# I found a pigeon and I have no clue what to do



## Twiggy (Aug 24, 2008)

So, about an hour and a half ago, I found a pigeon on the street. He was trying to sleep on top of a store and the owner of the store got a broom and took it down. Then threw it into the street.
The pigeon stayed in the street, so I'm not sure if his foot is injured, or if anything else is injured. He would have gotten run over if he was still on the street. And I wanted to take him home to make sure he's alright before I let him go.
I've never taken care of a pigeon before.
I currently have him in my cat carrier. There's a bowl of water and two containers of food. One has split peas and the other has a crushed biscuit. Unfortunately, we're out of bread right now. There's a tshirt in there, wrapped in the shape of a nest. And the carrier is lined with newspaper on the bottom.

So, right now, I'd be grateful for any help, tips, or advice.


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## KIPPY (Dec 18, 2003)

First off, Thank You for helping this little guy out.

I would put a heating pad set on low in the carrier and put a towel on it and place the pij on that.


> There's a tshirt in there, wrapped in the shape of a nest


 you could keep that in there also.
I would not worry about bread and I would take the crushed biscuit out.

What area do you live in? and can you take and post a picture of the pij?

There's some rehabbers and caring people that belong to the site, someone should be on shortly.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

If you can take and post a picture of the bird, it might help. He might be sick, starved or both. Do you see any yellow hairs on the ends of his feathers on his neck near his head? Can you describe his poop? Also, where basically are you in case we've got resources in your area?

Pidgey


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## Twiggy (Aug 24, 2008)

I don't have a heating pad, but it's really warm in my house.
I actually took some photos and I was uploading them when I was posting this thread.
I took the crushed biscuit out. Is there anything else I could give him?
I live in Queens, NY.
I'll take a photo of his poop right now. But here are the photos of him:



















He's so cute.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Okay, he's a youngster and he doesn't know how to eat or drink yet. You're going to have to teach him. Teaching him to drink will be easier than eating and you should probably do that first. Put your low bowl in front of him and gently push his his head down so that about half of his beak goes in the water. You might have to do it a few times and you might want to fill it about 3/4 full.

Pidgey


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## Twiggy (Aug 24, 2008)

Ah, okay.
By any chance, can you tell how old he is?

Here's a photo of his poop:


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

After you've given that a few shots, you can work on getting him to eat the split peas. The best way for him to learn is to peck with your finger into the peas close in front of him. You can also touch his beak with your finger and then resume pecking. He might give it a few tries, too. The more you work with him, the more he'll get it. And, the more hungry his is, the faster he'll pick it up. You might also have to hold him while you work his beak open and drop a few in, one at a time. In so doing, you'll need to give him time to swallow each one before putting another in. That's tedious, but it does reinforce the idea that you're trying to teach him how to eat. It could take a day or two for him to get it with several actual episodes but you always leave a small bowl of the stuff with him and keep pecking with your finger every off chance you get.

Pidgey


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Hard to say, maybe 3 1/2 to 4 weeks.

Pidgey


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Twiggi, 




You have a lovely youngster there...


Ideally, small whole Seeds, such as 'Finch Seed' or 'Canary Seed' will be easiest for him to deal with.

No Pigeons I have ever seen will willingly eat Lentils or split Peas, even though they all like whole, round, dry Peas of various kinds, and other small Grains.


Your Local Petsart should have what you need...and the 'White Safflower' Seeds are also a good one for youngsters.


Some so called 'Dove Mixes' have both very small whole Seeds and the White Safflower Seeds combined.





Let us know what his poops are looking like? Color, consistancy, how-any since you got him...



As 'pidgey' mentioned - you can guide his Beak for him to drink -


The best way to do this, is to moisten your finger tips in warm water and shake off any excess, then, with your finger tips, gently 'massage' his Beak as an invitation in his terms, to feed or water him, and see if you can encourage him to 'Nuzzle' your finger tips then with his Beak.


His Water should be just a little less than body temperature, or else he will likely refuse to drink...

So, just have a little low Cup of tepid Water, and see if you can get him 'nuzzling' and gently guide his Beak, keeping your finger tips on it as you do so, guise it into the Water and keep your finger tips on the sides of his Beak while he drinks...


I will check back later...


Best wishes..!


Phil
l v


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## Twiggy (Aug 24, 2008)

Aw, he's so young.
I tried the water and he drank a bit of it. I'll try to get him to eat.
Thanks for all the help. =)


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Yeah, pretty young. There's no way he can survive "out there" for a few weeks yet--you're all he's got right now. He'll grow on you... literally. 

Can he stand up? We might need to think about looking into that leg. Can you get a picture of him sorta' standing up or being held up with the legs dangling?

Pidgey


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Twiggy, 



It is very unlikely he will eat those Lentils or split Peas.


Get some more appropriate kinds of Seeds first thing tomorrow.


He is not starving...he can coast a little and be alright for now.


Possibly...if you can get him to be 'nuzzling', you could let him 'gobble' these if you are holding them in your fingers being brought togather so that your fingers are all straight and making a sort of narrow 'funnel' where he can put his Bea into the end of it, between your finger tips...


Their normal anner of eating is to havetheir Bea in their parent's Throat...where thei open and close their Beak to get foods which are brought up from the parent's Crop...


So, one can feed them 'Seeds' by this method, over a towell, since there is some spilling...


Lentils or split Peas are fine for them, just not what they will tend to eat on their own volition.

At his age, he has never seen food to even associate it's appearance with the experience of being fed, so, he could be fed these, without seeing them.



