# Tips on how to tube feed sick pigeon



## marine.bkk (Mar 15, 2018)

Hi everyone !

Yesterday, I found a sick feral pigeon on a street close to my home, he was just there on the sidewalk, he could not move and looked super tired and poop everywhere!
There are a lot of stray cats in the area so i decided to take him. I took him to the first vet who told me that she could not do anything and that he will probably die soon. She told me to make him as comfortable as possible and try to feed him water. 
It was already late so i took him home and put in in a carton box and made holes in it so the air would come inside. tried to give him water thinking that in the morning he would have probably died.

Please bear in mind that feral pigeon are like a pest here in Thailand people do not really want to get close to them. People looked surprised at the vet when we came in with this hurt feral pigeon. 

When i woke up i looked over and he was still breathing so i figured i should take him to another vet, a specialist in birds or something. I also named him *Peter the Pigeon*. 

The new vet took a sample of his poop and inside his throat and then he came back and told us he had *coccidia*, 
He said that he cannot promise that Peter will recover but we can try to give him antibiotic and tube feeding him.

Anyway, i have never ever cared for a bird before, i am kinda scared of birds.
So i have to tube feed him in like one hour (i have my husband to help but he is not that brave) and i am kinda scared i am gonna screw it up and hurt him or even worse kill him.

Please any tips on how to tube feed a pigeon will be greatly appreciated. 

Thank you so much.

**attached is a picture of Peter**


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## kayosa (Apr 17, 2017)

Did the vet tell you how to tube feed him?
When we tube fed our injured chicken, we used lube(KY jelly) on the tube so it would go down the throat easily. We felt the crop while feeding to make sure we didn't over feed. 
You have to make sure it goes down the correct throat, if you go to his airway, he dies. So instead of going straight down from the front of his beak, you go crossways(diagonally) allowing the tube to go down the side. 
Alternatively, the people here feed their pigeons defrosted peas, which someone else can tell you about as I haven't done it before.


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## marine.bkk (Mar 15, 2018)

Hi, thanks for your reply.
The vet did show me how to do it, it seemed so easy when i looked at him doing. But when i was at home trying to do it myself i panicked ! i didn't want to hurt him or kill him. had a breakdown and cried for 5 minutes then got over it and did as the vet told me : slide the tube on his right side, feel the tube coming down in the crop then push the food in.
I finally did it ! in my 30 years of existence i tube fed a bird for the first time  
It was not easy but i managed to feed him.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Thank you for helping him. Hope he recovers soon.


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## kayosa (Apr 17, 2017)

marine.bkk said:


> Hi, thanks for your reply.
> The vet did show me how to do it, it seemed so easy when i looked at him doing. But when i was at home trying to do it myself i panicked ! i didn't want to hurt him or kill him. had a breakdown and cried for 5 minutes then got over it and did as the vet told me : slide the tube on his right side, feel the tube coming down in the crop then push the food in.
> I finally did it ! in my 30 years of existence i tube fed a bird for the first time
> It was not easy but i managed to feed him.


Congratulations! It is a tough thing to do the first time. 
I remember when I had to give an antibiotic shot for the first time, I had cold sweats and had to sit down afterward because I almost fainted. The animal was fine though and recovered beautifully. 
Just do as the vet tells you each time, by the book and you'll do fine.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Always make sure the tube is in the crop first, by feeling for it. Also, put it in slowly. If you over feed, or push the food in too quickly, it will come back up and he can aspirate. Just go slow.


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## marine.bkk (Mar 15, 2018)

Thank you everyone for the messages. I really try to do my best with tube feeding Peter, i definitely do not want to hurt him. The whole process of tube feeding still freaks me out a little  

Today is day two, Peter is still alive. He looks better than when i found him on the sidewalk two days ago. He still cannot move though.

I have another question regarding cleaning his poop.
He's been pooping a lot and when i found him he got like wet poop with dried poop on his behind and on his feet. it's like almost everywhere on his behind.
I would like to clean it up. 
Any suggestions ? Should i clean is behind with water and cotton ball? saline solution and cotton ball ?

Thanks a lot, i really appreciate the help, Peter is thanking too !

**attached is Peter chilling in his crate**


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

He doesn't look good at all. Either very sick or injured. Can you find any wounds on him?
He's just a young bird too. If sick he may need medication.


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## marine.bkk (Mar 15, 2018)

Hi, thank you for your message.

