# Found a pigeon with a broken leg... but sadly he got away. Any chance of survival?



## sw0mgt (May 14, 2008)

Hello,

Today I was driving down the road and I saw a grounded pigeon who looked in distress. I tried for a good half hour to rescue him, but he managed to disappear out of my site. His leg was certainly broken as it was sharply bent. His wings seemed to be ok, because he managed to fly away from me a few times. When he tried to land on a branch, however, he fell to the ground. I'm very upset I could not grab him to provide him help.

Even though the pigeon could fly a distance of 100 feet, is he too immobile to survive? Although I'll likely never see him again, I want to know if there's any chance that the beautiful bird will live to see another day. Some idiot must have hit him in a car. 

Although "just a pigeon", I can't help but feel tremendous sadness. What are the chances of survival?

Joseph


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## sw0mgt (May 14, 2008)

I forgot to mention he seemed very bright eyed and alert, so I guess maybe it's likely he had no internal injuries.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

sw0mgt said:


> Hello,
> 
> Today I was driving down the road and I saw a grounded pigeon who looked in distress. I tried for a good half hour to rescue him, but he managed to disappear out of my site. His leg was certainly broken as it was sharply bent. His wings seemed to be ok, because he managed to fly away from me a few times. When he tried to land on a branch, however, he fell to the ground. I'm very upset I could not grab him to provide him help.
> 
> ...


Thank you for trying, Joseph. We don't think there's such a thing as "just a pigeon".


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## sw0mgt (May 14, 2008)

I went to the store and bought some bird feed. I biked down to where I last saw him and strolled around 500 square feet, tossing feed and whistling. No sight of him  I left a few piles of food down the path, hoping that tomorrow morning I'll just happen to come across him. I feel really bad that I couldn't catch him, especially since I actually had him IN my hands! Wouldn't you know he just flew right out of them. Poor little guy...


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

It is amazing how pigeons can survive and adapt to diabilities. A couple of years ago I was alerted to a badly injured pigeon in the town centre, as far as I remember she had a head injury, wing injury and couldn't use one leg. I tried to catch her , but failed and as I looked up at her perched on a ledge I remember thinking woefully that she wouldn't last the night.

I kept going back to the same spot at 6 in the morning, and every morning she would fly down to eat, looking better every time! Eventually she healed completely.

There is also one of our rescues, Red. He was brought to us with one leg mangled and dangling uselessly. The vet said it was dislocated and would probably need amputation, so I didn't try to set it. Unfortunately that one healed, but it was twisted. The vet still thought amputation would be best, but I persuaded him to give Red a bit of time. Now Red manages to use the twisted leg very efficiently as he drives his hen.

We have also had stories here about badly injured pigeons that against were able to survive on the ground, having found somewhere to hide and a good source of food.

I hope that you are able to catch your pigeon, but even if you are only able to leave food for it you will be helping it survive.

Cynthia


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