# Found pigeon last night.



## Guest (Aug 9, 2009)

Drove home to see an injured pigeon on the side of our street. Cought the bird in a box (looks like a broken wing) did not pick up or touch bird. Tag on leg says IF 2007 and NPR underneith it. Have bird in box with bread and water. We live in Pennsylvania and our zip code ia 17935. If anyone knows how to care for the pigeon and is close I can bring it to them.


Thanks


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Thanks for rescuing the bird,Memorex. It would help if you can give us the other numbers on the band.
It's very likely that the bird doesn't recognize bread as food. It's even more likely, that because of the injury and the bird being unable to get home of find food, the bird is starving. So...if you would pick up some dove mix or wild bird seed that would nourish the bird. 
Have you looked the bird over to see if there are any other injuries?
It would be great if you would post a picture.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

memorex said:


> (looks like a broken wing) did not pick up or touch bird.
> Thanks


You won't catch anything from the bird by touching it, or picking it up. Just handle carefully so as not to injure it more. Yes, a picture would be good. Did you bring the box inside, as something could get at it outdoors.


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## tomheiser (Aug 9, 2009)

*found wounded pigeon*

Found a pigeon last night. Captured bird, gave water and bread. Wing does look like it is broken (droops). Has a tag which reads IF 2007 with NPR under that. Any help would be appreciated.


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## bcr1 (Jun 9, 2009)

Where are you located?


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

tomheiser said:


> Found a pigeon last night. Captured bird, gave water and bread. Wing does look like it is broken (droops). Has a tag which reads IF 2007 with NPR under that. Any help would be appreciated.


This is the club that the bird is from. It's pretty unlikely that the owner will want the bird back if it's wing is broken, however, I would suggest that you make a call and let them know you have the bird and make the decision on what to do with it.
NPR Northampton Pigeon Racing Club
Al Guzara ..................................... (610)262-4666
2356 Main St., Northhampton, PA 18067
If the owner DOES want the bird back, then ask what his/her intentions are for the bird. If they intend to destroy it, you can offer to keep it and we can possibly help find a home. Depends on where you are located.
I would say that most fanciers would not want the bird back, but we can't assume that ALL fanciers would not, because if it was MY bird, I WOULD want it back and I would NOT destroy it. There's still a few good guys left out there...........


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## tomheiser (Aug 9, 2009)

The other number is 3756. I am located in Girardville PA 17935. The wing does not look as bad as it did yesterday.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

The only person who can tell you who this bird belongs to is the name that I gave you above. 
You really need to call them first and then go from there. If you don't get a response or get a negative response, then let us know. 
Either scenario is possible, but we may all be pleasantly surprised. That would be great.

PS: I just saw the picture. That wing looks pretty bad to me.

OH....another thing. That bird has probably never seen a piece of bread in it's life. That's not what we feed our birds. It really needs seed. Wild bird seed would do for now.


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## tomheiser (Aug 9, 2009)

Not afraid of catching anything. Learned as a child not to touch birds because our (human) scent on a bird is not good. Other birds might attack it. This could be a myth also but never to careful. I have enclased a picture. For some reason I am here as two people. One is memorex (which I never received the confirmation email) and the other is tomheiser. Sorry for the double post on the board and if the webmaster could fix this I would appreciate it. Pic inclosed:


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

I will combine your threads.

Thank you.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

tomheiser said:


> Not afraid of catching anything. Learned as a child not to touch birds because our (human) scent on a bird is not good. Other birds might attack it. This could be a myth also but never to careful. I have enclased a picture. For some reason I am here as two people. One is memorex (which I never received the confirmation email) and the other is tomheiser. Sorry for the double post on the board and if the webmaster could fix this I would appreciate it.


That is a myth. Wonder who started it a million years ago? LOL
With this being a racing pigeon, it's used to being handled. It might not LIKE it,, but it's used to it.


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## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

i think mothers started that myth so the kids wouldn't keep raiding baby bird nest and bringing them home


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## tomheiser (Aug 9, 2009)

*No response.....*

I got an answering machine at the number posted way above and got no return to my call. I will try again tomorrow (Monday) morning. We gave the bird some wild bird seed and water. It looks like neither were touched. The bird has been pooping a few times so it might be running on empty. should we put the food elevated (in a cup) or on the ground?

should we try to fix the wing or should we take it to a place that deals with birds?

Tom


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## tomheiser (Aug 9, 2009)

*No help for pigeon....*

Just got off the phone with Al (I think) and after telling him I have one of his pigeons and telling him the year, He asked if i could kill it. I promptly said NO so i dont think he wants it back. We are not trained, educated and or equiped to keep the bird. Any further help would be appreciated. I feel the longer we keep the bird the less chance of survival it will have.

Thanks


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

These are in Pa. If you call them, they may know of a rehabber closer to you. 