According to the vet he has *coccidia*. The vet told me to give him 2 types of liquid antibiotics two times a day (morning & evening) and tube feed him a recovery formula to mix with water. I am feeding him liquid tube food 3 times a day (8h00, 13h00 and 18h00)
I haven't found any wounds or bleeding on him, but yet again he looks so fragile and i am so scared to hurt him or stress him. He is very weak, the only part he can move is his head. He poops a lot, color is watery dark green.
He is also missing some feathers on his head. 
I also saw something crawling on his feathers i tried to remove it but it was way faster then me and disappeared under his feathers. i tried looking for it but couldn't find it. i saw it twice today and tried to find it but his feathers are so thick. 

The vet did tell me that he might not make it, he might suddenly die of his sickness.
I have hope and i pray that he will get better. I still think that it was meant to be that my mother and i found him while walking to the hairdresser, right place and right time. God sent him to us on that day so we could take care of him. 

Thank you for all the messages. I have never had to care for a bird before in my life. I am so relieved that i can talk and seek advice from people who have knowledge about pigeons.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Have you looked way down his throat with a flashlight to see if there is anything cheesy looking down there? He could have canker. What tests did the vet do to come to his conclusion of cocci? The dark green droppings could also mean that he isn't getting enough to eat.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Check his feathers carefully to see if he has a pigeon fly. They look like flat flies and transmit pigeon malaria whicjh is treatable. If you see a fly like that get rid of it. They hide in the feathers, such as under a wing.
https://naldc.nal.usda.gov/download/IND43893804/PDF
Our squeaker Chloe had malaria from pigeon flies.


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## marine.bkk (Mar 15, 2018)

Hi,

The vet took sample of his poop and inside his throat to test under microscope and then showed me on the screen what cocci cells looked like, "a boiled egg that you cut in half". 

As for the fly, i am pretty positive it looked like a pigeon fly. They move so quick!! Is the pigeon malaria contagious to the human ? 
Any tips on how to search for them ? where to start ?

Poor Peter, he has so many problems, bless his little soul, he is still a fighter.

I saw some small improvement this morning, he is more alert with his head but still cannot move. 

Please find attached the picture of Peter this morning & his poop. 

Thank you again for all your help !


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Does he keep his feet tucked up under him, or do they go straight back? He could need calcium and D3. 

You can wash his feet and bottom with a warm wet rag. 
How much is he getting in each feeding?


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## marine.bkk (Mar 15, 2018)

Hello,

I'm not sure about his feet. he keeps them tucked up there but once i carry him they come down. i tried putting my finger in between his fingers to see if he would have reaction or maybe grab my finger with his feet, but i didn't get any reaction so far. I don't think he can move them yet.


Regarding his feeding, the vet told me :
- tube feed him the recovery formula 4 times a day in big syringe. He told me not to exceed 15 ML each feeding.
- feed liquid antibiotics (pink 0.13 & yellow 0.17 ML) in small syringe, morning and evening.
- feed the transparent capsule (booster or some kind) in small syringe once every morning then put him in early morning sun for 30 minutes, apparently it will make him happy.

Today i will try to find those pigeon flies in his feather and get rid of them.


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## marine.bkk (Mar 15, 2018)

Hi everyone !

My husband and i desperately tried to find those pigeon flies in his feather but we failed, they were too fast. We spotted two of them but once i tried to pick them they disappeared in a blink ! i cannot believe how fast they are !

Please let me know if this is life threatening for him. I have an appointment with the vet next Thursday for his checkup, maybe the vet and his assistants can remove them flies. Can the flies situation wait or i should go back to the vet before the appointment ?

Peter is now slightly improving, he looks a little bit more alive now, his neck seems slightly stronger but he still cannot move or eat by himself. He can drink by himself, i put water in a bottle cap and he just puts his beak in it and drinks. 

Thank you


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

If they are pigeon flies ask the vet to check a blood smear for pigeon malaria which then can be treated.
There are treatments to remove pigeon flies but would want to be careful using those when a bird is already ill.
http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f27/flies-that-move-like-crabs-living-on-doves-22473.html
Our vet said pigeon malaria is a parasite but not contagious to humans.


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## marine.bkk (Mar 15, 2018)

Hi, 
I will ask the vet to do that on Thursday. I really want to get rid of these things on him, i feel so sorry for him. Please let me know if i should buy any of these products for his flies (attachment pics). I only found these two products can be sent to Thailand from Amazon.

