# Found Pigeon - Questions:



## Cthulhu (Jul 18, 2012)

Hello all,

I'm here because last night (at dusk) I came home to find what I believe to be a Rock Dove sitting right at our front door. I didn't know if she (my best guess is that it's a female - flat head, etc....) was injured, so I sat there with her for a bit. She didn't leave, even when I got VERY close, so I touched her - petted her softly. At this point I thought she must be injured, so I picked her up - which she gladly accepted.

I'm an experienced parrot owner, so we had a spare travel cage in the basement. I retrieved it and put her inside after an examination. I can't find anything physically wrong with her. Her wings seem to be fine and pain free - her abdomen is normal and pain free. She walks fine and doesn't appear to mind when I feel her legs and feet. Her beak is good and breathing passages are clear. Her feathers aren't ruffled and her eyes are clear and bright.

She is absolutely beautiful. Completely black other than the iridescent band on her neck. Salmon colored feet.

So I put her in the cage in a non-busy corner that is around 75-80 degrees. I provided her food and water since she does not appear ill. She seemed exhausted last night and was falling asleep in my hands. Today she is much more active and has been eating and drinking.

She doesn't seem to mind being handled and petted, which leads me to believe she may be a lost pet. In fact, she ate crackers out of my hand. I'm not sure if she's unable to fly or just doesn't want to........wings seem to be free from visible injury, however. She also looks EXTREMELY well fed. She is quite plump - even for a pigeon in the city.

I'm in Grand Rapids, MI - the Heritage Hill historic district. I notified the neighborhood association of our "find" in case someone lost her. I also looked up wildlife rescue and found a place quite close to here, although if the bird cannot be released into the wild they euthanize them......which worries me if she is a pet.

I'm unsure what to do at this point........and while I'm quite experienced with bird, I have never cared for a pigeon/dove. I'm happy and able to care for her as long as I need to. Any thoughts or advice you could give me would be much appreciated. Thank you.....


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Thank you for helping this needy bird. If she is that friendly please don't release her.

You can give her wild bird seed to eat for now, as that will do as they eat pigeon seed.

Can you post a picture of the bird? We do have an adoption section if the owner can't be located.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

I'm a bit confused...do you mean you have left her outside on a corner, in a cage?
If so, please do bring her inside.
It would be great if you could make a trip to Petco and buy some dove mix. If they have pigeon mix that would be best but I doubt they do. Keep the pigeon inside and give her water and seed.
I agree a picture would be be helpful if you would post a picture.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Cthulhu said:


> Hello all,
> 
> I'm here because last night (at dusk) I came home to find what I believe to be a Rock Dove sitting right at our front door. I didn't know if she (my best guess is that it's a female - flat head, etc....) was injured, so I sat there with her for a bit. She didn't leave, even when I got VERY close, so I touched her - petted her softly. At this point I thought she must be injured, so I picked her up - which she gladly accepted.
> 
> ...


It sounds like you have done well for her or him. not sure if this pigeon is hatched feral or got lost from a loft or home it is hard to say. If she was easily caught it could mean she was dehydrated and hungry..or could have an illness. I would check her droppings just as you do with you're parrot birds to check for health and see if she improves or if you think the droppings are questionable then perhaps a fecal check would help to see if she is harboring something and then you would know what med to treat her with. I assume there is no band as you did not mention one, that is too bad.. I would say if he seems happy in company of humans then the bird is you'res. a picture of him and his dropping if you need more opinions will help. pigeons eat a pigeon mix which has dried peas and grains so if you can find something like that that would be good..as mentioned a petco they have "dove" feed in the wildbird food section, you can add things from the grocery if you need to.


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## Cthulhu (Jul 18, 2012)

Charis said:


> I'm a bit confused...do you mean you have left her outside on a corner, in a cage?
> If so, please do bring her inside.
> It would be great if you could make a trip to Petco and buy some dove mix. If they have pigeon mix that would be best but I doubt they do. Keep the pigeon inside and give her water and seed.
> I agree a picture would be be helpful if you would post a picture.


No no, I brought her inside last night. I have her in a quiet corner of our dining room in our spare travel cage.

