# Found a sick feral pigeon unusual feathers fell out from his tail, doesn't fly, HELP!



## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

Hi everyone!
I found another sick feral pigeon three days ago in front of my building.
So far, this happened: he had bad diarrhea that is now a lot better but droppings are still green (it was greenish water, now it has a bit of solid green part). He shows good appetite and drinks a lot (maybe too much too?) and seems to have a lot of energy! He wants to fight all the time! Even when I am 1 meter away, he already stands in defense pose! I took care of 2 other feral pigeons and only when they got healthy enough, they would defend themselves from my hand and such. This guy is doing it from day one, so I thought that was a good sign?
Still, he doesn't fly. Today he dropped 2 feathers that came from his tail (i can really see a hole now in the center of his tail with no feathers..) and they looked weird, check out the picture. You can't see so well on the picture maybe, but there is blood on the tip (of the root) of the feather and this white coat at the root of the feather?
Photos:

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h367/monomarija/IMG_20131221_102250.jpg?t=1387756298

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h367/monomarija/IMG_20131222_204122.jpg

attack pose!
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h367/monomarija/IMG_20131223_000133.jpg?t=1387756308


Anyone that has any idea what this could be, please share!! I want to take him to the vet, but i'll have to skip one day in school for that, they only work in the mornings and the ambulance is far away from me..
So please share your opinion, I and Mifune (we called him Mifune because he's so feisty and proud looking, like a samurai) will love you forever!!

Thank you!!


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Thank you so very much for helping another pigeon!

It's hard to say about the tail feathers .. could have been lost or loosened by a predator. Not really much worry there .. they will grow back in about 6 weeks.

I see a somewhat suspicious bump on one of the toes. Could we get a clear and close up picture of that?

Terry


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

Thanks a lot for answering, Terry!

O, the two feathers don't look unusual? I never saw a feather with this white solid kind of coat at the root.. Do they look like that because they were plucked out? Do all feathers look like that on a pigeon if they didn't fall out by themselves? Maybe I never saw a plucked out feather..
Hmm.. bump? Only the 3 pictures I posted here are of Mifune, Photobucket sometimes opens my whole album where there are pictures of the first pigeon I found, the black one! She had a bump on her right middle toe, did you see her maybe..? On which picture is the bump visible?

Thanks again!


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

You are right .. the bump on the toe is a different pigeon. Sorry!

Terry


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## kunju (Mar 14, 2012)

Thanks for rescuing Mifune. I wonder how you were able to catch him, considering his attacking behavior! 
There is probably some infection going on, hence the diarrhea and excessive drinking. Can you check his wings for boils or swelling? He might attempt to fly once he is out of the disease, whatever it is. From the pictures, I was also wondering if it is a juvenile.


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## Larry_Cologne (Jul 6, 2004)

There is a photo in your Photobucket collection which shows two feathers, half-opened.

The feather grows out in a sheath, which cracks off when the bird preens and nibbles at the feather sheath. The sheath will break down with getting wet and subsequent drying, and movement of the bird, if he bird cannot reach the feather with his beak or foot claw. When the sheath flakes off, the feather opens and spreads.

Some link on feathers, other tan Wikipedia:"


http://people.eku.edu/ritchisong/554notes2.html

http://www.quakerville.com/qic/qbfeathe.asp

http://www.earthlife.net/birds/feathers.html

http://www.infovisual.info/02/058_en.html

http://www.backyardnature.net/birdfthr.htm


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

Thank you everyone!

Hello again Kunju, how's Rocky?  I don't think he's a juvenile, he's much bigger then Paolina (the first pigeon I found) that was a juvenile! I just checked his wings, they don't seem broken or swollen anywhere.. Ow when I found him outside, he didn't defend himself, he just tried to struggle out so that's how i got him 

Larry_Cologne I'm sorry, I couldn't understand quite clear what you mean  Yes, the two feathers on photobucket are his! They don't look normal, right? What do you think is wrong with them? He got attacked and they got plucked out? Or a sickness? And I shall check out the links you sent, thank you!

About his health, his diarrhea is better but his droppings are still very very green. :/ I am feeding him pigeon seeds..

But today I spent the whole day at home with him in the room and I noticed he is walking a bit odd. I even recorded it for you! He would move his head a lot in weird ways, turn around and compared to the other two pigeons i had, he really walks a lot around my room!

