# Wild pigeon diseases ... no symptoms



## K9595 (Sep 21, 2019)

Hiya. At my work place we have a open shed which doves were initially kept in. With it being open obviously wild pigeons started coming down and feeding + roosting in this area also. A few weeks ago I came in to 3 dead pigeons in the shed with seemingly nothing wrong with them, just put it down to a strange coincidence as I’d had a week off, didn’t know if they’d all died same day. On Thursday gone one of the doves didn’t look too well, a little fluffed up eyes half closed/closed a lot but if approached or touched she’d perk up, sit up tall and open eyes although she was spending a lot of time walking and sitting on the floor rather than roosting, she died next day. Another 2 mother and baby were found dead the day after. Today I spotted another roosting who looked a little fluffed up and eyes slightly closed, when I locked up 5 hours later it was dead. Weight was a little low but not skinny enough to kill it. 

Any ideas? There’s not a lot to go on with them being wild birds I can’t assess so well whether they’re eating well or what their poos are like. Plus it’s been so hot last few days even the healthy ones don’t have much of an appetite anyway. I cannot cage any showing symptoms as cannot use captive bird cages for wild pigeons. Worried Incase they have something which can be passed onto the nearby captive birds. TIA


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## Colombina (Jan 22, 2017)

Hi, there could be a severe outbreak of a disease or maybe someone is poisoning birds. Have you ever heard about poisoned birds or animals in your location? 

Could you bring a sample of a poop to a lab? A necropsy of a dead bird could be also useful.


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## jameswaller (Nov 4, 2008)

*dying birds*



K9595 said:


> Hiya. At my work place we have a open shed which doves were initially kept in. With it being open obviously wild pigeons started coming down and feeding + roosting in this area also. A few weeks ago I came in to 3 dead pigeons in the shed with seemingly nothing wrong with them, just put it down to a strange coincidence as I’d had a week off, didn’t know if they’d all died same day. On Thursday gone one of the doves didn’t look too well, a little fluffed up eyes half closed/closed a lot but if approached or touched she’d perk up, sit up tall and open eyes although she was spending a lot of time walking and sitting on the floor rather than roosting, she died next day. Another 2 mother and baby were found dead the day after. Today I spotted another roosting who looked a little fluffed up and eyes slightly closed, when I locked up 5 hours later it was dead. Weight was a little low but not skinny enough to kill it.
> 
> Any ideas? There’s not a lot to go on with them being wild birds I can’t assess so well whether they’re eating well or what their poos are like. Plus it’s been so hot last few days even the healthy ones don’t have much of an appetite anyway. I cannot cage any showing symptoms as cannot use captive bird cages for wild pigeons. Worried Incase they have something which can be passed onto the nearby captive birds. TIA


dear k9595,-i agree with Columbia,.--this is very sad,and requires attention-I would say the evidence is dead bird-lots of symptoms.possible contamination of food and water[hygiene]-salmonellosis-[paratyphus]-,pmv1-this sounds local but check around other close locations,may have to include the authorities--when birds die people are next.-sincerely james waller


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## Ladygrey (Dec 10, 2016)

K9595 said:


> Hiya. At my work place we have a open shed which doves were initially kept in. With it being open obviously wild pigeons started coming down and feeding + roosting in this area also. A few weeks ago I came in to 3 dead pigeons in the shed with seemingly nothing wrong with them, just put it down to a strange coincidence as I’d had a week off, didn’t know if they’d all died same day. On Thursday gone one of the doves didn’t look too well, a little fluffed up eyes half closed/closed a lot but if approached or touched she’d perk up, sit up tall and open eyes although she was spending a lot of time walking and sitting on the floor rather than roosting, she died next day. Another 2 mother and baby were found dead the day after. Today I spotted another roosting who looked a little fluffed up and eyes slightly closed, when I locked up 5 hours later it was dead. Weight was a little low but not skinny enough to kill it.
> 
> Any ideas? There’s not a lot to go on with them being wild birds I can’t assess so well whether they’re eating well or what their poos are like. Plus it’s been so hot last few days even the healthy ones don’t have much of an appetite anyway. I cannot cage any showing symptoms as cannot use captive bird cages for wild pigeons. Worried Incase they have something which can be passed onto the nearby captive birds. TIA


 first, you say pigeons were kept there.. the birds there now, are they the birds that were kept there and now abandoned ? Pigeons are not wild In most places.. only feral from domestic stock...OR abandoned stock... there are no wild pigeons..that we know of , except potentially on the cliffs of the African coast and those aren’t even the real wild pigeons, technically because of thousands of years of domestication. But .. so what I’m saying is this flock was left if that is where kept pigeons were before , 

That being Said, they are dying why? One is sickness, another, they don’t have regular food and-water anymore and are becoming sick and don’t know how to forage , or they do and just got hit with a disease like virulent pmv, or poisoned . In any event it’s a sad situation. 

If your up to saving them, get them correct pigeon food and water and see what you can do.


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