My fiance is bringing home some dove mix tonight on her way home from work. Until then I've been feeding her mostly small seeds I picked out from out parrot's food - and some small pieces of nuts. I've also been hand feeding her some Cheeze-It crackers (which our parrot LOVES) since I was worried she might need some calcium. She looks extremely well fed, however.....and doesn't show any signs of dehydration.

She has been eating a decent amount........but she keeps tipping the dish over on purpose to perch on, LoL. I just but a piece of cardboard on the bottom of the cage since she doesn't appear to want to sit on the platforms and the bars are a bit wide for her little feet.

She drank quite a bit of water - one quarter of the dish thus far.

She was quite active this afternoon. She was throwing her dish around and even batting at a parrot toy. I haven't been bothering her much but she certainly isn't opposed to being touched. She seems to think nothing of humans walking nearby - she just looks at you quizzically and doesn't even flinch. Most of the time, however, she sits quietly.

She doesn't appear to be ill - at least not outwardly. Her droppings look normal (not watery). Like I said, her eyes are clear and bright and there are no signs of illness in her nostrils or beak. She feels to be a normal temperature - not cold.

We turned the air conditioners off for most of the night and morning - she seems to like it a bit warmer than we normally keep it - in the 80's.


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## Cthulhu (Jul 18, 2012)

spirit wings said:


> It sounds like you have done well for her or him. not sure if this pigeon is hatched feral or got lost from a loft or home it is hard to say. If she was easily caught it could mean she was dehydrated and hungry..or could have an illness. I would check her droppings just as you do with you're parrot birds to check for health and see if she improves or if you think the droppings are questionable then perhaps a fecal check would help to see if she is harboring something and then you would know what med to treat her with. I assume there is no band as you did not mention one, that is too bad.. I would say if he seems happy in company of humans then the bird is you'res. a picture of him and his dropping if you need more opinions will help. pigeons eat a pigeon mix which has dried peas and grains so if you can find something like that that would be good..as mentioned a petco they have "dove" feed in the wildbird food section, you can add things from the grocery if you need to.


Yeah, it is hard to say. She seems to be in VERY good shape - her feathers are PERFECT and beautiful. She is plump and well fed. Her feet are pristine and not worn at all on the bottoms. Her nails are short. She isn't ruffling her feathers nor huddling, which I assume are signs of illness just like in other birds.

Wherever she came from, she is certainly used to being around humans. I just don't understand - if she is wild - why she would sit by our door and let me pick her up and take her inside. She could have some type of illness I'm not noticing, but I'm fairly experienced with birds and she seems fine.

She eats from my hand and allows me to pet her.

She does not have a band.

Like I said, the fiance is going to pick up some proper food for her shortly.

I don't really WANT to own a pigeon, but won't hesitate to keep her and care for her if we can't find a place for her.

I'm afraid to bring her to the wildlife rescue since they'll euthanize her if they deem her unfit to release - and won't let me take her back once I drop her there.

Hopefully someone sees our notice at the neighborhood association and claims her. If she is a pet, I would think she'd be from somewhere close by.......


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## Cthulhu (Jul 18, 2012)

Skyeking said:


> Thank you for helping this needy bird. If she is that friendly please don't release her.
> 
> You can give her wild bird seed to eat for now, as that will do as they eat pigeon seed.
> 
> Can you post a picture of the bird? We do have an adoption section if the owner can't be located.


It's my pleasure to care for her. She is absolutely beautiful and it has been fun to have her with us. I won't release her.......unless and until we are sure she is wild and capable of living outside.

It was so funny, she was just sitting on the doorstep like she was waiting to come inside, LoL!

I'll post a proper picture shortly. Need to dig the camera out. I was going to take a photo last night but it was too dark and didn't want to startle her with a flash.......


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## Cthulhu (Jul 18, 2012)

The fiance just e-mailed me that she did an exhaustive search on Craigslist for lost pigeons from the area and found nothing........


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

looks like you have a pet pigeon.. you may like her even more than you're parrots...lol..
would love to see a picture of her/him.


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## Cthulhu (Jul 18, 2012)

Here she is:


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## pigeonlover123 (Jun 12, 2012)

That I'm pretty sure is a pigeon


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## Cthulhu (Jul 18, 2012)

pigeonlover123 said:


> That I'm pretty sure is a pigeon


Yeah, she's a pigeon / rock dove alright. She's beautiful.......