But then,I made a discovery. I am almost completely sure that he is deaf. He fell asleep out of his box, I wanted to put him back so I called him to not shock him and he didn't respond. Then I started making all kinds of noises, clapping etc. and he didn't wake up! Then I touched his feather and he woke up instantly. The second time he wasn't even asleep, just turned his back and didn't see me, I clapped and called him, he didn't react! So I think that explains the odd movement? Maybe that effects other things? 

Here are the videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-bKiqexwNU

(first video pictures it good enough, but if you want more
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1iWLIWBBvw

Thank you again!!


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

Hi everyone..
Today I thought I never saw Mifune eat much.. the seeds don't really catch his attention much so I thought I could give him a bit bread if that's what he ate so far in his life and see will he eat anything. I know it's bad for them, but better that then nothing right? He drinks a lot but eats not so much.. And he went crazy for it.. but he couldn't really take the bread in his beak.. he takes some and most misses.. I am now very worried for him  Maybe he had a concussion? What can this be? Can he recover from this? 

Here's a video of that:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2t5TndYZbQ&feature=youtu.be

Please help (


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## kunju (Mar 14, 2012)

I suspect PMV, and to a lesser extent paratyphoid. Though both diseases can have similar symptoms, PMV pigeons are usually active, against paratyphoid where the pigeon could be sitting dull and lethargic when the infection is active. So I would lean towards PMV..It could be concussion too..but to me, the bright green poops and excessive drinking indicates some infection.
Please start handfeeding immediately (peas, corn etc). I feel it would also be a good idea to start him on an antibiotic like baytril, to cover the possibility of paratyphoid..


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## Larry_Cologne (Jul 6, 2004)

Late at night here, need to be brief.

Check out some YouTube videos on PMV or ParaMyxo Virus or paramyxovitosis. Also check it out in the resources section.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPThrr7QMAg

6:05 Pigeon Paramyxovirus (PMV) - YouTube

I've treated several pigeons with these symptoms. Need to hand-feed them. Symptoms go away after a wile. I had to release my feral re-nabs back into the wild (the street), but they can develop symptoms again.

One of my re-habs, *Jimmy-Z*: If he managed to pick up a seed (from a dish of seeds), he threw it because he couldn't get it in his beak so that he could swallow it. I hand-fed him for a short while. Popped twenty or thirty corn kernels and peas at a time down his throat, and sometimes literally poured teaspoonfuls of small seed down his throat. Held his beak open with two fingers of one hand while feeding him with the other. Wrapped I'm in a dish towel first, a "burrito" wrap.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1iN7cR12XA


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

Thank you everyone, I thought i answered after kunju but it seems I didn't, I'm sorry for answering late  I am going to a trip for 1 week, but he'll be fed and water will be changed regulary. I am giving him water with eyectrolyts now. His poop is now brown so it means he can eat. He tosses food around but he eats it eventually.. (poop was green because he was hungry.. starving maybe.. I put food in a deeper, wider dish and now he is eating! (if he stabs random he still catches something!))

That first video was very sad to watch :'(


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

I have bad news everyone..

While I was away (I still am), Mifune seemed to have somehow escaped his box and jumped into my closet and pooped all over my clothes.. My parents were furious and kicked him out of the house without contacting me...

I will try to find him once I return in 3 days, maybe he survived by some miracle..

So thank you for you advices and responses, I will fill you in if there are any good news, if not, thanks again and hope to hear from you again in the future to help me with needy street pigeons 

I just hope I won't find them before a trip..

Thanks again and see ya!


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## kunju (Mar 14, 2012)

That's very sad...I wish you would get him back by some miracle...

In case you encounter such a situation in future, perhaps you could take the bird with you? All it takes is an extra box to add to your luggage. 
So sad your parents could not understand your love for Mifune.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

He won't make it out there. Too easy for a predator to catch. Poor thing.


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

I travel often to the Netherlands by plane.. I couldn't take him, a few airlines allow animals on board (the one I travel with all the time doesn't allow animals) and even if they did I know I have to provide the animals passport with me that it is healthy etc..

Who knows, maybe he managed to hide somewhere  I will search for him as soon as i get home!!

The sad thing is that I really have no understanding around me with pigeons  I had no one to leave him to.. It's very unfortunate


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