# Found a feral fledgling pigeon, PLEASE HELP!!!



## ladylike1979 (Mar 30, 2007)

hello to anyone & everyone reading this post. i really need your help.
i found a fledgling pigeon yesterday in a parking garage, there was no nest to be found. s/he was flopping about and not chirping very much. s/he was trying to fly, i think but to no avail. i looked at other posts to try to feed and care for it, especially with the feeding part. but it is very hard. the pigeon is about 20 days old. s/he doesn't chirp much, except when i coo to it. i will post a picture up when i figure out how to do it.  
any advice will help, s/he is not eating or drinking much, just sits in a corner of the cat carrier. my boyfriend and i have been trying to feed him every four hours, we warm up some bran flakes with water. and we had some corn on hand so we left some pellets of corn on the floor, but s/he hasn't even eaten it. it worries me that there is no poo or pee in the cage either.
we would very much like to save the life of this bird, but i am afraid without the right guidance s/he will not survive!!
please help!!!
if there are any questions, i am willing to answer them!
thank you very much!


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## naturegirl (Nov 7, 2005)

Well first off where are you located at? Maybe there is someone in your area that can help you out (a rehabber) First thing if you can get some baby bird food at a local pet store and mix it to a medium thickness try giving this to her by opening her mouth and putting some in her mouth she is probably hungry and will swallow it with no problem, pigeons drink like we do, like drinking out of a straw a little deeper bowl and put the tip of her beak in the water and she will probably take it from there. Poop and pee are combined so they should look darker green with a white dot in the middle the white dot is the pee. Try this and let me know how it goes. Others will be on shortly that can also help you out. Good luck with this little girl 

Cindy


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

The baby hasn't eaten because it doesn't know how.
Discontinue the bran.
I don't know where you are {time zone wise} and what stores might still be open for you to get supplies. Not knowing that,do you have any frozen corn or peas?


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## ladylike1979 (Mar 30, 2007)

thank you so much naturegirl!!
i have been sitting on pins and needles.
i live in los angeles, ca.
i put a bowl of water in s/he's cage, it is pretty deep but not too deep.
i went to my local petco and bought some food, but i could not find any baby bird food.
thank you for your advice.


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## ladylike1979 (Mar 30, 2007)

Charis said:


> The baby hasn't eaten because it doesn't know how.
> Discontinue the bran.
> I don't know where you are {time zone wise} and what stores might still be open for you to get supplies. Not knowing that,do you have any frozen corn or peas?


i have fresh corn and frozen peas. i live in los angeles.
thank you for your help.


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## naturegirl (Nov 7, 2005)

I sent a private message to a moderater here and asked her to help you find a rehabber in your area 

Good Luck
Cindy


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Hi Ladylike,

I'm down in South Orange County .. give me a call 949-584-6696 .. also check our resources list to see if there is anyone closer http://www.pigeon-life.net/prd.htm

I'm happy to help if I can.

Terry


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Defrost the corn and peas under running warm water until they aren't frozen any more. You don't want them to be hot. Warm is ok. 
Put the baby in your lap and gently pry the beak open.
Put the corn in the mouth and at the back one piece at a time. Let the baby swallow.
This process will take you a while.
Below the neck you will be able to feel the crop fill up. The crop is where birds store food.
You will want it to fill to about the size of a walnut.
This will do for tonight until you can get EXACT hand feeding formula and figure out how to do that.
It would be good to get somewater down the bird as well.
Gently, from the back of the bird's head, push the tip of it's beak into the water. It might start drinking. Be very gentle. If it starts drinking, eating on it's own is not far behind.
It won't take you long to get the hang of it either.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Ladylike has called me and been referred to Beth in Ventura .. the SO will be going there tomorrow. http://www.pigeon-life.net/prd.htm .. if anyone new would like to be added to the Resources Directory, please let me know.

Terry


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## ladylike1979 (Mar 30, 2007)

hello to all, thank you very much for helping me with all the advice.
as tawhatley has posted i am going to see a lady in ventura, i have been informed that she is a licensed wildlife caretaker.
i wish i could take care of the fledgling alone, but i am not confident in my abilities...i would not like to gamble my chances on a delicate life.
once agin, thank you so much for your concern, i will keep you posted on the little fledgling's journey.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

That's really good news.


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## Grimaldy (Feb 25, 2007)

Charis:
As a matter of personal curiosity, wherever did you get the idea that a baby pigeon can digest raw corn and peas, much less forcing it down? Did you know that the parents feed them a predigested "milk" which they take up from the parents by inserting their beak into the parents?


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

The peas and corn are OK as a temporary 'filler' for a youngster of that approximate age, if softened by the soaking process.

Assuming the estimate is about right, the parents would be feeding it very little crop milk by then. The youngster would primarily get whatever the parents eat, which would be smaller seed and grains if they can find them, softened somewhat in the crop.

John


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Grimaldy said:


> Charis:
> As a matter of personal curiosity, wherever did you get the idea that a baby pigeon can digest raw corn and peas, much less forcing it down? Did you know that the parents feed them a predigested "milk" which they take up from the parents by inserting their beak into the parents?


The idea wasn't to force it down. I was trying to explain where in the mouth to put the food so the bird would swallow it. She had no experience. I was trying to give step by step instrustions that she would understand.I didn't think that bran was a good thing to be feeding the bird. The bird was estimated to be 20 days old and not a little baby. I was trying to find out what might already available in her kichen that would be easy to feed with out having hand feeding formula and even if she did, not knowing how to hand feed.
The intention was to get her through the night until she could get help in the morning. The bird needed food. It had been without for a while. The defrosted corn and peas would also have much need moisture. Sometimes we need to improvise.
My personal pigeons get defrosted corn and peas as a treat. They love it.One time I was n't paying atention to what they were doing and they helped themselves. That's how I found out they liked it.


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## Grimaldy (Feb 25, 2007)

To Charis;
Thank-you for the response. Pidgey also contacted me by PM with some additional info about using corn and peas as an emergency filler; frankly it is a pretty good idea.


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

ladylike1979 said:


> hello to all, thank you very much for helping me with all the advice.
> as tawhatley has posted i am going to see a lady in ventura, i have been informed that she is a licensed wildlife caretaker.
> i wish i could take care of the fledgling alone, but i am not confident in my abilities...i would not like to gamble my chances on a delicate life.
> once agin, thank you so much for your concern, i will keep you posted on the little fledgling's journey.





Charis said:


> That's really good news.


Now, if we may move on...


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