Skye’s Spirit Wildlife Rehabilitation Center
889 Farron Surrena Rd
Harrisville, PA 16038
814-786-96A7
Monetary donations greatly needed and appreciated


Animal rescue League of Western PA
Wildlife center
6000 Verona Road
Verona, PA 15147
412-793-6900


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Has the bird eaten anything? Drinking?
Just put a small dish of the food on the floor of whatever you have it in. And a small heavy dish that it cannot spill over for water. Grit would be good.
I would love to be able to explain how to wrap a wing, but I really don't know much about that. It would be better for a bird vet or rehabber to do. Sorry.


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## tomheiser (Aug 9, 2009)

*Time Frame*

2 days have passed already, am I hurting the bird more. how long till it is unrepairable. I will travel if someone close is found.

Tom


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

It all depends on the injury.
Even with a broken wing and even if the bird is never able to fly again, he can still have a happy life in someone's loft. If it turns out to be the case, we will help you find the best situation for that bird.
Here's my phone number...


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

tomheiser said:


> 2 days have passed already, am I hurting the bird more. how long till it is unrepairable. I will travel if someone close is found.
> 
> Tom


Are you going to call those places and ask them if there is a rehabber closer to you? 

Is the bird eating? Drinking?


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

*How to wrap a wing*

If you find a bird with a broken wing, you might be able to help. A bird who has a broken wing will usually be grounded and will hold one wing lower than the other. If you can easily catch the bird, that in itself usually means the bird is injured. Read through the instructions below to get started. 

Note: If you don't know what kind of bird you're dealing with, you might need to get help from a rehabilitator. Some large birds (hawks, owls, herons, etc.) can cause you injury. Pigeons and all other kinds of doves cannot cause injury to humans. You can pick up the bird and help without worrying about getting hurt or hurting the bird. 

Step One: Bring the Bird to Safety 

Before doing any work, bring the bird to a safe, quiet place away from all other animals. If necessary, use a net to catch the bird, but be very careful not to cause further injury. A pigeon who is otherwise healthy but has a broken wing will try to run away from you. You’ll need to try to corner the bird so you can catch him. Confine the injured or sick pigeon in a small place (box, cage, pet carrier). Wait until you are inside a closed-off room before working on your bird.

Step Two: Examine the Bird 

The fact that a bird isn’t flying doesn’t necessarily mean that the wing is broken. The bird may be sick or injured in some other way. A broken wing will hang differently from the other wing, lower or at an awkward angle. It may drag on the ground. If the wing was broken recently, it can usually be fixed. If the bird has some other problem, though, or is sick, you must get the bird to an avian vet immediately. 



Before working on the wing, look for any open wounds. If you see any blood or sign of infection, you should get the bird to an avian vet immediately. If you are caring for the bird yourself, wash the wound (I use a heavily diluted iodine solution) and apply antibiotic. If the bird has an infection, it will need to be on antibiotics, so you will need the help of an avian vet. 



Step Three: Immobilize the Broken Wing

If you are sure that you have an otherwise healthy bird with a broken wing and no infections or serious open wounds, you may proceed to secure the broken wing.

Part One: Gather the necessary equipment:

vet tape (gauze that sticks to itself) 

scissors 

Part Two: Tape the Wing



1. Cut about 10-12 inches (unstretched) of tape.



2. Using your hands, secure the broken wing against the body in its natural position.

3. Wrap the tape on the outside of the broken wing and around the body under the healthy wing. 

CAUTION: You must be sure that you are not obstructing breathing! Do not wrap too tightly. 

It helps if you can have someone else hold his feet back and then hold his good wing up.



4. Secure the tape to itself.



5. Watch the bird for several minutes. The bird might fall over and be awkward for the first day. His feet should be free to move around, but his broken wing needs to be immobile. He might use his other wing for balance – that’s fine. Be sure that his feet are behind the tape (on the tail side) and that they do not get caught in the tape.

WARNING: If the bird is able to drink by himself, be SURE that his water dish is small and shallow so that he will not drown. The bird has limited mobility and can easily drown in his water dish unless you place the dish strategically and make sure it is shallow (not more than 1/3 inch deep). 

Step Four: Hydrate the Bird

If the bird is injured (but not sick), be sure that he gets water immediately and try to get some food into him. Leave him some good seed and check frequently to make sure he's eating. If he's not, you'll need to hand feed him or get him to an avian vet immediately.

Note: Tubefeeding is for pigeons ONLY. For pigeons and doves, use baby bird formula, such as Kaytee Exact. It's safest to just put a swallow at a time into his beak if you're unfamiliar with tubefeeding. Use wet cat food for insect-eating birds. 
Sources: http://www.duckpolice.org/BirdWeb/PigeonResourceWeb/brokenwing.html


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

These are in Pa. If you call them, they may know of a rehabber closer to you. 

Skye’s Spirit Wildlife Rehabilitation Center
889 Farron Surrena Rd
Harrisville, PA 16038
814-786-96A7
Monetary donations greatly needed and appreciated


Animal rescue League of Western PA
Wildlife center
6000 Verona Road
Verona, PA 15147
412-793-6900
__________________


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