# So. Ca. found pigeon



## gingerpoo (Jul 31, 2008)

Hey all,

I have found a bird.
I sent AU an email because I am having problems getting in touch with the club secretary.
If anyone knows of anyone in the Santa Anita RPC and/or can get in touch with the secretary please lemme know

the band is AU 2010 SA 65, and also a green timing band

bird is skinny, but alert, no trich, poops fine


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## gingerpoo (Jul 31, 2008)

okay, actually, on getting this bird home i see that its missing half its tail feathers- also bird does not like to fly but can- likely due to weight- missing muscle. 
no wounds

gave a little water- now sitting in my lap getting a little hair dryer heat. feathers near cere fluffed out- seems content


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Thanks for helping him/her.

Please check the body for any other sign of injury...blood, scabs, skin abrasions, scratches, etc.

If he/she was attacked by something, she will need antibiotics w/i the next 48 hours.

Can you get some birdseed ? If underweight, he needs a lot of food, fast. You can also try to handfeed thawed peas at a lukewarm temperature (run them under hot tap water until lukewarm and defrosted). You 'pop' them, one at a time, in his mouth, gently prying the beak open with the opposite hand you are feeding with. About 10-15 peas/feeding....4 feedings a day.

Hopefully she is just lost and losing weight/strength because she has no idea hhow to forage for food in the outside world. Important to keep him warm and get his strength up with food and water right now.

Do report back on any further injuries, too. Thanks again for helping !!!!


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## gingerpoo (Jul 31, 2008)

Bird was actually witnessed chowing on some seeds with a couple morning doves before it was rescued-figured it out i guess.

But I have given some brown rice so far- ill see what else I can come up with.. 
but birds crop is full now. gave a little water too. 

thanks for the response


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

That's good news. You didn't reply about the injuries, so I am assuming you gave him/her a good look-over and there are no signs of injury.

I cannot advise on how to find her owner...oftentimes a lost Homer is of no interest to the original owner any longer (both heartless and irresponsible of them). I suppose you should just keep trying to get in contact w/ someone there..may have to do more digging.

Keep an eye out for typical signs of illness: fluffed feathers often, sleepy or squinty eyes, lethargy, etc...


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## gingerpoo (Jul 31, 2008)

okay so case closed- I have been told that the owner has just had open heart surgery and to feed up and let the bird go near where I found it- which I will do Monday. Thanks all.


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Hmmmmmm......I am wondering about THAT advice. Why put a lost Homer back where you found it ? 

_The pigeon obviously didn't or couldn't home back to his/her loft and was not cutting it in the Feral world.

Simply fattening her up and putting her back into the same situation where you found her isn't really very good advice._ (I suppose the idea being now that he is strong he will home back....but that is a pretty specious argument). If he didn't home back initially, who is to say he will home back _now_ ?

Keep in mind...many a Homing/Racing loft owner make little or no attempt to retrieve their members who don't make it back. Sad, but true: to them, a bird which was raised to home/race but did not return is no longer of any "use" to them. This is actually the reply one gets about 66% of the time the original owner is located and contacted.

I don't think the case is closed...I think there's a good chance that the owner (or whoever it was you spoke to representing the owner) has no desire for his pigeon any longer and just wants the whole situation to go away. Easiest way to do that is to just tell you to release it. If the owner really wanted the pigeon back, he would arrange to have him/her brought back.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

I agree with Jaye. about the advise you have been given, gingerpoo. 

I understand that you may no little about birds ... a bird missing half the tail feathers, will at the least , navigating home and is more vulnerable to predators. Not to mention that Monday is not nearly long enough to...*fatten the bird up*. 
Also...I don't recall that the bird has been accessed for injuries. To let the bird go may be givng him a death sentence at this point.
Do you know how where home is for this bird?...how far away?


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## ZigZagMarquis (Aug 31, 2004)

The topic of strays can be a touchy one around here. I've seen similar threads posted where the board explodes when someone suggests someone keep a stray or find it a home rather then release it to (hopefully) find its way back to its original owner.

Understand, the reality is, if one releases their pigeons to fly free and/or races them, they're going to loose more then a few. The fate of many being an untimely death; again reality.

To the OP, did you actually speak to the owner? Did they show any interest in coming and getting the bird or having someone come and get it? Maybe meet you "half way"?

Once when contacting an owner about a stray that happened into my loft, I was told I could feed the bird up for a few days and release it for her to find her way home or pull her head off. They had no interest in coming and getting the bird or having it shipped home.

My advise to the OP is if y'all decide to do something right by the bird. Good on you, but keep it to yourself.


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

No need to keep anything to yourself, though. I don't think this is really a touchy subject at all...as the situation you just described above is a pretty common reply one will receive from the original owner.

I believe myself and Charis were just pointing out that...

...at best...

....the 'advice' or 'instruction' Ginger has been given seems very ....iffy. 

