# Found a pigeon or dove and don't know what to do....



## sess (Jul 9, 2007)

Hello everyone,
I am hoping someone can help me. Yesterday I saw a beautiful white dove in our driveway. I thought he might be hurt so I told my husband who grew up with birds to get closer to see if he was hurt. He walked right up to him, picked him up and put him on his shoulder. Then our 3 kids wanted to keep him. In the mean time we have put him in a dog cage and set up a perch and been feeding him wild bird feed and water. I have been calling everywhere to try to find it's home as it is not banded but acts very domesticated. I don't know what to do....please someone help...... Thanks..


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Do you have a guess on what this bird weighs? It certainly could be a white dove but there are some white pigeons and so I was wondering if maybe that's what it is. Usually, the white ones (doves and pigeons, both) are domesticated. The fact that you could pick it up that easily is pretty suspicious so we're going to want to do a little investigating here. In case it's sick or hurt and needs medications, a vet or other resources, where basically are you?

Pidgey


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Some of the things to consider will be the age of the bird which can be kinda' fun to tell. If he makes any sounds that resemble a squeak or shreik, we'll know he's pretty young. Also, if there are any little yellow hairs sticking out of the feathers we can assume he's a nestling, too. The ceres (call it the bridge of the nose) will not be a distinct white in a young one but sometimes they never get white. So, if the base of this bird's beak is REAL white, we'll know he's an adult.

Is there any way that you can post pictures?

Pidgey


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## SkyofAngels (Jun 28, 2007)

Where are you located? If you are close to me I will take the bird in if you like


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Hi Sess and welcome to Pigeon-Talk. Thank you for assisting this dove or pigeon! With no identification band, we will not be able to locate the owner of the bird. If it is a ringneck dove, then it has literally no chance of surviving on its own and needs a home. If it is a homing pigeon, it may or may not be able to find the way home. I kind of think the best thing for this bird would be for you to adopt it or at least keep it safe until a permanent home can be found. Please let us know what you would like to do.

Here's a link to our Resources Directory should you need it: http://www.pigeon-life.net/prd.htm

Terry


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## sess (Jul 9, 2007)

Well, there are no yellow feathers, the base of it's beak is white and it hasn't made a sound at all for 2 days. When it is relaxed on the perch it pulls it's neck in and puffs out it's feathers. I read somewhere this could mean it is sick, is this true? We are in MA. What type of cage (how big/small), what type of food, and what else does this bird need if we did decide to keep it? It really is a sweet bird and I really want to find a nice home for it if we don't keep it.


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## sabina (Mar 11, 2006)

You can buy a pigeon/dove seed mix. If it's an adult, you should just need to provide seeds and water. It's good to provide some grit as well, but that's not essential for right this second. All of that is available at any pet supply store (petco etc). Cage-size, well the bigger the better. That also depends on how much time the bird would spend in the cage vs free flying. Our birds pretty much just use their cages to sleep. Their cages are 18 in wide and 27 in tall.

It's true, if a pigeon stays puffed a lot of the time, it usually means they're sick. But if it just puffs here and there, that doesn't sound like something to worry about.

Can you post pictures of the bird so people can let you know what kind of bird you have?


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Here is a link that may help you identify whether it is a dove or pigeon, not as good as the one I had...but it will do:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dove

The top two birds in picture are pigeons, ad they do come in white, if you scroll down you will come to a pic of a dove, they can also be white but are smaller then pigeons, have smaller beak and head, and skinnier. They have a tail that comes to a point, where as a pigeon's tail is straight.

If you have any apple cider vinegar, please put a drop or two in its water, as it may help the bird get back some acidity and diminish any bad bacteria that might be going on inside the crop and/or gut.


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## sess (Jul 9, 2007)

I have tried to post some pics but it won't work. I am guessing it is a dove because of the pics of pigeons I have seen. If he stays here with us he won't be able to free fly a lot because of our dog. We are keeping it comfortable but we still don't know what to do....


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

You'll have to check the filesize of the pictures that you're trying to post and make sure that it's under 100 KB, otherwise you can't upload it.

Pidgey


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## sabina (Mar 11, 2006)

Has the bird been eating and drinking well? What are you feeding?


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## sess (Jul 9, 2007)

Yes the pics are too large....we are feeding it wild bird mix that we use for the outside birds..... he is eating ok and drinking water occasionally.....we talked to the mspca and they said they would take him if we don't keep it.....any thoughts on that?


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Our combined experience with the SPCA has largely been that they put these birds down with some regularity. Therefore, we typically attempt to find some other resource as a rule.

Pidgey


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Pictures can be fairly easily resized with Paint by using the Stretch/Skew command under the Image drop-down menu. You will need to keep the ratio for both terms equal and then concurrently monitor the filesize with Explorer to see when you get there. It's best to make a copy of the original file to work with because you will lose resolution as you reduce the file and you may need it later for clarification.

Pidgey


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## amoonswirl (Nov 14, 2006)

Not sure where you are in MA sess, but I may be able to take the bird if you are not able to keep it. I have both ringnecks and pigeons. Send me a PM if you need to find a home.


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## sess (Jul 9, 2007)

Thanks so much for your offer...I will definately keep you in mind. I have bought a cage for it but I think it is a little small for him. I am looking for a hanging cage with a reasonable price tag that is large enough for him. I would like to have a hanging one because we have a great dane. He is currently recovering from stomach surgery and crate bound for another week so I have been unable to see how he will behave around the bird or cage. He will be a big dog and I would hate for the bird to be hurt from the dog being curious. In any event, does anyone know where I can find a cage like this? By the way I have started feeding him a dove food mix and cleaned him with a mite/lice spray and he seems happy...so far so good....but I will keep your offer in mind, and let you know how things go when the dog is recovered. Oh, and I am in Raynham MA.


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## amoonswirl (Nov 14, 2006)

Hi Sess,
Looks like Raynham is not to far from me - I'm in Lowell, MA.
As far as a hanging cage for a pigeon...Not sure that anyone makes hanging cages that are large enough. (Though I suppose with the right hardware one could hang just about any cage.) Just remember that for pigeons, height is not as important as width. They can't climb like hookbills do, and they need to be able to fully extend their wings.

I have a hanging cockatiel cage for my 2 doves, but I don't think it would be big enough for a pigeon. Has it been established yet whether your charge is a ringneck dove or a pigeon?

In either event if the bird is going to be caged it is best to find a safe area of the house in which you can periodically let it have some flight time. I try to let mine out for at least 30 minutes a day - longer if possible.

Hope your dog is feeling better soon! And best wishes with your bird as well!


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