# Baby Pigeon found



## fire_child (Aug 20, 2012)

I am hoping this is the right place to post this..I just found a baby pigeon...
A couple of days ago we saw a baby pigeon fall from his/her nest and though he is fine from the fall we are very concerned about him/her. At first it seemed as though the parents were feeding, the baby's crop was visibly full, however upon checking on the little thing today he/she is wandering around our car park in full sunlight peeping and seems to be calling for its parents. Now we have cats and yes we are keeping them indoors in the hope that the little one will have a chance to grow and get the flight feathers...but I am not even sure if the parents are feeding it. We have called around to our local "pigeon friendly" places and they are telling us to leave it alone and it will be fine...but it is wandering where cars can run it over! or worse neighbouring cats can get to it. I just have no clue where to even begin with the little thing! should I try to feed it? should I just leave it to mother nature as the rescue suggests? I have images of it. I am not even sure how old it is:


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## fire_child (Aug 20, 2012)

ok...well since posting this, we have made a judgement call and picked him up...the neighbouring cats were on the prowl and spotted him in our car park...so he is now in our care... I have no clue how to feed or care for him


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

fire_child said:


> ok...well since posting this, we have made a judgement call and picked him up...the neighbouring cats were on the prowl and spotted him in our car park...so he is now in our care... I have no clue how to feed or care for him


Hi

First thing: here's the link to pigeon and dove rescue - caring for baby pigeons to get you started

http://www.pigeonrescue.co.uk/caringforababypigeon.htm

Now, if you can tell us where you are located it is just possible there may be a rescue facility in the area, or check:

http://www.pigeonrescue.co.uk/rescuecentres.htm


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## fire_child (Aug 20, 2012)

I am in Andover Hampshire UK

I have called the Hart Wildlife Rescue and they have told us to put him back as soon as it is safe for him and watch from afar to see if the parents will still feed him. According to them it is not uncommon for babies to leave the nest early, that the parents will still feed them as long as they are safe doing so...but with a neighbourhood full of cats...and this little one's tendency to wander our car park I am just frightened for the little thing.


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

fire_child said:


> I am in Andover Hampshire UK
> 
> I have called the Hart Wildlife Rescue and they have told us to put him back as soon as it is safe for him and watch from afar to see if the parents will still feed him. According to them it is not uncommon for babies to leave the nest early, that the parents will still feed them as long as they are safe doing so...but with a neighbourhood full of cats...and this little one's tendency to wander our car park I am just frightened for the little thing.


It's quite tricky with pigeons of any kind. There is a time up to which their parents cannot recognise them as their own if they are not in or very near their nest. In such cases, the babies will not get fed.

It is possible they will, but I frankly would not give much for its chances if left wandering where it may be in danger from vehicles or predators.

Another place, a few miles from Andover is possibly:


Wild Things ResQ 
New Farm 
1 Amesbury Road, Newton Tony 
Nr. Salisbury 
Wiltshire 
SP4 0HY 

Tel: 01980 629470


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## fire_child (Aug 20, 2012)

Thank you...I will contact them...


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## fire_child (Aug 20, 2012)

ok... they are telling me to put it back, leave alone and its parents will feed him. That he/she would not be alive right now if they weren't, as it has been 2 days since the fall. I am to just watch it and try to keep it from wandering from the safety of the bushes and trees. We have some fencing and Hawthorne bushes around where it is, so it will be safe if it stays there...I will take it in to the Hart Rescue, (they have assured me that baby pigeons there and they do this kind of rescue frequently) if it tries to have a walk about again.


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

fire_child said:


> ok... they are telling me to put it back, leave alone and its parents will feed him. That he/she would not be alive right now if they weren't, as it has been 2 days since the fall. I am to just watch it and try to keep it from wandering from the safety of the bushes and trees. We have some fencing and Hawthorne bushes around where it is, so it will be safe if it stays there...I will take it in to the Hart Rescue, (they have assured me that baby pigeons there and they do this kind of rescue frequently) if it tries to have a walk about again.


Guess it's worth trying. As long as it is in a reasonably safe place (but what is safe from cats/foxes/rats) they may come find the baby, but the longer it goes without nutrition the less chance it has, of course. Yes, do keep an eye on it.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

John_D said:


> Guess it's worth trying. As long as it is in a reasonably safe place (but what is safe from cats/foxes/rats) they may come find the baby, but the longer it goes without nutrition the less chance it has, of course. Yes, do keep an eye on it.


*I agree!.......*


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## horseart4u (Jun 16, 2011)

it looks to young to be out of the nest at all, it still has the yellow fuzz. can you reach the nest at all? if not don't put it back on the ground..i would take it and try to hand raise it or find some who will if you can't.


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## fire_child (Aug 20, 2012)

rats? oh my! Now I am worried...I hate to see any animal harmed in any way...I think we are going to take it to the rescue...hubby wants to wait to see if the parents come back and feed it...but they haven't yet and it is peeping like crazy...It's crop was not filled today as far as I can tell, so it is probably pretty hungry...if the parents do not come back before the roosting time I will get him and take him to the sanctuary. He is walking so he is not emaciated but from the links you gave me they dehydrate very quickly...ok I have made up my mind...he is going to the sanctuary!


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Unfortunately most rescue places just do not want to listen to circumstances & have the usual blurb they try to give folk who dont know any better. (A bit like some vets).

This looks like a young woodie so it would be better going to a sanctuary where it can be looked after and released with others of its kind.
On no account would I put it back anywhere near the car park as woodies are very skittish around people & anything they dont consider safe so I doubt, even if they recognised it as theirs, that they would try to feed it unless it was in the close proximity to the nest.


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## fire_child (Aug 20, 2012)

the little guy wandered into the neighbouring garden, there is a hole in the fence. We are taking him in to the sanctuary now.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

fire_child said:


> the little guy wandered into the neighbouring garden, there is a hole in the fence. We are taking him in to the sanctuary now.


*Thank you for the update, you put a lot of minds at ease, please do keep us updated.*


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## horseart4u (Jun 16, 2011)

good going, best of luck and thanks for helping this little guy out.


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## fire_child (Aug 20, 2012)

It was feeding time at the rescue when we arrived...so the little one was in luck. They have several other baby pigeons there so the little one will have company and will be safe.  thank you all for your help... I am just happy he will grow up and has a chance. Every life deserves a chance...


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Great stuff 

Thanks for rescuing him and getting him to a safe place.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

fire_child said:


> It was feeding time at the rescue when we arrived...so the little one was in luck. They have several other baby pigeons there so the little one will have company and will be safe.  thank you all for your help... I am just happy he will grow up and has a chance. Every life deserves a chance...


*Thank you for that "happy ending" update.*


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## fire_child (Aug 20, 2012)

The website for Hart is: http://www.hartwildlife.org.uk/

They do all kinds of wildlife rescue so would be a good one to know...


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

fire_child said:


> The website for Hart is: http://www.hartwildlife.org.uk/
> 
> They do all kinds of wildlife rescue so would be a good one to know...


*Yes, they are on the RESCUE link that John provided on his first response to your thread.

Thanks again for your help.*


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## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

Hi, just come in on this story and although I always like to see parents rearing their babies when emergencies like this occur, as Quazar said, they have standard responses about leaving it alone, but you have to make a judgement in the circumstances, and I would say it was at serious risk.
Thanks so much for taking the trouble to ask for help and I'm glad you decided in this instance to take it to a rescue centre.

Good luck

Janet


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