner, but he hasn't returned any of my calls or texts, so I guess I have a pet pigeon now? I got him a cage and some dove feed. He's eating and he seems OK, aside from his wing. He doesn't appear to have any open wounds - it's just kind of droopy. I'll be taking him to the vet Friday. He's pretty friendly - he lets me pet him and stuff. I don't really know what to do with him. Is it feasible to keep him as a pet? Is it better to try to find a rescue? Help!


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## ohlookapigeon (Jun 6, 2018)

Here's a picture.


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## pgreenway (Dec 9, 2015)

*Pamela Greenway*

I have a pet pigeon myself, who was a rescue. I intended to give her to a pigeon rehabber but wasn't able to make contact. A very nice dove rehabber told me that I could keep her (the pigeon, that is) because: pigeons are not a native species (came here from Europe), are a nuisance species, and are not protected. I checked with Virginia's Inland Game and Fisheries Department and they agreed. So, Miss Monday has been living comfortably with me since the summer of 2015. 

Hope this is helpful.


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## pgreenway (Dec 9, 2015)

Check with your local game warden/wildlife office. It' s legal to keep pigeons as pets in Virginia. According to a friend of mine who rescued a racing pigeon, people who race usually don't want their lost birds back - the lost ones are considered liabilities. I hope you can give this one a good home.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Lovely bird. May need the wing surgically repaired. Our first very beloved pigeon was a critically injured feral. Phoebe flew into a fan and had a broken wing and was nearly decapitated. The local wildlife "rescue" just kills birds especially pigeons so we rescued her. The vet stitched her up. She was a member of our family for eight wonderful years. Please tell the vet to save them bird because it is your pet. I think you will be very happy that you did. You have been chosen by a pigeon...an honor.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Awww! Looks like a cute little roller. I hope you are going to an avean vet, as a regular vet will know nothing about pigeons. Their bones mend quickly, and if that wing is broken, it needs to be wrapped right away or will heal wrong. Then she may not be able to fly. If it is a roller then probably came from not too far from you.


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## ohlookapigeon (Jun 6, 2018)

Heard back from the owner in the middle of the night and he asked where I live and if I wanted him to come get him. He mentioned two birds, so I guess there's another one out there somewhere. 

He's not going to like, cull it because it has a broken wing, right? Should I flat out ask him that?

I made an appointment with an avian vet Friday at 4, but he might be gone by then.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

All depends on the owner. To many, the pigeon will be worthless if he isn't 100% in flying. To some, they love their birds and will keep it. Yes, you could have asked what he will do with the bird if it can't fly well.


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## B. Sommm (Dec 26, 2005)

Wow! What a handsome pigeon! I would definitely ask the owner what his plans are for this guy's future and if he does plan to 'cull' him, see if the owner will let you keep him!

Back in 2005 my mom found an injured homing pigeon (he also had a broken wing) and with the help of folks here, was able to find a local avian vet, as well as the owner, who didn't want him back. The vet fixed him up and Mom nursed him back to health. The wing never healed properly, so the bad part was eventually amputated, but that didn't slow "Mr. Squeaks" down one iota and he ended up 'ruling the roost' as it were! (Said roost was also home to 3 cats!)

If the owner lets you keep him, make sure you ask if it's a he or a she and how old he/she is...and any other history that can be helpful down the road! "Red" looks like he would be a great companion...with LOTS of personality!

Good Luck!
B.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Would definitely ask about the owners intentions. Would mention that you would like to get him fixed up and keep him as a pet.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

If he had to ask you if you wanted him to come and get his bird, then I don't think he is too keen on getting him back. If that be the case, then I would keep the bird.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Agree very strongly with Jay3. Would keep the bird.


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## ohlookapigeon (Jun 6, 2018)

I asked the owner if he planned on rehabilitating da bird or what and told him I already had a vet appointment if not. He eventually responded and said it was too far of a drive, which I kinda figured would happen. He gave me a phone number and asked me to call and see if they would be willing to take da bird, but I'm not going to do that unless his condition would really decline or something and I would need some help since I'm a little clueless. I don't see that happening though - he seems to be doing pretty well. Eating and drinking and pooping. I got a cage that's a lot taller than it is long, so that was a mistake, but I'm going to return it and get a large dog kennel or something like that - something longer and wider. For now, he's got a "bath" in there and an Amazon box that he likes to hop up on. He's still a little skittish when I reach in the cage, but once I touch him, he's fine. I've been able to pick him up and move him around the cage to swap out the dirty paper towels for clean ones and I was able to lay him on his back today and clean up some poop that had gotten on his droopy wing.


I'm taking him to the vet today at 4 PM Eastern, so I'll be back with an update after that. I asked the owner if da bird was a male or a female and how old, but I doubt I'll get a response. I'm assuming the vet will be able to tell me if he's a male or a female at least. The tag on his leg says 2017, but I'm not sure if that's when he was born or when he was registered. It's a Foy's tag.