Phil
l v


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## Twiggy (Aug 24, 2008)

pdpbison, thanks! =)
I'm a little afraid that I'm going to hurt him when I try to open his beak, but I'll be careful.
He pooped about four times now. And I hot him home about two hours ago. The last time he pooped was about five minutes ago and it looked like this:










I don't have any type of bird food right now. I know we have flax seeds somewhere, but I just can't find them. I found cumin seeds, but I'm not sure if he should eat that or not.


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## Twiggy (Aug 24, 2008)




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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Oh, those peas will tide him over until you get a chance to look for something better. If you've got any raw, unbuttered, unpopped and unsalted (all of the above) popcorn then you can use that, too. I fed my first bird rolled oats and she learned to eat it pretty well.

That poop looks like it has some solids in it so he's not starving to death. He's not going to die of starvation in a few hours if you don't get some food in him, by the way--it's not an absolute immediate danger.

Pidgey


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Doesn't look like the legs are broken, either. He can put pressure on both legs just fine?

Pidgey


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## Twiggy (Aug 24, 2008)

I'm relieved that he's not starving and that he's not injured. I still can't believe someone can (literally) throw an animal into the street like that.
He can stand up. But as soon as he's comfortable again, he'll sit back down.
He seems a bit tired, he's sleeping right now.


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## Twiggy (Aug 24, 2008)

One more thing, I want to give him a bath, but I'm not sure if it's a good idea. What do you think?


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Let him sleep, as should you given the hour. Bless you for taking him in!

Pidgey


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Twiggy,
You can also defrost frozen corn and and peas under warm water and feed the baby those until you get to the pet store. Just open the beak and put individual pieces at the back of the throat and the baby will swallow them. I think 25-30 pieces a feeding would be a good amount.
That's a very cute baby you've got and lucky you came along.


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## Twiggy (Aug 24, 2008)

Aw, anything for an animal. ^_^


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Twiggy said:


> One more thing, I want to give him a bath, but I'm not sure if it's a good idea. What do you think?


They love baths. Does he stink or have something on him in particular that you want to clean off?

Pidgey


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## Twiggy (Aug 24, 2008)

And, thanks Charis. =)
I think we have some. I'm going to try that.


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## Twiggy (Aug 24, 2008)

Pidgey said:


> They love baths. Does he stink or have something on him in particular that you want to clean off?
> 
> Pidgey


Nah, but he has dirt on his feet. And I just want to make sure he's clean.
I'll let him rest for now though.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Twiggy said:


> Nah, but he has dirt on his feet. And I just want to make sure he's clean.
> I'll let him rest for now though.


Well, I better warn you before you go too far: do NOT paint his toenails and put a ribbon on his head.

Pidgey


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Twiggy, 



He is likely sore or sprained a little in the Legs and elsewhere, from his adventures earlier.


Last poop image loos to me like p-o-s-s-i-b-l-y 'early' hints of Canker, so, I would consider to note the poops carefully from here on, seeing if they start to have 'flat' Water-color like Urates...where now, the ( "White" ) Urates are a little 'curdled' looking, which is soetimes a preliminary stage of symptom.



Anyway, I did not say or suggest you try 'opening' his Beak...


I suggested you gently see if by offering to feed him in his terms ( ie, gently 'massaging his Beak with your finger tips )...to see if you can inspire him to 'Nuzzle'...to assert bu [robing with his Beak, for you to feed him.


And if he will 'nuzzle' for you, then he would be able to eat small whole Seeds, possibly even those Split Peas or Lentils, IF you can hold some in the hollow space between your paralell, straight, fingers, so Gravity will aid, and with him inserting his Beak into the space between your finger tips, where, he will volentarily open and close his Beak to 'gobble' or 'eat' and by this means, you could feed him with what you have.

Your fingers would be as if making a 'Shadow' Puppet of a Duck's Head...


Better Seed kinds tomorrow, will allow better methods...and, you can have him pecking in no time once on the right sequence.


I will post a few images soon...recharging the Camera Battery right now.


All in all, keep your hands "low" with him, keep your hands lower than his eyes, move slowly at all times, and speak softly to him...unless he is asking you to feed him ( ie, squeaking and nuzzling and asserting with his Beak ) , in which case, you can do the thing I described which requires your Hand be higher than his face...for him to eat from the space within your brought together paralell fingers...


Keep him somewhere elbow high or higher so he is not feeling anxious about being too 'low' to the ground...




Phil
l v


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## Twiggy (Aug 24, 2008)

That's such a great idea. =D
I should get him pigeon clothes. He can be my twin. ^_^

Just kidding of course, he seems perfectly happy in his feathers. =)


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## Twiggy (Aug 24, 2008)

pdpbison said:


> All in all, keep your hands "low" with him, keep your hands lower than his eyes, ove slowly at all times, and spea softly to him...unless he is asking you to feed him ( ie, squeaking and nuzzling and asserting with his Beak ) , in which case, you can do the thing I described which requires your Hand be higher than his face...for him to eat from the space within your brought together paralell fingers...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Well, he squeaks softly every time I pick him up. And by nuzzling, do you mean that he pecks lightly at my fingers with his beak?


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Twiggy said:


> Well, he squeaks softly every time I pick him up. And by nuzzling, do you mean that he pecks lightly at my fingers with his beak?




That could be 'tentative' Nuzzling...and or once he is feeling more sure of things, and or you two have things worked out a little more, his 'nuzzling' can and will be very assertive and 'demanding' in a happy way.

Right now his Legs probably hurt and are weak from sprain or contusion...and he is feeling generally tender and so on...so just rest, warmth, calm, and gentless will be about all he is wishing for.


Tomorrow, he will likely be 'Hungry'...and so that will begin a new series of things for you both.


Phil
l v


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## Twiggy (Aug 24, 2008)

Alright then. I'm letting him sleep right now. He actually fell asleep in my arms when I picked him up, so I'm guessing he's really tired.
I'm making him a hot water bag right now to keep him warm.


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