Do you think Peter should have some kind of bath? or birds to not bathe? or is it too soon because he is sick? 

Thanks.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I would get the Anti Mite Extra.
Can you offer him water in something a bit deeper than a bottle cap? That would make it easier for him to drink enough.


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## marine.bkk (Mar 15, 2018)

*updates on Peter*

Hi !

Took Peter to the vet today because of the pigeon flies and other parasites.
The vet was impressed that Peter was getting stronger in such a short time 
He did put some product on the back of Peter's neck for the parasites, and said they will die soon. The vet also instructed us to feed him antibiotics for another 2 weeks. And tube feed him until he is ready to eat by himself.
*Please let me know how will i know that he is ready to eat by himself *

The vet also gave us sad news that because of the cocci, Peter will never walk or fly again. He said the cocci damaged Peter's nervous system and affected the legs and wings  
But i see Peter move his wings but the legs look like they are gone, but sometimes i can feel him pushing me with his legs when i pick him up so i still have hope that one day this bird will be able to fly. 

Please see attached pictures of him today (at the vet getting his behind cleaned at at home in his crate


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

Thank you so much for rescueing Peter! He is starting to look much better than in the first few photo's. You can leave a small bowl of seeds in front of him, when he is feeling better he will start eating by himself.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I would do as Marina says. When he is able to, or wants to eat again, if the seed is there he will start pecking at it.
Don't listen to the vet about his not walking or flying again. Give him the bird vitamins and calcium/D3 and give him time to improve.
You're doing good.


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## marine.bkk (Mar 15, 2018)

Hi, 
Any specific brand of supplement of vitamin/d3 to suggest to me ?
I'll probably buy things from Amazon for him.

Thanks


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Peter is a cute and lucky bird! Good job helping him.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

marine.bkk said:


> Hi,
> Any specific brand of supplement of vitamin/d3 to suggest to me ?
> I'll probably buy things from Amazon for him.
> 
> Thanks


I use CalciBoost. It's CalciVet in the UK. Good stuff. I like the liquid as it can go in the water or given individually. But there are other brands.
Also, I would keep that water bowl filled as deep as possible as they do better with deeper water. That is better, it's just that they do better with deeper as they need to be able to suck up the water. At least over an inch, inch and a half. Or just keep it topped up.


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## marine.bkk (Mar 15, 2018)

Thanks for the tips, i will give him a deeper water bowl. I was afraid of the deeper one because since he cannot move i was afraid he would drown his beak in it and die (silly me i know, caring for Peter has made me very paranoid ) I am always afraid that something will go wrong and he will die


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## marine.bkk (Mar 15, 2018)

*getting stronger*

Hi,

Just to give an update of Peter, he's been with us for almost a week now and boy is he getting stronger ! He looks healthier than when i found him on the sidewalk. He is even getting cockier too ! 

This evening, he pushed himself with his beak to the door of the crate, found him with his head out of the crate. We had to take his head back in the crate and put something blocking the door so he would not get his head out again.

Poor thing must want to go back to his home but he cannot walk or fly. I hope that the vet is wrong about his handicap and that Peter will be able to fly and walk soon.

Here is a picture of a much healthier Peter.

It is very rewarding to see him in a much better condition now.
It was hard at first for my husband and i, we have never touched a bird before, have to wake up early, tube feed him, change his nappy, clean his behind and the cage all of that 4 times a day. Have plan our day according to his feeding time. But all of that paid off and he looks better now.


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

He is looking good. You can try and put a mirror next to him, pigeons love to watch their own reflection. Maybe this will help with the loneliness. Also put him outside in his crate for a bit of sunlight every day (under supervision), at least for 15 min every day.


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## marine.bkk (Mar 15, 2018)

Hi, thanks for your message, i will provide him with a mirror tomorrow.

Peter's been getting sunlight every morning for 30 min on the balcony (he gets it before 9am it starts to get hot here in Bangkok afterwards)

*Is Peter supposed to be left alone all day or can he have some human interaction ?*

After his breakfast and sunlight, we let him rest in the guest bedroom. Then at lunch we feed him and he goes back to rest in the guest bedroom. At around 5 pm i bring his crate downstairs to the covered patio and he stays there with my husband and i and our dog (she doesn't care about him at all). Around 6.30pm it's feeding time, then when the sun sets at around 7pm he goes back to the guest bedroom until the morning where he goes out on the balcony.

