# help! found baby pigeon: Sydney Australia



## jules6000 (Jul 1, 2005)

walking on the street the other day in a big storm and i saw a little ball curled on the ground ---a small baby - what i think is a pigeon. Walking back the same way later it had managed to get across the road and was sheltering under a car next to a raging gutter  

It's in the bathroom now...under the ceiling-heating light (85F)
From your photos on this page i think it's about 20 days old.
have fed it dry cat food a piece @ a time (1st night) 
2nd night: bird seed alternated with cat food and thawed peas & corn.
3rd day: I have a syringe and tube and have managed to 'crop feed' 20mls of parrot/hen rearing food. It drinks water on its own - he's pretty hardy & seems to be calm and doing well....

My problem: 
How many times a day?
am i feeding it enough?
am i feeding it the right stuff?

I am thinking of releasing it into a nearby park (there were no birds in the tree under which i found it, nor did any appear at any time) mind you it was pouring down with rain. When shall i do this? Keeping in mind it's in the bathroom now and we have 3 cats and a dog!

any advice gratefully accepted.
thanks y'all
julia


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi Julia, 


Thank you for taking the time to rescue this young pigeon. You are feeding the right things but you're mixing them up a little too much. The variety in diet will upset his stomach most likely. 

Try to stick with the thawed peas and corn and parrot/hen formula for now. He is old enough to be on a more solid diet such as the thawed peas and corn but it's not enough nutritionally. So, please continue with the parrot/hen bird formula (not familiar with this particulary) but I will assume it's similar to what we call Kaytee baby bird formula over here in the west. He should be fed about 25-30ml of formula 3 or 4 times daily and supplement with the peas and corn. 

He's too young yet to release, so please don't let him go quite yet. If you are right about his age, warmth is not vital but room temperature is fine. 

Try to coax him to drink by gently dipping his beak into a dish of water so that he gets the idea and feel for it. Also you can start offering a dry wild bird seed or dove mix by spreading it on the floor for him to start pecking at on his/her own. He might be interested and "get" it now, or he may not and only test the seeds in his beak. Show him by "pecking" at the seeds with your index finger. Allow him to do this because the quicker he gets it, the better for you. 

If you can post a picture of the pigeon, this would be helpful because he might be older or younger than you say or another species altogether. 

Thanks,


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hi Julia,

Sounds as if you are doing very well. When you crop feed remember to go slow and steady, it is best to restrain the pigeon by wrapping it lightly in towel first, because if it struggles unexpectedly it could aspirate.

The hand rearing mixture is fine, you have to judge how much the crop will take. At 30 days I feed 40 ml three times a day, so I would guess 30ml three times a day should be about right for a 20 day old, but start with 25 ml, see how it goes.

At 20 days he will be learning to pick up seed himself, test it in his beak and sometimes swallow it other times discard it.

Encourage him to do that. he will probably not swallow enough to keep himself alive, but will gradually increase his intake. 

They don't fledge until 35 days ut hand reared ones need a bit longer than that, so you might need to keep it another 3 weeks.

We have a member in Sidney (Lisa) we could try to link you up with if you like.

It is best to release them in a spot where there is a flock, water available and where you can initially provide food.

Keep it separate from the cats and dogs even if they show no interest in it. It is best that the pigeon maintains its waryness. I have 2 dogs and a cat and frequent indoor rescues. It is a question of making certain that doors are shut at the right time.

THank you for saving the litttle ones life.

One word of warning, feral pigeons are not a native species in Australia so avoid handing over to a rehabber or vet without checking what its fate will be first!

Cynthia


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## elvis_911 (Apr 26, 2004)

usually at 20 days old they start feeding them selves. I brought pigeons in at 20days old the hunger made them start eating quickly. if it is capable of drinking on its own i think it should be able to eat seed.


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## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

elvis_911 said:


> if it is capable of drinking on its own i think it should be able to eat seed.


From what I have read, it seems like learning to pick up seeds takes more practice than learning to drink. A young bird may need supplemental feeding until it becomes more skilled at eating seed.


