# Wild pigeon with sore foot - is helping stressful to a wild bird? UK



## GooseGirl (Jun 7, 2012)

Hi, I'm new and I registered in order to ask how or if I can help a city/feral pigeon I see around. I'm becoming very fond of several local wild pigeons who return for feedings, and one of them has trouble in one of her feet.

This bird is among a small flock that comes to my window sill each day (I feed them) and I've also seen her in my local high street here in London, and in the leafy park beside the street, so she's very local and always around. 

The left foot is swollen and there seems to be a distinct black line above the swelling, which may or may not be a thread caught around the leg. The bird seems otherwise healthy, lively, walking with a limp and holding the foot away from the ground when standing, but in general still feeding and flying around and seemingly happy. 

But that foot is elephantine and I worry. The other foot is normal.

If I can catch this bird and take her to a vet (there's a pigeon-friendly vet in easy reach of where I live) or in fact release this black thread myself, will I cause the bird undue stress?

I'm worried that, being wild, she will be so frightened by capture and human handling that she may have a heart attack and die from the fear and stress. 

She is not the kind of feral that will feed from my hand -- she's very skittish, always waiting until I've closed my window and moved away, before she will land and feed. 

So this is why I'm concerned that in trying to save her foot, I may actually cause her death from sheer shock! I would hate for that to happen. 

What should I do for the best? I hear that even if a pigeon loses a foot they can carry on living successfully -- so I just don't know whether to leave well enough alone, or try to help this bird's foot, which must be causing pain because of the way she keeps trying not to put weight on it. 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated -- I'm new to pigeons but I'm here because I've become completely enchanted by this wild bunch who have started to know me and come to my ledge!


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Here is a link with various methods to catch the bird, make sure to catch her first try, she will be harder to catch once she is suspicious..

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showpost.php?p=409652&postcount=1

Here is a link to string foot injury.


http://www.pigeonrescue.co.uk/feet.htm

don't worry about her having a heart attack, it's better to catch her and releave her of the terrible pain she is suffering.


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## GooseGirl (Jun 7, 2012)

The information in that link is great, Skyeking, thank you very much for the rapid response!!

How should I go about calming the bird following capture, if I can capture her? Are there any methods to actually get hold of the bird, and then how to hold her while I examine the foot? I understand sometimes putting a cloth over the head while you check them out keeps them calm? 

I've never gotten hold of a wild bird before, so any tips would be good. I'm just worried about unduly scaring her out of her wits, but I would love to get that thing off from around her poor leg.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Check out these u tube videos (catching pigeons) on this link:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showpost.php?p=500523&postcount=4

Yes, you can drop a sheet or towel over the bird, but you have to know it is a sure thing, if you miss, they now know what you are up to..

We have quite a few members in the UK who can help with info. where about are you?


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hi GooseGirl, 

Wood pigeons can die of a heart attack when stressed but I have never heard of that happening with a feral pigeon.

What I would advise is that if the vet decides to remove the thread under anaesthetic you give it a course of antibiotics first to avoid the risk of it dying of toxemia.

Could you send me a private message with the address of your vet? I keep a list of pigeon friendly vets in the UK.


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## GooseGirl (Jun 7, 2012)

Great stuff, thank you!! 

I have the right size of cardboard box, and I will watch these Youtube videos for the blanket technique. 

This is a bit scary to me too, haha! I want to make a clean capture with the least stress; fingers crossed. 

Thanks a million for your help -- I'll keep you posted as to how things go. I don't know when next I will see her, but instead of waiting for an appearance at my window, I think I'll actually stake her out in the park equipped with what I need. 

Thanks so much -- it's nice to find a place like this where people love these birds instead of denigrate them!


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

GooseGirl said:


> Great stuff, thank you!!
> 
> I have the right size of cardboard box, and I will watch these Youtube videos for the blanket technique.
> 
> ...


*PLEASE READ FEEFO'S POST!!*


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## GooseGirl (Jun 7, 2012)

Feefo said:


> Hi GooseGirl,
> 
> Wood pigeons can die of a heart attack when stressed but I have never heard of that happening with a feral pigeon.
> 
> ...


Hi Feefo, yes I will send you a private message with a link to the vet I think I may take the bird to. 

I'd found another site about pigeons last night and discovered a list of "pigeon friendly" vets area by area -- and was amazed to find there is one very near me! When you see it in the message, let me know if you have solid knowledge that this vet won't just put the pigeon down to sleep. She is otherwise healthy and lively, and I know just feel this foot can be put right.


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## annibrahim (Jul 1, 2011)

I caught a feral when I was on holiday in Scotland, she couldn't fly as she had been hurt by two crows fighting her. I stopped the fight and took her to the vet. They fixed her wound and the SPCA came and took her to a wildlife rehab where she was to be released when the wound under her wing healed. She was really quite stressed at the vets but she dealt with it and got through it. I think she was just glad to be away from the crows pecking beaks!


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Youre very lucky then, The SSPCA are normally not in the least bit interested in Pigeons of any sort (including Wood Pigeons).
They do a wonderful job as regards general wildlife, and are quick to act on any trapped animals or maltreated dogs/cats etc but in general they ignore or PTS pigeons if they cannot be released immediately.
They have had a series of programs on Scottish TV recently, one of which included a Feral Pigeon trapped in a stair well. Although the clips on the TV were obviously edited, the poor bird was chased around randomly with a net for over an hour where it continually tried to fly through a glass skylight, was eventually caught because it was exhasted, not even handled correctly, put in a box in the back of a van, and released without even an examination (or being fed & watered), in a country area where ferals would not normally live.


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## annibrahim (Jul 1, 2011)

OMG, poor little creature. That is just so awful. Hearing stories like that just makes me feel so sad and so damn ANGRY!!!!


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

At least they didn't kill it..so many of our RSPCA inspectors would have done that...they told a vet that I was dealing with to euthanase a wood pigeon in her care because their instructions were to kill anything smaller than a rabbit (by that I gather they break their necks). I helped transport the pigeon to safety , but when I mentioned what had happened to the chief inspector responsible for that region he just shouted "Chinese whispers! Chinese whispers!" as if he was a seven year old. Tying to get a reasonable response from some of them is impossible..and the fate of so many animals lies in their hands.


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

One of their other programs had someone called out to a Young Deer that had been hit by a car & was lying at the side of the road. In the lead up to the van arriving they commeted that it had been there for about 2 hours.
The program showed the SSPCA arriving, showed the Dear struggling to stand (back end or legs were obviously injured) and try get away from them but otherwise it was very feisty. Guy gets out of van, walks round, looks at deer, doesent even attempt to examine it, turns to camera and says its back was broken walks back to van to get medical bag & says it needs to be put down out of its misery and there was nothing he could do. 
Now I can fully understand that & agree if that were the true case, but there is no way on earth he could make that judgement without physically examining the creature.
Even if the clip shown was an edit, they should have at least shown part of the examination, and if it was an edit, and it had been previously examined, the Deer was obviously left there in agony while they staged the "arrival" for the cameras.


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