Am i doing it right, should i leave him more alone or more with us ?


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

I think what you're doing for Peter is perfect, and the results are showing it. Pigeons don't really care for human company, they view us as predators. Unless it's a baby handraised by humans.

So you are giving him some private time, and also time with you which is good for keeping an eye on him. Now if Peter is indeed a male, he might be upset about "seeing another male" in the mirror. Invasion in his territory. Females don't really bother about seeing their own reflection. Would be interesting to know how this turns out. I always provide a mirror when I have a sick pigeon, I just thinks it helps calm them down and they usually spend their time lying next to it.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

As Marina said, some males will get upset with the pigeon in the mirror. If that happens, just remove it. Some females like to lay next to it for company.


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## marine.bkk (Mar 15, 2018)

Hi, 

We provided a mirror to him this morning, i don't think he likes it, when we came back to check on him he crawled to the mirror, there were feathers in the cage  so we took it out.

Peter is improving in every aspect, he is trying to balance himself with his legs (we think that one might not be working) but we don't give up hope that one day he will fly.

His head can now turn to the other side almost 360 !  I never knew that birds can turn their heads like that.

He looks like he is grooming himself or maybe plucking those dead lice and mites out of his feathers.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Looks much better! Cute bird. You did a great job.


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

Great job! So then Peter must be a male!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

From the pictures, it looks as if his toes are turning black and atrophied. Are they?
He may have gotten caught by a predator or hit wires and broken his legs. 
Can you post a better close up of his feet? This may have been the whole problem. If he couldn't walk, then he couldn't eat. He may just have been starving. He also could have been born like this. Lack of calcium and B vitamins.


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## marine.bkk (Mar 15, 2018)

Hi,

Please find the pictures of his feet. I took these pictures this morning.
It is now almost midnight here in Bangkok and i don't want to disturb his sleep.
I will post better pictures of his feet tomorrow.

Thank you.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Those pics aren't really clear, and with so much droppings on them, i'm sorry but hard to tell. Are the toes themselves black? And higher up on the legs...........is it black or bruised?


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Jay3, good questions.


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## marine.bkk (Mar 15, 2018)

*eating by himself*

Hi,

I had a look at his feet, they are normal colour, only his claws are black. Is that normal ?

Peter condition improves everyday and it surprises us how fast he is recovering.
Peter stood on his two feet today, still wobbling when he moves but he is learning his balance. He can now turn around his body with his feet. He can grip my finger with his claws. 

We decided to give him time in the garden under both my supervision and my husband's supervision.
He loved it, he was moving around ! he tried picking things from the garden and seeing if it was edible. I knew i had to go buy him some bird food and see if he would eat by himself.
I came back with the bird food, we put some in a cup for him and sprinkled some around him, then he started to eat by himself !
I had tears in my eyes and my husband was so excited to see this. All our sleepless nights, the anxiety and the constant caring for him had paid off.

Another thing we have noticed is that Peter doesn't look scared of us at all.
Is that normal ?


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Sounds like you have become his flock.
Would not ever leave him alone outside. Be careful. If he flies he may take off and may hever return...so young and alone he would be predator chow. So many oeople here sadly write how they took their pet pigeon outside only to lose him.
Would only keep him inside now because he is dependent on you. 
He really is a cutie. Very glad he is eating.


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## marine.bkk (Mar 15, 2018)

Hi,

We keep a close eye on him when we are in the garden, not more than 1 metre away from him.

He seems so much more "alive" when he is outside. I feel kinda guilty that he cant enjoy the outside as much as he want to, he is kept in a crate most of the day  

We want him to be able to go back to his home one day, wherever that might be.We think that he still has to heal and get stronger before he can leave. My husband thinks Peter should go back to his freedom after getting better. He is emotionally attached to this bird but he thinks it would be wrong of us to keep him from his freedom. 

*Anybody had the same experience with nursing a bird and then letting him go back?*

We really want the best for him, we have been nursing him back to life for a week now and we both feel we are parents to a pigeon, as crazy as it might sound, the first thing we do in the morning is feed him and last thing we do before going to bed is make sure he is ok.

I was surfing on the internet and came across pigeon pants. I was thinking of buying him that, so i can monitor his movements in the meantime that he gets better. Is it a good idea or a horrible one ?