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## jules6000 (Jul 1, 2005)

*Australian baby*

Baby doing well........I took it out today to watch some other pigeons in park down the street...thought might help in learning to eat...I think it could be a dove though as they are in the area as well....I found a crop feeder at a bird store today...also got large syringe from hospital....do I need to wait until crop is completely empty to feed again?...it is 5PM now and crop not empty from 10AM feeding....I am really afraid of feeding to little or too much....am trying to teach to peck as it only rarely does this...did fly in park about eight feet distance and couple of feet of the ground! The feces look normal but more urine since I switched from pushing down dry cat food(1st day),+ peas,corn and seed(2nd day) to formula + little seed(current diet)....I'm pretty sure my formula is a good one with probiotics that said is good for doves or pigeons. I am trying to get a photo to you guys with some friends help....we have almost made it thru day five thanks to your site!!!!!


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hi Julia,

It is best to wait for the crop to empty.

One of our most experienced members recommended 2 feedings a day only, 12 hours apart. This was because when the parents feed the youngsters they have already started the digestion process in their own crops, so it is easier for the youngster to digest, whereas the food that we give takes longer to go through.

If it is a dove then it will need less food. You will have to judge by feeling the crop as it is being fed. It should be soft and cushiony like a 3/4 full hot water bottle.

When they are feeding themselves I leave seed available all the time.

If you can't manage a photo, can you weigh the bird and also estimate its size against your fist?

Cynthia


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## jules6000 (Jul 1, 2005)

*australian baby*

It is small...5 and 3/4 inches long...2 and 1/2 inches wide.....a little smaller than my fist and I am small to medium build woman about 130lbs...it has three tail feathers about one inch long.....I can't weigh yet...will have to buy a scale.....I am pretty sure it is getting enough food. Thanks, Julia


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi Julia, 

What colour is the baby? Any markings on it that you can tell us about? What about the eye colour and the beak....are you able to post a picture at all?


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## elvis_911 (Apr 26, 2004)

lol sorry for any incorrect information im just saying accorrding to the expeirence i have..but many pigeons are different. If a pigeon drinks its already capable of eating or very soon to learn from what i've seen.


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## jules6000 (Jul 1, 2005)

*Flew away*

I'm so upset....took to little park on corner and we sat on ground with seed to have pecking lessons where I have seen other doves and he/she flew up into an old eucalyptus tree.....really high...I climbed tree but it moved away then some indian minah birds came and it really flew high and far about a block away over the neighborhood....I am too devastated to write much more....he/she was pecking ground occasionally when I found....I just hope it won't suffer or starve....I feel like an idiot...it just seemed so much happier when I took it out. Thank you for your help. Can't type anymore right now got to pull myself together...I'll put out more seed. Thanks, Julia


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Jules6000...


Prolly allright...sounds like a Dove as for size and flying skills for it's age-size...

Normally, the phase of them flying while being of course fed by their parents, is not very long untill self feeding is steady for their pecking-grazing with their wild bretherin.

This one being now in an area known to have Doves, likely come morning will fly down to associate with them and graze with them, even if in a neophytes manner of doing so...

So...sounds like very likely, that while an unexpected turn of events, that it all might just have gone well...

No worries...

You did fine!


Phil
Las Vegas


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi Julia, 

I'm sorry that you lost the dove at the park. She might have been ready to leave though and it sounds like her flying skills were very good! Keep watch and put out some seeds in the area and maybe you'll be able to find and catch her again. But if not, take comfort in the fact that you did a lot for her and this was just her time to go...that she was ready. You didn't have her long enough to "corrupt" her and her natural instincts are still there so she may be just fine


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hi Julia,

As Phil and Brad said, if it is strong enough to fly off it is probably old enough to care for itself, or at leat to learn to look after itself pretty quickly.

When I said it wouldn't be old enough to leave the nest for a couple of weeks I thought it was a pigeon. I don't know much about Australian doves, but our collared doves leave the nest a lot earlier than pigeons.

It might be a good idea to leave seed in the "release" spot for a few days, I do that for all my releases, however old they are, jsut to make things easier for them while they adjust to their freedom.

The important thing is that it is a lot better off than it was when you found it!

Cynthia


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## jules6000 (Jul 1, 2005)

*Thanks*

I really appreciate your replies....I am keeping an eye out in the area and have been putting out seed. I will continue this...I'm quite sure it is a dove.....there are spotted, crested and mourning doves in the area...at least we have good sunny mild weather for next several days. I think I am a bird person now. Julia


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