More to come. Thanks for the advice!


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## ohlookapigeon (Jun 6, 2018)

Ok, so apparently you can't easily sex a pigeon - didn't know that. In that case, I'm going to say she's a girl and I think I'll call her Penny because she kind of looks like a shiny copper penny. 

The vet said she seems ok. She stretched both her wings out and didn't feel any breaks or anything and she let her fly around the room a little. She didn't fly high, maybe a foot off the ground or less and more so kind of hopped, but her wings seemed ok, so that's good.

I think Penny will be happy with me and turns out my uncle actually knows someone who has raised pigeons for many years, so I can always reach out to him if I end up needing help or whatever.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

No, you can't easily sex them. When not sure of their gender, I try to pick a name that can go either way, just in case.

Do you ask the owner where he was located?
Why did the owner want you to call someone? Who are they?


Wing may not be broken, but I would keep him quiet and not let him fly for now, as he is holding it low, which would indicate that he has injured it. Let him rest it for a while so it can heal.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Am glad you are adopting Penny.


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## ohlookapigeon (Jun 6, 2018)

I believe the owner is located in the Baltimore area, so it would be an hour, hour and a half drive - that's why I figured he just doesn't really want the bird because it's not even that far. In his last text message, he gave me the # of two different men in my area and all he said was that they might be willing to take the bird. I didn't know anything about either of them obviously, so it felt weird - like why wouldn't HE call if he knows them? I couldn't get any more information from him because he never even returned my call/voicemail, only responded via text. I asked the sex of the bird yesterday and he never responded, so I think he's pretty much done with me. It turns out that the guy my uncle knows who has raised pigeons for a long time is one of the guys whose number the owner gave me, so I do feel a little better about that now. I feel like Penny might potentially be happier with him if he has a big pigeon run or whatever and she could get more fly time, but I don't really want to give her up. I feel like the vet kinda tried to scare me away from keeping her. She said she wasn't and just wanted to make me aware, but she said I should wear a surgical mask when I switch the dirty paper/towels out for clean ones because I could stir up spores and get some sort of fungal infection. I hadn't read about anything like that in my research online. It kinda freaked me out because her cage is in the dining room/kitchen area of my apartment. I would like to move her over into the living room by the sliding glass door so she can get some fresh air through the screen sometimes, but I have to get a stand first so she's high enough above my little dog to feel secure in her cage. I doubt he would hurt her, he's kind of a scaredy cat anyway, but I obviously wouldn't take the risk and wouldn't want her to feel like he could invade "her space" at any given time.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Pigeons dont transmit diseases. Only need to wear a mask is if you have hypersensitivity to pigeon proteins like i do, from feathers, poop, and white feather powder. Am glad you are adopting Penny. Gorgeous and lucky bird!


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## YaSin11 (Jul 23, 2009)

ohlookapigeon said:


> Ok, so apparently you can't easily sex a pigeon - didn't know that. In that case, I'm going to say she's a girl and I think I'll call her Penny because she kind of looks like a shiny copper penny.
> 
> The vet said she seems ok. She stretched both her wings out and didn't feel any breaks or anything and she let her fly around the room a little. She didn't fly high, maybe a foot off the ground or less and more so kind of hopped, but her wings seemed ok, so that's good.
> 
> I think Penny will be happy with me and turns out my uncle actually knows someone who has raised pigeons for many years, so I can always reach out to him if I end up needing help or whatever.


 Beautiful clean pigeon!

Great to read that its wings are not damaged.

Forum is always there if you need any newbie advice/tips.

Congrats on your new pigeon; Penny, wish you both the Best of Luck


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Looks like a roller. They don't usually go all that far. Can you post pics with a side view as well.


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## FredaH (Apr 5, 2016)

What a lovely bird and so lucky you have her. 
Pigeons aren't the disease carrying vermin folk would have you believe and the condition the vet is talking about is psittacosis, which is pretty rare. Here's a statistic I got from the UK's Department For Rural Affairs (DEFRA) site; in 2015 here in the uk there were 25 cases of psittacosis - now with a population of 65 million I think that proves how rare it would be to catch that disease. When you also take into consideration the amount of pigeon fanciers we have here with lofts full of pigeons that have to be cleaned out, people with pet parrots and budgies in their homes too, I think you can assume you'd have more chance in winning the lottery than catching anything from Penny. 
People always associate psittacosis with pigeons and never with parrots or parakeets and I believe that's purely because of that old wives tale that pigeons are 'rats with wings' which is very far from true. The only affiliation pigeons share with rats are that they are both intelligent - far more so than people who spread that unfounded fear of our beautiful birds. I've got eight house pigeons and a collard dove and the joy they give to me is far greater than any fear of some unlikely disease. 
Change her papers every day, spray the cage with a highly diluted mild detergent like wash up liquid to settle dust prior to cleaning and you'll have no trouble with illness. 
There are more diseases associated with cats and dogs than pigeons and our fellow humans are rife with them but we still mix with all. 
Enjoy her, you'll never believe what fab pets they are until you actually share your life with one - or several, lol. 
