Thank you


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

WOW! What a difference! Good job! I told you not to listen to the vet. They don't know enough about pigeons. He does need calcium/D3 in order to help the legs grow strong. 
cwebster is right in that he shouldn't be let outside. One day he will surprise you and fly. You won't be able to get to him, and he can't survive on his own. 
He is a young bird and still needs his flock in order to be safe in the wild. Since he isn't with them, he can't survive on his own. Not unless you can introduce him back into his flock. Then it depends on whether or not he was with his parents long enough for them to teach him what he needs to know to survive in the wild. If not, then he is unarmed in survival knowledge. Birds like that don't often survive out there. 
He looks great, but please get him the calcium. He also needs pigeon grit if he is eating seed. You can even crush up chicken egg shells which have been boiled for 5 minutes, and add them to the grit. That will help to give him calcium, but he would still need the vitamin D to be able to absorb the calcium. Maybe you could get some bird vitamins that contain the vitamin D3.


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

Bangkok is quite a busy city, do you really want to send him back to the streets? Looks as if you have a nice yard, I would rather build him a nice aviary and then adopt him a mate later on. You did say that he is quite tame around you.... He can still live a good life, even if it will be one in captivity.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Marina B said:


> Bangkok is quite a busy city, do you really want to send him back to the streets? Looks as if you have a nice yard, I would rather build him a nice aviary and then adopt him a mate later on. You did say that he is quite tame around you.... He can still live a good life, even if it will be one in captivity.


^ Agree with this.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Agree best outcome given his tame nature would be a nice aviary and a mate outside. A lone pigeon doesnt stand a chance outside.


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## marine.bkk (Mar 15, 2018)

Dear all,

Thank you for your feedback, we definitely do not want to send this poor bird to his death in the outside world. 
I will definitely get him the calcium/D3.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Have not tried pigeon pants but some with experience on this hopefully will comment. Glad you are continuing to care for him. We used to use towels when we let Phoebe loose in the house. Now our birds live outside in large flight cages in a shed.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Generally they of course don't like the pants. Many people say they get used to them, and some just give up because the bird hates them. I wouldn't use them. Like cwebster, I just covered the backs of chairs and things like that with towels. Just bought a matching set of cheap dark brown towels to put over the living room chairs, and they didn't really look that bad. Then you can just shake them out and launder. Easy.


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## marine.bkk (Mar 15, 2018)

Hi,

Yes of course we will continue to care for Peter, we are very attached to him. He is a funny looking pigeon with a stray feather on his head. in the space of less than 2 weeks we have nurtured this birdie back to life which makes us very attached to him. He has a great personality too, very cocky bird.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

He is adorable.


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

He's a real beauty! Thanks for the effort you've put into saving him, it's all worth it at the end.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

He really is adorable. A face you have got to love! Great job you guys!


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## marine.bkk (Mar 15, 2018)

Hi,

I have so many questions regarding Peter's behaviour. He is surprising us.
We were siting on the floor today and letting Peter explore, Peter just climbed on my husband foot then walk to his ankles then to his knee and just stood there on him, while my husband was petting him around his neck. Do bird even like petting ? 
How can a feral pigeon get so close to a human in such short time? Can a bird trust a human ?


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Birds can definitely trust humans. Be careful petting...if you have a female and stroke their back, they think you want to mate with them. I was shocked and embarassed when our vet told us that. We only gently pet the neck now.


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## marine.bkk (Mar 15, 2018)

HAHAHA no wonder he likes my husband !
He or she  Peter might be a female 
Thanks for the tip we will definitely pet him around the neck from now on.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

If an adult feral, it would usually take him a lot longer to learn to trust you, as they grow up normally viewing people as predators. Some will tame.............others will not.
But you have a youngun there. He is more impressionable, so not like an adult. You have helped him and fed him, so he sees you as a source of his food. You meet his needs. That is the big difference. They usually tame up easily. As he/she grows older, he will most likely not like petting. A female may, if she views you as her mate. Actually they can drive you crazy with wanting to be with you constantly, and calling you. A female can feel like velcro. It can actually be too much. LOL.


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## kayosa (Apr 17, 2017)

cwebster said:


> Birds can definitely trust humans. Be careful petting...if you have a female and stroke their back, they think you want to mate with them. I was shocked and embarassed when our vet told us that. We only gently pet the neck now.


Hahaha, That's the social cue for most birds. Our chickens will sit and stamp their feet occasionally when we pass by, because we don't have a rooster and they want babies.


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