# Is it a pigeon or a dove??



## lucky_09 (Jun 17, 2009)

Hi
i saved this bird as it got hit by a car and was getting attacked by other birds but i don't know what it is?! please help me!! what is it? and is it male or female? also how old?


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## Widgy Lover (Jul 24, 2008)

this to me looks like a dove, perhaps a young one. is he/she eating/drinking?


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

It's a dove and there's no way to tell if it's male or female. Can you tell us where you are? Maybe we can find a rehabber.


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## pidge-girl (Jun 10, 2009)

Yeah, she's a white wing dove, about a month old. I have nearly 100 of them, that age right now at the rehabilitation center I work at. It's the age that they are just learing to fly, and don't know about cars or other dangers. Have you offered her seed or water? This is also the age they will be learing to eat on their own. If she wont pick up the seed try picking a piece up and dropping it in front of her a few times. Also, if she won't drink on her own, dip her beak into a bowl of water, it has to be some what deep because they use their beaks like a straw to drink.


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## pidge-girl (Jun 10, 2009)

Oh and did you actually see her get hit by a car? or was she just on the side of the road? Because if she got hit she may have internal injuries and will need to get looked at.
Also, if the birds that attacked her made her bleed anywhere, a small amount of neosporin would help her heal. 
Feel her crop, (the breast area, where doves store their food) to see if it's soft and full, if you can feel seed or liquid in there, she has been fed resently, if she feels empty and you can feel the breast bone you willl need to get some food into her. 
Where do you live? And is she in a box?


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

I think that is a baby Wood Pigeon ... I replied as such when Lucky put up a photo in the Gallery and asked.

I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure Wood Pigeon is correct.

This photo kinda convinced me: http://www.arkive.org/woodpigeon/columba-palumbus/image-A9780.html

Terry


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

TAWhatley said:


> I think that is a baby Wood Pigeon ... I replied as such when Lucky put up a photo in the Gallery and asked.
> 
> I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure Wood Pigeon is correct.
> 
> ...


I could tell by the numbers in the phone book in the picture.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Charis said:


> I could tell by the numbers in the phone book in the picture.


Yep .. that was a BIG clue for me also.

Hopefully our U.K. members will be along soon to confirm or deny 

Terry


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## pidge-girl (Jun 10, 2009)

They look very similer then, because this is a white wing dove
http://www.eastvalleywildlife.org/images/WW fledgling.jpg
I didn't realize where you lived. we don't have wood pigeons here in my town, but we have thousands of white wing doves.
how is she doing by the way?


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## lucky_09 (Jun 17, 2009)

hi
he/she is absolutly fine!!! she is really happy! she is really very friendly! i have to feed her but she can fly abit but her landing is horrible! i have a cage for her! its about 2 ft by 1ft?! how old is she?
how do you find out if he/shes male or female?
so is it a white wing dove or wood pigeon??


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

That is a baby wood pigeon, as Terry and Charis said, we don't have white winged doves in the UK... that is what makes the identification easier! 

Thank you for saving him, so many die on the roads because they just don't understand that you have to fly *up* and over, when they want to cross the road they head straight across at car level (the adults in the country tend to do this too).

Ideally it needs to have more flight room and to mix with other pigeons before release, so that it can learn what is edible and where to forage. If you let us know where you are we will try to locate a sanctuary that you can consider.

How long have you had him? THis link explains the steps to take when you first find an injured pigeon:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=11265&referrerid=560

If he has already been drinking and eating, can you let us know what his poops are like?

Cynthia


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## lucky_09 (Jun 17, 2009)

his poops are wet and yellowy-black!! 
how old is it?
is it male or female?


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Yellowy black poops would be a bad sign Can you post a photo or those poops.

We can't tell you whether it is a cock or a hen and that really doesn't matter at this stage. I think he is about 3 to 4 weeks old, but that is just a guess . 

Please let us help you by finding someone near you that could have a look at him and if necessary provide medicines.

Can you look inside his mouth and tell us what colour it is?

Cynthia


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## lucky_09 (Jun 17, 2009)

hi
his poops have changed to black-white or brown-white and his mouth is pinky-purple inside! i have attached another pic which is more clear! now can you tell me how old he is?


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

I am sorry, I can't tell you exactly how old he is. This is because wood pigeons are wild birds and none of us have bred them in captivity, so we have no precise record of their day-to-day development.

As it is pooping can we assume that it is eating well?


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## lucky_09 (Jun 17, 2009)

hi
yes he/she is and its really having a good time!!  can you guess how old it is?
and a vet told me that its a white winged dove and that its fine! also is it good to give them baths? how would you know if its male or female?


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## pigeonpoo (Sep 16, 2005)

Hi Lucky_09

Thank you for picking up this baby and saving it from getting run over. I take it that you are in the UK? There are no white wing doves in the UK so I don't know what your vet was talking about!

A few weeks ago I was given a baby woodpigeon, they are so cute aren't they? Mine was about the same size as yours. The very best thing that you can do to save the life of this baby, is to take it to a sanctuary which takes in woodpigeons. I wanted to keep my baby really because it was so cute but, I wanted it to have the best chance of survival so I took it to a sanctuary. They were great at the sanctuary, they were going to look after the baby till they could see that it was feeding its self and was healthy then it was to go in an aviary with older woodpigeons so it could watch them and learn how to search for food. When it was ready, it was going to be released to the wild. Sadly, I didnt take my baby the first day I was told to, when I did take it it was too late and it died.

Please tell the people on here where you are and they can tell you the best place to take your baby. I'm sure that you do want it to have the best chance of survival possible.

Sue


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## pigeonpoo (Sep 16, 2005)

I'm taking a guess here that you are in Kent UK. Here are a couple of sanctuaries that you might be near



FOAL (Friends of Animals League) Farm
Jail Lane,
Biggin Hill,
Kent
TN16 3AX

Phone 01959 572386

You can visit every day, except Tuesday. Open 1.30-4.30pm

The Retreat

Postal address:
Daltons Road
Crockenhill
Near Swanley
Kent BR8 8EN

Telephone: General enquiries: 01322 614247 / 07720 495238 (any time), or 07941 435829 (only available during daytime).

The Wildlife Lodge
c/o Foxgrove Veterinary Centre
8 Foxgrove Road
Beckenham
Kent
BR3 5AT

07983708497

Rescue and rehabilitation

http://www.thewildlifelodge.co.uk/gallery.html


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## PoppyFieldVet (Apr 9, 2009)

Hi, Was just reading the posts and was wondering how you were getting on?
Hes a real handsom bird(not that I can tell he is a he/she). He reminds me of my Roger who was a cat/canker/pox victim. 

XxX


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## lucky_09 (Jun 17, 2009)

*A ok!!*

yes he/shes doing great!! hes really grown & hes really happy!!
i'll add a new pic of him tomorow!! 
thanks for your help!!


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## PoppyFieldVet (Apr 9, 2009)

O great Im so pleased!! Bless him. XxX


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## lucky_09 (Jun 17, 2009)

*Hey There*

this is a new pic of him today!! as you can see he has grown! any guesses on how old he/she is? & what sex?? the pic is very unclear i'll add one of him in the morning!!


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## PoppyFieldVet (Apr 9, 2009)

Hey, you really cant sex a bird by just looking at it. Ive had a look online and found Paris's photos of a wood pigeon family she saw grow up-from those I reckon he's roughly 30-40days old, possibly more. 
XxX


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