# Found a baby pigeon (Brazil)



## pombinha_ (Mar 13, 2020)

Hello, everyone. Nice too meet you all. I am new here, and despite having experience dealing with baby birds (sparrows and cockatiels so far), I need help with this one.

I found this baby pigeon 5 days ago walking on a very busy street with extremely high traffic and no nearby trees. I caught it and it seemed to be very thin, so I brought it home.
I started feeding it around 5 times a day using this formula, using the syringe method and always feeling the crop to know if it's empty or full enough. I am also keeping the baby heated with a lamp, always at around 33-34C.
What I am worried is:

I don't know which kind of pigeon it is
I don't know if it's gaining proper weight (yesterday he waited 46g before any feeding, today 56g and ended the day weighting around 66g)
I don't know if this is the correct poop
The baby also makes no sound! He only "squealed" very softly on the first two days here, after that he stopped completely

I started feeding it around 10CC of formula, now it is eating around 15-20CC and starting to eat a few seeds.
I have attached some pictures so you can take a look (sorry for the bad quality, my phone is terrible with low lighting):



















The poop:









This is him on his first day here, I don't leave in the cage anymore, even though it is absurdly hot where I live, I figured it would be best to leave him inside just with the lamp:









I'm grateful to any insight you can give me.


----------



## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

Adorable little thing. You can check out this website: www.pigeonrescue.co.uk and then scroll down to "raising baby pigeon". 

The amount you are feeding sounds fine. As long as the crop empty between feedings and he is eager to be fed, he will be fine.

He will soon start eating seeds. You can teach him to drink water by dipping the tip of the beak (not over the nostrils) in a small bowl of water. Or play with the water by using your fingers. Do the same with small seed.

Remember, when raised by humans they won't know how to find food out there when released.


----------



## pombinha_ (Mar 13, 2020)

Hello again!
I've weighted him today as well before feeding him first time in the morning and he is weighting 56g, which means that apparently he is gaining 10g steadily every day.
I am not sure if this is enough for a pigeon that is supposed to eight more than 300g.


----------



## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

I've never weighed the ones I have raised. As long as there are plenty of droppings inbetween feedings, he will be ok. Something makes me think he might be a dove? But I'm not sure.


----------



## pombinha_ (Mar 13, 2020)

Thank you for the replies! He is starting to get interested in seeds. I'll post more (and better) pics soon


----------



## pombinha_ (Mar 13, 2020)

Hi again!
Here's a video I just took of the little pigeon. 


I forgot to weight him in the morning, but in the afternoon he weighted 82 at one point.
But I am a bit worried now! He is definitely interested in seeds, but he either misses them, and when he picks them up he tosses them again. Maybe the seeds are not his adequate? I'm giving him millet and a customized cockatiel mix (without the larger seeds).

Also, On the third time I was going to feed him, when I greeted him he got oscared for some reason, maybe, and suddenly flew, softly hit a closed window and crash landed from about 2m high. He seemed to be confused afterwards and he wasn't so energetic to be fed (he usually was very eager, walking around the utensils I use to feed him while he waited). He only waited like he used to on his first days here.
And then on the last time I fed him today, besides having the same non-energetic behavior, he only wanted half of what I usually feed him. His crop wasn't full, just about half of what it usually is after being fed. I took him in my hand, gave him some neck, head and crop scratches and he seemed fine, but I am not really sure... I took the video above right after this event.

Does he seem fine to you?
I'll post an update tomorrow morning.


----------



## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

He seems fine to me. You can encourage him to start eating seeds. Get him a dove mixture, with a big variety of small seeds. He will start eating the ones easiest to pick up and then move on to the other types. You will also need to teach him to drink water.

Always keep the curtains drawn when he is out of the cage.


----------



## kalel (Oct 14, 2008)

He is very cute


----------



## pombinha_ (Mar 13, 2020)

Hello, everyone!
Thanks a lot!
Here's another picture of him today:









Today he took his time flying in the morning. I always close all the windows and door before feeding or releasing him, so it's safe.
He is getting better at eating by himself, though I think he still has ways to go.
I think he may be getting interested in water. I'm teaching him as best as I can.

I'd like to know when it's safe to put him in the same room as my other birds. I have a cage prepared just for him. I have three cockatiels and two sparrows, all of them in their appropriate cages. I would just like to have him in the same living room as the other birds.


----------



## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

He is looking good. You can put him in the same room with your other birds, although the cockatiels can seriously harm him. So never let them out together at the same time.


----------



## pombinha_ (Mar 13, 2020)

*Update*

Hello everyone

I have moved him to the same room as the other birds. I have provided him with a big cage (that was previously for the sparrows) temporarily, so he can get used to the environment. The other cage I have is at the same time too small for him and has a big bar spacing that allows him to poke his head through.

I have reduced the amount of formula I give him, currently just feeding him once a day. He learned how to drink water and he is currently taking a bath. I couldn't find seed mixes made specifically for doves or pigeons, so I had to make my own, which consists of broken corn with a seed mix I give to my sparrows (which is a mix for finches) and a bit of the seed mix I give to the tiels. He seems to like the mixture, although he doesn't eat the corn. He is very selective, only pecks at the dark seeds. Do you have any suggestions as how I could improve his food?

The biggest issue now is about sleep. He is absolutely frightened of being in the dark and covered, he has an instant night fright! We are covering him with a bed sheet and leaving a lamp besides him so he can sleep in peace. Is this common for doves? 

Thank you for all your support, here's a picture and a video of him:









https://imgur.com/VSMOqGF


----------



## Spencer (Jan 16, 2020)

Hi there your fledgeling dove is adorable I love the video of him with the Sparrow Sparrows are one of my all-time favourite birds so lovely to see the two of them together my pigeon Peter was only a fledgeling when I found him to it's crazy how quickly they grow up and develop such wonderful birds the very best of luck with him


----------



## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

He is really adorable! Try to get a wildbirdseed mixture, that will also work. Do you cover the whole cage at night? I would rather close up a third of the cage permanently and put a perch high up in the one corner that is covered on the top and back and both sides. They do feel safer when sleeping the highest spot possible. Put his cage as high as possible from the floor. If the light helps, then keep it on.


----------



## pombinha_ (Mar 13, 2020)

*Update*

Hi everyone, I hope you are all well and safe.
Recently he started being able to sleep without a lamp. I had him in a very big cage with 3 sides permanently closed, but then I moved him onto a slighlt smaller cage and I put it right next to the sparrow's cage, he feels safe and sleeps soundly.
He is also eating the wild bird seed mix, drinking water and day in-day out he takes a bath.

Here are some pictures so you can see how he is looking:


----------



## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

I'm glad he is doing well. He will feel safer with other birds around and have some company as well.


----------



## Spencer (Jan 16, 2020)

👍🏻


----------