These are my original hand reared babies that started my joy of pigeons and led to more.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Beautiful pics Freda, and a very good post.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Freda, love the photos and comments!


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## ohlookapigeon (Jun 6, 2018)

Beautiful birds! Thanks for the info, it will come in handy if/when someone tries to give me grief about having a pet pigeon! My friend actually found her closer to Baltimore (he's a truck driver), but he brought her home to me because he didn't know what to do with her and didn't know anyone else who would be willing to help. He would have taken her back to her owner, but we just felt like I should keep her given that he didn't seem to care. Here are some other views. I know this cage is too small - I've got a wider, longer one coming today and I'll return this one to the pet store once I've got her switched over and everything cleaned up. She had a box in here she liked to sit up on, but she kept pooping all over it and when I tried to cover it with paper towels, she'd knock them off and poop on it anyway, so I threw it away. My uncle said he will help me build a shelf in the new cage so she can still have something a little higher to hang out on. She has a little bath in there, which she seems to like and she's eating fine. ETA: Her wings are looking more even now, so I'm wondering if maybe the vet actually popped something back into place? Not sure, but she looks better. Also, it's funny you said "rats with wings" because I was actually looking to adopt a couple rats before Penny came along, but mother nature sent me her instead.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Yes, looks like a little roller, but that would explain how she got so far. If you wanted to keep paper towel on the box that you had for a shelf, you would have to tape it on. In a larger cage, a shelf about 5 inches high, going from front to back and attached on one side of the cage, about 6 to 8 inches wide would work. Very easy to do. They also need a couple of hours a day of free time out of cage to exercise. And pigeons are happier with another pigeon for company. They are lonely when alone. Many people start with one, then get them a companion. Looks just like a little roller I used to have. Very pretty.


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## FredaH (Apr 5, 2016)

She's a stunner, I love her copper colouring - such a beautiful bird. 

I use indoor rabbit cages for mine and make a shelf with slate on top of paving bricks - makes a lovely nest for the paired birds too, as you can see.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Freda, I like those cages, as they also help to keep the seed inside. LOL. Nice to see pics of your lucky little birds again.


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## Penny (Feb 15, 2018)

Hi there. I rescued a pigeon off the road back in February 2018. She (I think) has become part of the family. She is adorable and loves my dog Nellie. She follows her around. She stays indoors (free rein) during the day and in the morning and evening I take her outside into my fenced back garden with 100% supervision to feed with the sparrows. There are a few neighbourhood cats sniffing around so I have to be on full alert. I bought a parrot cage which she sleeps in at night. Lately I have put a small mirror on the stairs where she likes to hang out and every now and then she does a wee dance and koos infront of the mirror, its dead sweet. My vet told me if her wing didn't mend after strapping it for a month then I will have to look at having her put to sleep - that was 4 months ago! Shes staying on.......oh and her name is Penny too lol.........


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Glad you rescued your bird, Penny. We adopted our terrific Phoebe because the vet just wanted to put her to sleep. We got her fixed up and she was our beloved constant comic relief.


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## PigeonMom16 (May 3, 2018)

Hello Pigeon Friends!
I have a 12 week old white Utility King pigeon female. When she was about 4 weeks she was not flying yet and when I was not around to see it she fell off of her loft near the nest. Since then I saw she had a droopy wing. So during the day I would let her be on the ground in her large secured area with the mother and father bird and at night I would place her back up in her loft but not in the nest, since I noticed that mother bird was sitting on two new eggs.

Well once the two new chicks hatched she (TweedyBird) was still not flying and instead I came in one morning and found that the father bird had peck her bloody. She was cowering in a corner of the loft. I could kick myself. Obviously now with new chicks, the parent bird said "you are on your own" even though she still could not fly and to boot she now had a bum wing.

I immediately removed her and cleaned up her bloody neck where she had been pecked raw for who knows how long. (I REALLY could kick myself HARD).

Anyway, I moved her to the nursery in my hen house that is isolated from any others and she has been there now for 2 weeks. She was barely still "toddling" when she fell, but she is walking pretty good now. Her wing is still droopy although I see her trying to do the fluffy fly thing. (She is still not flying to any perch). I go in every day and spend 30 minutes with her holding her and letting her explore the table. 

Pigeons use their wings to "slap" at other pigeons when in conflict, so I'm not sure if she will be able to rejoin the others if ever. I may have to bring in a "husband" for her when the time is right so that she won't be alone. Otherwise she is bright eyed and chipper. I would never think of putting her down.


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## B. Sommm (Dec 26, 2005)

Any updates on "Penny" ohlookapigeon?!

B. Sommm


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