# baby pigeon, don't know what to do!



## erica84 (Apr 29, 2007)

Hi, a mother pigeon built a nest on my balcony and the eggs hatched approx. 1.5 weeks ago.. someone cleaning the balcony moved the nest, after which i didn't see the mother. i moved the nest (more just a pile of sticks on a piece of paper) back into the original position, and now don't know what to do. everywhere i research about feeding starts with the assumption that i can touch and handle the bird, but every time i go somewhat close to it, the baby rears back and gets defensive and even makes very fast pecking, jabbing motions. to be honest, with the fear of bird flu in this area, this behavior makes me nervous about getting too close. i just tried to offer some baby cereal on a straw, and it jabbed at that for a bit, but i'm not sure if it was actually eating it or attacking it.. and, being in bangkok, i really have no idea where i can take this bird to be taken care of..!? 
(plus, is it possible that the mom will actually return? it's already been more than two days, and i haven't seen her, including at night, but is it possibly at a stage where she would only come back time to time?)


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## flitsnowzoom (Mar 20, 2007)

Hi Erica,
Thanks for helping this little baby and welcome.

There are lots of experts that will come to your assistance on this board soon, but let me reassure you that pigeons *do not carry or transmit *the avian flu so do not let that fear stop you from trying to care for this baby. 

If the mom is not back very soon that baby will die if it is not fed and rehydrated. Unfortunately mom may have been scared off or been killed. 
Those pecking and rearing up motions that you see every time you get close is the baby saying "Feed me, feed me, I'm hungry". All baby birds that must be fed will do that sort of thing.

Please do your best to help this little one. I know others will be on soon (if they haven't already answered you) and lots of expert advice will be coming your way. Stay tuned . . . .


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

HI Erica,
Thank goodness for your kindness. Probably your efforts will make the difference between life and death for the baby pigeon you posted about. There is only one, right?
If you haven't had one on one with a pigeon before, I understand why you might be hesitant to pick it up, with all that bating of the wings and picking. In a baby that means it is very hungry and wants to be fed. If the mother has been gone two days the baby won't survive much longer without food and water.
I agree with Mary in that you don't need to worry about Avian flu.
Please go get the baby and bring it inside. A box would be a good thing to put it in with a towel in the bottom. I doubt you need to worry about a heating pad given your location, but what is the temperature?
After the baby is inside, we can direct you with feeding.


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## erica84 (Apr 29, 2007)

thanks, that is reassuring! especially since i have had real trouble getting advice and have been stressing out about where to go. 
i should clarify though.. unless i'm reading these signs really wrong, the baby bird is not reaching out for food with these pecking motions, but really does seem to be defensive, and seems to immediately get nervous when i get close.. more like, rearing up, making noises, backing away, etc.


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Hi ericka84, welcome to PT and thanks for caring about this baby pigeon. Are
you noticing the baby kind of pumping it's shoulders at all when you are near?

fp


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## erica84 (Apr 29, 2007)

oh i actually did see one adult pigeon at the nest a little while ago, seemed to be sitting there (not sure).. but as soon as i opened the balcony door, it flew away... would that be a not-motherly reaction?? a bunch of pigeons hang out around my balcony, so not sure if it was a random one? would it be too optimistic to think it could have been the mom, to have made such a short-lived appearance? 
as for the temperature, it's actually warmer outdoors (very warm), and the bird built the nest between the outside part of the air-conditioner and the wall, so it has warm air coming at it. 

pumping shoulders..hm...not sure, it seems to be standing up and sitting down, and maybe lifting its wing a bit, .. when i reached forwards with a straw, it immediately seems to attack it..?


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hi Erika,

It was very wise of you to return the nest to its location, pigeons can't recognise their own young at that age and go entirely by location.

So, the babies are about 11 ? 13 days old? Squabs of that age rear up and make pecking motion when they feel they are being attacked. It is all for show. John has a video of his balcony squabs doing that, I hope he will post it!

At that age the parents will stop sitting on the nest and return to feed the babies, so there is a chance that the bird you saw fly off is one of the parent. If you can, pick up one of the babies and feel the front of its breast. If you can feel food in there then the parent bird is feeding them. Whenever I have picked up a parent fed squab it has been easy to check whether they are being fed because they are so full. If they are not being fed they will have to be hand fed, but offering food on a straw doesn't work. I will post some links to methods of feeding:http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=9682&referrerid=560

Cynthia


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Erika, they do leave the babies and stay close by the nest as the babies
get a bit older and the weather permits. You really need to be certain of
whether or not the baby has been abandoned, as it is best for the parent(s)
to rear their babies. How long has it been since you moved the nest back?

fp


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

*Squabbies vid*

Hi,

The video Cynthia referred to is at

www.pigeon-aid.org.uk/squabs2.wmv

John


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## erica84 (Apr 29, 2007)

ah, thanks for the advice, everyone! the video is indeed very similar to what the baby was doing, but fortunately, i think my intervention is no longer needed. moving back the nest (which i hadn't done right away) might have made the difference, because i now see a pigeon sitting back at the nest for the first time in the last couple of days. so hopefully it IS one of the parents...


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Thank goodness.


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

erika84, glad to hear that you are seeing parental supervision @ the nest site.
Might be good to still just keep an eye on things, but it does sound as though
nest duties are being fulfilled.  

Thanks for being concerned over the welfare of the baby, and also for giving
us the update.

fp


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