# Found a fledgling pigeon



## elikinguk (Sep 27, 2007)

Found him last night in the garden with no sign of parents. He looks to be about ten days old judging from the day by day photos on here. He cant really walk but he can stand. Cant upload any photos at the moment because I've lost my USB cable.

He was shaking but he's stopped now. Although he does seem to be breathing very heavily, not sure if thats normal.

I've looked through a lot of the threads on here for help and I've tried a few of the suggestions: giving him honey and water mixed, soaking dry cat food. He's drunk some of the honey water mixture and I've managed to get him to eat a little food by forcing it into his mouth when he opens it but does any one know an easier way of getting him to open his beak? I've tried forcing but i don't want to hurt him.

His poop is kinda gooey and is white/yellow in colour.


Thanks x


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Are you in the UK? If so, where, basically, are you? We got some UK members who might be able to help. I'll message them about your thread here in a second.

Pidgey


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## Antigone (Sep 25, 2007)

Hi elikinguk… I can’t say I can offer you any real help as I am new here myself. My little find is about 22 days old. I tried wrapping mine in a towel gently and inserting the damp cat food with a pair of tweezers… I gently got his little beak open and put the food deep into his mouth (not that pigeons have mouths). It was a slow process but I got the little fella fed.

I am sure someone who really knows their stuff will be along shortly.

Good luck.


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## elikinguk (Sep 27, 2007)

Thanks for the quick replies.

Im in england, the south-east near stansted. 

Ok, ill try with the towel and tweasers then, thanks.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Have notified John and Cynthia by PM and email. Hopefully, they'll get to you soon. 

Since baby doves and pigeons don't "gape" like other birds, it's always more of a chore feeding them. Do you have a means of weighing the little fellow on a small kitchen or postal scale?

Pidgey


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## elikinguk (Sep 27, 2007)

Thanks Pidgey

Ok, he's 3 1/2 pounds.

Managed to get him to eat a bit more using the towel, yay


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

3 1/2 pounds? Sure you don't mean 3 1/2 ounces?

Pidgey


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## elikinguk (Sep 27, 2007)

erm yea lol, sorry. 3 1/2 ounces


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Okay, about a hundred grams. That would be consistent with your guess of an age. Is the bird fairly well fleshed about the keelbone or does it seem too thin?

Pidgey


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## elikinguk (Sep 27, 2007)

its hard to tell without feeling a healthy one, but i think its on the thin side. when he extends his neck it looks quite scrawny


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Sometimes, there's a reason why such a young one is out of the nest. Their parents can even drive them out if they think they're not going to make it since they don't have the options that we do. Let's hope that food will make the difference here.

Pidgey


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## elikinguk (Sep 27, 2007)

Thats sad, hes so cute. i hope i can help him


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hi Eli,

Since you found him in your garden can you clarify whether he is a feral pigeon, wood pigeon , a collared dove or a stock dove? 

If he is a wood pigeon (the heavy breathing is typically wood pigeon) then he will already have white feathers on his wings which will show as white bands if you extend the wing. He will have dark or bluish eyes with probably an oval pupil and his beak will probably be pale grey.

If he is a collared dove he won't have a collar yet, but will be biscuity brown all over with darker brown feathers on his wings and will have orange or brown eyes.

If he is a stock dove he will look very much like feral pigeon crossed with a wood pigeon and will have remarkable black eyes.

Cynthia

Cynthia


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## elikinguk (Sep 27, 2007)

From your description i would say collared dove. He has brown eyes with round pupils, he's got yellow whispy bits but his feathers are brown.

Ill have another look for my USB cable though so i can upload pictures just to make sure.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

If she is a collared dove ten she might be a little younger than estimated because they fledge by 21 days.

Try this link...I assume that the dove was one week old in the first photo:

http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/296351231eZzmzT

Collared doves seem to learn how to eat on their own very quickly. Try scattering wild bird food or millet around her. They are curious and will usually pick it up. Until she is able to feed herself you could get some egg food and mix in into a thick paste then roll it into balls. You can roll the balls in small seed, dip it in water, open her mouth and pop the ball in.

Is she able to stand on her own? Collared doves tend to suffer from metabolic bone disease. when they do their beaks are soft and they are unable to stand up. Calcium syrup, administered daily for a few days corrects this. I have a large bottle so I can send you enough for her if you need it.

This is a link to the thread about Sally and her collared dove called Kelly. Sally provided the photos in my webshots.

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=8038&referrerid=560
Cynthia


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## elikinguk (Sep 27, 2007)

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd274/eikinguk/mrebirdcropped.jpg

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd274/eikinguk/mrebird2.jpg

Here are a couple of photos of him.

Thanks Cynthia. Just took a look at the link and they look like the same, so more like 7 days old then.

He kinda stands but its more like flops around, he cant walk and when he does stand he wobbles and cant do it for long. his beak is pretty soft too. I dont want to put you out any more than i have to, where i can buy calcium syrup? 

I have been giving him water and i've got him to eat some bread and soaked cat biscuits. I'll have a look for the egg food, otherwise ill try the wholemeal bread balls. Thanks a lot for your help.

Liz


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

I agree, he must be about a week old and too young to eat by himself although he should be able to do that in another week or so. I don't think he would be walking at that age anyway and his beak would be bound to be a bit soft. But the Gem Liquid Calcium that I use is for handraising birds so he could probably use the supplement. I looked on the Gem site and couldn't find it there, but honestly I have much more than I need and would be happy to send you some if you can e-mail me an address, after all, you have the big job of hand raising the squab! 

When you feed him do it until his crop is soft and cushiony. At that age you should be able to see it grow as he eats.

Cynthia


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## elikinguk (Sep 27, 2007)

Thanks for all your advice and help, but he died last night. I got a call this morning from a sanctuary that would have taken him in as well. These things happen i suppose 
Thanks again

Liz


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

I am so sorry, Liz. When you find young ones out of the nest you don't know what illness or injury caused them to end up there, the best you can do is keep them warm , fed and watered and hope. But losing one always hurts.

Can you let us know the address of the sanctuary? Another Essex rescuer mentioned a sanctuary and it migh be useful for other rescuers to know where to go.

Cynthia


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## elikinguk (Sep 27, 2007)

It was ARC (animal rescue charity) where i live: bishop's stortford, hertfordshire. i may have jumped the gun about them taking him in though, i rang them up and left a message asking if they do or if they know anywhere that would and they called me back but he had already died. they may have just been calling to tell me they don't take in doves/pigeons. 

Sorry if they end up not taking them in, i was upset when i wrote that message before and i wasn't really thinking clearly, just assumed that was why they called.

Thank you for your kind words, and again for your help.

Liz x


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