# Pigeon with 1 wing



## Neith (Jun 19, 2014)

Hi,

A friend of mine guilted me into taking a pigeon she found that only has one wing (right wing gone below shoulder). It is possibly a new injury, not quite sure. The bird is alert, upright and has tried to fly. Also, I'm not sure if it's a wild pigeon or a homing pigeon: It has a fair amount of white on it, but I can't really tell based on the images I've Googled.

My problem is two-fold: 1. I know nothing about pigeons, even less about injured ones. I have it in a small cat carrier with hay on the bottom, with a small bowl of water and some wild birdseed, beyond that I am useless. 2. I live in a small, open floor-plan house with 7 cats. Yes, 7 cats - I do cat rescue, not bird. Which is why I am a terrible person to have this animal - I have no place to give it a life of any quality, it's currently in a small room we use for storage, because it has a door and the cats can't get it.

I live in Western Massachusetts. I couldn't find any wild animal rescue places, or any avian veterinarians other than Tufts University, which is kind of a haul to get to. If any one has any help to offer at all I would greatly appreciate it!

Thank you.


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## Neith (Jun 19, 2014)

I forgot to say, the bird is alert and walked around the room while I cleaned the carrier today. But I can't tell if it ate or drank, or just made a mess. Other than the big chunk missing from the wing, it seems normal.


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## kunju (Mar 14, 2012)

The wing injury could be old or new. Feel his bad wing for any breaks in the bone.
Observe if he is eating and drinking well. A pigeon with just one good wing can still fly to small heights, like hop up the stairs, but cannot do any real flying. 
You can build an aviary for him, or find a safe spot away from the cats where he can walk freely, exercise his wings...He also needs to get some sunshine every day. Once in a while, you can offer him a water bath.
You can read up here and elsewhere on the internet for all info about the basics of caring for pigeons.


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## kunju (Mar 14, 2012)

Just from my experience, I wanted to share with you....never let the bird roam free thinking you will take care not to let the cats in, or you will rescue the bird even if the cats come in. Firstly, we humans might just have a bad day and forget to close the door or whatever, letting the cats inside. Secondly, cats are amazingly fast...we will not get time to rescue the pigeon even if it is happening in front of our eyes. Almost lost my pigeon once...so take care. Whenever you let her out of the carrier, do it at a time when you have no other work to do, and can devote your entire attention to her.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

*Not sure if this list will help, but you can call them and ask if they know anyone who could adopt the bird, scroll down to michigan: http://pij-n-angels.forumotion.net/t223-matilda-s-list-united-states-l-n *


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## Neith (Jun 19, 2014)

I found a picture online that looked like it, and turns out it is a racing pigeon, not a "wild" one. If that makes any difference in anything!


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

any band on the leg? a picture would help, but it seems the best thing would be to find an adoptive home.


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## Neith (Jun 19, 2014)

No band, and no tattoo on the wing it has. Don't know if there was ever a tattoo on the other wing. I would love to find an adoptive home for it, but I can't find any around me. Even if I somehow had a physical location for it, it would be all alone, and I don't think that is a decent life for a flock animal. If you know any takers, please let me know!


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

where is your location? there may be a member close that would or might want the pigeon. a picture to tell what kind of or mix of pigeon it may be can help place it.


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## Neith (Jun 19, 2014)

I'm in Western Massachusetts, the town of Ware, near Springfield/Palmer/Northampton.

I tried to put on a picture, but I can't figure it out. The "Add Image" icon asks for an http address, but the picture is from My Pictures on my computer and I'm not that savy to figure it out. If I'm missing something please tell me! I'd love to put up the photo.


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

You can also browse for the file on your PC and upload a pic.

manage attachments .... Upload File from your Computer


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## Neith (Jun 19, 2014)

I found a large hamster cage in our basement to put it in, so now there's a stick for a perch, a large flat rock and some walking space. It can stretch it's wing as well, but it's still all alone in a storage room, so it really needs a better home than I can provide.

In the meantime, I have two big questions: 1. How do you tell what sex it is? I feel bad calling it an "it". 2. Why for the love of God does it walk _through_ it's water bowl!? I have a good size metal bowl that attaches to the side of the cage, it has plenty of room to walk now, and it _still walks through the bowl!_

Hopefully this picture will upload - and someone can tell me what kind of pigeon it is?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Can you post a side view pic of the bird so that we can see his profile? And also a pic of the injured side please?
Never mind the pic of his wing. Just looked at the picture again. He has like half his wing. Can't fly with that at all, but at least can keep himself warm.

If you offer a smaller water dish he will be less likely to walk through it. Pigeons do like water to bathe in, but you need to be careful and offer him a shallow bath with no more than 2 inches of water in it. If he were to slip and fall, without a wing on that side, he could drown.

Also, a bird with a missing wing can not fly at all, and only needs a rock or brick to perch on. He can't get up more than the height that he can jump.

That water dish is kind of deep, and not filled to the top. The birds balance is way off, because of the wing loss on one side. He would have a hard time getting at the water, without getting in the bowl. A smaller bowl, like for a parrot or something, that is filled to the top so that he can reach the water without falling in would be safer and easier for him.


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## Neith (Jun 19, 2014)

Not quite a profile, but maybe it will help?

He seems to drink out of the bowl fine, and he stays on the cage floor to do so, he just walks through it and his food bowl. I'll try to find something smaller, though I only have free standing bowls left, so they won't be secured to the cage.

Yeah, he has the top shoulder part of the wing, and a little beyond. Someone (not from here) told me that he just lost the feathers (or they were pulled by something attacking), like having wings clipped, and that they would grow back in 6 months and he'd be fine. I don't know much about birds, but I feel like that's not really true? 

Thank you for all the help!


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## Neith (Jun 19, 2014)

Forgot to say - the water bowl _was filled to the top originally!_


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

From the angles of your pictures, it's impossible to tell if it is just the feathers gone, or part of the wing as well. Dog trainers sometimes do that to stop the bird from getting away. They use the poor things to train their dogs with. Can you post a better pic of the wing in question? From the side, not the front? Does it look to you as if there is bone there that has been cut? It looks like it might just be the feathers.


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## Neith (Jun 19, 2014)

This is the last pic I have but the head's fuzzy. It's hard for me to check the wing, I feel bad holding it out and I'm afraid of hurting him. He still flaps it up and down with the other one once in a while, and pretty quickly, like he's trying to fly, and it doesn't seem like it hurts him.

Sorry, I don't know if that helps at all.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

One more suggestion. Could you extend the wing and take a picture of it extended?


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## Neith (Jun 19, 2014)

*Thank you!!*

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who responded to help me, and a very special Thank You to Jay3, who is amazing!! I am happy to report that the young bird I was caring for has found a wonderful home (you know who you are ! ) thanks to this forum, and I am so grateful. It is wonderful to know that people like you all are out there!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Thank God for people like you who step up and give animals in need the second chance they so deserve. God bless people like that.


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