# I need advice - will she be able to fly?



## palomita (Aug 6, 2008)

Hello everyone

First of all congratulations for such an informative site. I was relieved to find you on the internet 

I need some advice from you guys. I live in a studio that has a small roof at the back side and two months ago I noticed a baby pigeon had fallen off the nest or something and was crying for hours. I know nothing about birds and up til then pigeons were flying creatures living in the same city-I thought I'd better leave the pigeon alone with the hope the mother would come back for her and in the meantime made sure my cats stayed out of there. Time passed by and the baby pigeon was still crying on the roof but she seemed weaker and weaker and on a given day i heard her screaming, came back and saw another adult pigeon ATTACKING her. I opened the window and took the baby pigeon in. Thanks to all the information that I found on this site I fed the pigeon and gave her water and provided for a big box to keep her warm (at the time it was still cold over here) After a few days the pigeon seemed to do better and better and i realised the box was too small for her so I released her on the rooftop where i made some sort of artificial nest with a bucket for her to protect from the rain and stuff. There was never "binding" between the pigeon and me because I wanted her to remain as wild as possible, if that makes sense. I would give her water with my hands but would not hand feed her with the hope she would learn to do it by herself and she did.

Now she has been living on the rooftop for a couple of months. I spill the food on the rooftop and water and she eats and drinks without a problem and I am sure she could survive on her own if she could fly. The thing is that she will not fly  sometimes she tries to fly but she only manages to take off only to land a meter further. I have checked her and there is nothing wrong with her wings and she is totally feathered now.

My question is: will she ever learn to fly and be able to fly away? I know this may seem a stupid question to some of you but I know almost nothing about pigeons or birds. I am very attached to her now, even gave her a name (Dolly  ) but she cannot stay forever on the rooftop (the rooftop is surrounded by walls, she cannot fall off) and would like her to experience the wild beautiful World outside. Besides my cats cannot go outside on the rooftop anymore and I know they secretly resent me for that 

Any feedback is more than welcome and sorry about the weird construction of some of the sentences but English is not my first language


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Thank you for your concern and care for this youngster.

They actually will flutter and try their wings and practice, but really don't fly and fly well until they are around 4 weeks old.

A health issue will keep them from flying. Something like canker, coccidiosis, worms and more. What does the poop look like? 

Do you have a safe place for her inside where she can practice flying and stay until she is?


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## palomita (Aug 6, 2008)

Thank you for your reply Treesa.

I compared her poop to the poop of other pigeons that stop sometimes on my window and it pretty much looks the same. Checked if there were worms or something but couldnt see any. She looks perfectly ok to me (but then I am not an expert) and now she is a beautiful white pigeon.

I have no place inside for her. The place where she is now (the rooftop) is actually totally safe: she cannot fall off, it is cat free and there is shelter for her and place to flutter and practise. You suggest I wait a bit longer to see if she can fly? I reckon she is about two months old now.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

So is the poop solid or wattery?

Where do you live? Perhaps we can find a rehabber to help figure it out.

Canker, Coccidiosis and worms are the first things to check/treat for. You might want to give her a bowl of fresh water to drink with a drop or two of Apple Cider Vinegar to start.


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## palomita (Aug 6, 2008)

The poop is solid.

I live in Belgium, in Europe...been looking on the internet but couldnt find any rehabbers in the area.

the Apple Cider vinegar is against possible worms?


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Myriam (myrpalom) is in Belgium. I know she will help! I have sent her a PM

At two months old she should be able to fly!

Cynthia


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

palomita said:


> The poop is solid.
> 
> I live in Belgium, in Europe...been looking on the internet but couldnt find any rehabbers in the area.
> 
> the Apple Cider vinegar is against possible worms?


The apple cider vinegar will help kill bad bacteria as well as create a friendly environment for good gut bacteria.


Thanks Cynthia, I was just going to contact Myriam.


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## palomita (Aug 6, 2008)

Thank you Cynthia! I pm'ed Myrpalom as well.

I also thought she should be able to fly at two months old...I saw how the baby pigeons on a tree in front of my house left the nest after weeks of being born...

I hope Dolly can fly one day


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## myrpalom (Aug 12, 2004)

Hello Palomita
Thank you for caring for this pigeon!
I don't know if Dolly will ever fly. Some of the feral babies I rescued started flying very late , and a few never could fly, due to lack of strenght, calcium... because of poor parenthood I suppose.
One month ago I adopted a little feral from a nice couple of Liège who rescued him as a baby. Before contacting me, they had tried to release him in a park, with a flock of pigeons, but he just walked and stood there untill night... so they brought him back. He changed his voice last week, he is a juvenile now and still does not fly higher then 1 meter.... 
I will gladly adopt Dolly in my rescue center Lapalomatriste, where she can safely exercise her flying among many little friends 
I am in Flandres, I will PM you my location and telephone number. I hope we are not to far away from one another.
Myriam


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## myrpalom (Aug 12, 2004)

Dolly will probably come to Lapalomatriste next weekend . I will post pics as soon as she arrives.
Myriam


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

That is wonderful, Myriam! She will be so happy at Lapalomatriste.

Cynthia


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Thank you Myriam! That bird will be very happy in your wonderful haven/refuge for pigeons.


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## myrpalom (Aug 12, 2004)

*Hello Dolly!!* 

Daniel (Palomita) and Kurt brought their pigeon Dolly to Lapalomatriste this afternoon.
Wonderful, caring people, who have put their time and efforts in saving the life of what others consider to be another "flying rat"  in one of 
Belgium's big cities. We disussed the many injustices that animals (pigeons, bulls, feral cats, galgos etc...) suffer in this world,
mourning together for the cruelty suffered by non human living beings in a world where mankind "rules" ... and being proud to belong to the 
minority of those who respect life in all his forms, happy to be part of this forum.

Dolly is a beautiful young white feral. She looks very healthy and well fed! Her wing and tail feathers are in a bad shape, but I think that this 
little problem will be solved very quickly in Lapalomatriste, where she will have acces to vitamins and minerals ( I believe she never had any grit). 
Does anyone know for what other reasons she would have this problem? She (I think Dolly is a girl) has no parasites.
Here are some pics of Dolly's first meeting with her little friends in Lapalomatriste:


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## little bird (Aug 11, 2006)

Wing & tail feather damage could be from confinement in too small area. Good nutrition & vits & minerals will probably cause a moult and she will have perfect plumage soon. She looks a very sweet little bird.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Oh, she is so pretty. What a wonderful thing you do, caring for these birds.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

She is just lovely, Myriam.

Lack of sunshine and parasites (external/internal).... and of course, poor nutrition can do that.

I would give her garlic as that will definitely help with the plumage.

Thank you for the update and the pics.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

She will be so happy in her new home. I noticed that a couple of cocks were eyeing her up! 

Cynthia


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

What a lovely, happy ending! Thank you to all who went to such great effort to see that Dolly got help and found a wonderful forever home!

Terry


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