The best I can say of advice such as that is...it might be in the best interest of _convenience_....but it's not in the best interest of the pigeon.

Ginger cared enough and was concerned enough to help the guy/girl out. If one has already made the effort, it is sorta contradictory to then just take her back to where she was found and expect things will go any better this time around.....


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Gingerpoo .. sounds like it would be best NOT to release this pigeon. If you still have the bird, please post back here and I'll try to get you in touch with the closest rescuer I know of .. that would be in the Oxnard/Ventura area.

Terry


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## gingerpoo (Jul 31, 2008)

Charis said:


> I agree with Jaye. about the advise you have been given, gingerpoo.
> 
> I understand that you may no little about birds ... a bird missing half the tail feathers, will at the least , navigating home and is more vulnerable to predators. Not to mention that Monday is not nearly long enough to...*fatten the bird up*.
> Also...I don't recall that the bird has been accessed for injuries. To let the bird go may be givng him a death sentence at this point.
> Do you know how where home is for this bird?...how far away?


I know very much about birds Charis-- and am aware that this bird is missing half its tail and was likely hawked- then on the ground where it figured out how to forage and although skinny was still alive. It very well may have made survived without my intervention- there are hawks in the area and so someone picked it up and brought it to me. I am just giving it a boost and greater chance to survive.

I did state that the bird has no injuries.

the bird has already consumed more than a 1/4 cup of seed since weds and is beginning to put on weight- now fiesty and very alert - if it is not ready on Monday I will not release it. 

I have not spoken to the owner directly- but someone representing them. I don't really believe the message either (just had heart surgery)- but they are obviously not willing to come half way- as I had told the representative that I would be willing to do a little bit of driving. The bird is about 65 mi from home.

Anyway the bird is fine- I will release it when its ready.


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## cats6birds4 (Oct 4, 2003)

Hi Gingerpoo! Thanks for rescuing the pigeon. I am in Ventura and would be happy to take him/her. You can call me at 805-320-2438 anytime. Tomorrow I will be volunteering at the Open House event for the Ojai Raptor Center from 12-4. If you're able to drop the bird off, you could see my pigeons/doves/aviaries as well as our other wildlife at the center. Another option is you could drop the pigeon off in Goleta at Santa Barbara Wildlife. They do take pigeons. Let me know if I can help,

Beth


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Hi Gingerpoo,

Our members were trying to help .. myself included. Please don't take offense at the offers of help. I personally know Beth and can attest to the fact that the bird would be extremely well taken care of by her and would receive any treatment that might be needed. Please consider her offer as opposed to just letting the bird go. Since the owner of the bird is currently in no position to help, I have to say that the advice you were given about fattening the bird up and releasing it was just the easy way out. It will take about 6 weeks for the tail feathers to grow back in, and the bird should not be out there trying to manage with no tail. Even with tail feathers, this is a truly domesticated pigeon and not one that should be out trying to fend for itself .. JMO ..

Terry


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## cats6birds4 (Oct 4, 2003)

Hi Gingerpoo, 
I hope the pigeon is doing well. I was hoping to talk with you today. One reason for my concern is that I've had several pigeons and doves lately who were hawk attacked and seemed initially to have escaped without injury only to find that they had a tiny puncture that after several days, started getting a deep infection. It's best to get them on some antibiotics to make sure they don't have a bigger problem down the road. I'm happy to return the bird to the owner if that is what he wants. Maybe if he's not well he would rather get it back in a few weeks when he is feeling better. Since the bird didn't make it home the first attempt, something isn't quite right and chances are he won't make it back at all if he's turned loose again so soon.
Please consider my assistance and I'd be more than happy to show you the other pigeons in my care, or provide a veterinarian reference if that would help you to feel more comfortable. 
Hope to hear from you,
Beth


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## gingerpoo (Jul 31, 2008)

Hey all- I still have this bird (Boise) - and am getting no response to PMs sent to Beth- so does anyone else in the area want this bird if she doesn't? I can't keep carting it back and forth and don't have the proper space for it. Its pretty much back at a good weight and happy- just missing half a tail and needing some more room.


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## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

You can just drive and deliver the bird. Sixty five miles is not that far. The problem is if this bird is not wanted by the owner, it will meet an unfavorable faith.


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## gingerpoo (Jul 31, 2008)

Yes well I have not been able to contact the owner and the secretary did not speak English well - so the bird has a better chance getting home if he flies then if I try to drive him! =p
And 65 miles into LA can be pretty far. I suppose I could drive closer that way and make it so he didn't have to fly as far but I am aware that home may not be a welcoming place now. He's quite a sociable bird


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Gingerpoo .. I've Pm'ed you Beth's phone #. She IS on the Pigeon Resources Directory, so this isn't a big deal. Please call her and see if she can take the bird in. She and I are sort of working on another situation with a quail, so we may be meeting up in the near future, and I would be happy to take the pigeon if she isn't able to keep it.

Terry


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