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

*That is a lovely pigeon! Thank you for posting the picture.*


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## Cthulhu (Jul 18, 2012)

Shall I put a flat piece of cardboard over part of the floor of the cage for her to stand on? She doesn't seem to care for the perches much and I worry her little feet will get caught between the bars since she isn't a climbing bird like a parrot........


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Cthulhu said:


> Shall I put a flat piece of cardboard over part of the floor of the cage for her to stand on? She doesn't seem to care for the perches much and I worry her little feet will get caught between the bars since she isn't a climbing bird like a parrot........


yes a flat perch or shelf would be better as pigeons are cliff dwelling birds..the round ones work fine for hook bills with stronger feet. she/he is really pretty.


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## Cthulhu (Jul 18, 2012)

How do you think I should go about trying to determine if she is a pet and should be kept or if she is wild and should be released? Most things point to her being a pet, but I'd hate to keep her caged up if she WAS wild. I'm just debating what to do. She seems happy enough in her cage, but the travel cage really isn't big enough for her long-term. I want her to be able to stretch her wings if we're going to keep her. Any suggestions on how to proceed? No one has stepped up to claim her yet, but we will keep looking......


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Cthulhu said:


> How do you think I should go about trying to determine if she is a pet and should be kept or if she is wild and should be released? Most things point to her being a pet, but I'd hate to keep her caged up if she WAS wild. I'm just debating what to do. She seems happy enough in her cage, but the travel cage really isn't big enough for her long-term. I want her to be able to stretch her wings if we're going to keep her. Any suggestions on how to proceed? No one has stepped up to claim her yet, but we will keep looking......


The fact that she is SO friendly says it all. Usually wild bpigeons are only tame when they are near death and cannot run/walk away.Is she eating well and pooping nice firsm poops?

The fact that she is so friendly (you can hand feed her) makes her extremely vulnerable to humans that are not.

She could have ended up infront of someone's doorstep that wasn't so friendly and helpful.

What kind of a life would she have outdoors where you live?


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Cthulhu said:


> How do you think I should go about trying to determine if she is a pet and should be kept or if she is wild and should be released? Most things point to her being a pet, but I'd hate to keep her caged up if she WAS wild. I'm just debating what to do. She seems happy enough in her cage, but the travel cage really isn't big enough for her long-term. I want her to be able to stretch her wings if we're going to keep her. Any suggestions on how to proceed? No one has stepped up to claim her yet, but we will keep looking......


well there are no wild pigeons in the US only feral as they are not native. all ferals here come from domestic stock at one point in time. here is a bit more.

"A feral pigeon is most often a pigeon who had an owner at some point, but has been discarded for such a period of time that it no longer behaves “tame”. We enter that blurry area, as feral pigeons are also offspring of pigeons that have been discarded, and their offspring as well. While some of these pigeons may never have had an owner, or known the comfort of being a “pet”, they are not truly “wild” under technical terms, although in behavior they may be totally unsocial to humans. Most pigeons who are descendent’s of domesticated pigeons no matter how many generations ago, are considered feral as opposed to “wild”."


So IMO the bird can be kept as a pet if she seems to like being around humans.. if she just paces and is scared and uncomfortable then a release could be best. I really think it would have to be you're choice and no one elses.. my opinion though is this bird is no different than my 45 I have in my loft, and I would not dump them some place to live on the streets.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I would cover the floor with something to give her a firm floor to stand on. Then you can cover that with newspaper or paper towels, and just change that daily. Pigeons don't normally perch on round perches, as they do prefer a flat perch. I always put a shelf in that they can get up onto, but many others will just put a brick in for them to perch on.

As far as her seeming to be friendly, she could just be ill, or weak from going without food, or dehydrated. I picked up a rescue once that the people assumed was just friendly because he was so easy to pick up. Actually, he was just to weak to fly as he had gone without food and water for so long. Have you checked down her throat for any signs of canker or anything? Does it look clear way down, or have any yellow patches. You you post a picture of her droppings, which would also be much easier to check and keep an eye on if she has paper under her. Pretty little thing.


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## Cthulhu (Jul 18, 2012)

Her droppings look great - completely normal. Her airways (throat and nostrils) look fine. She has been eating and drinking, although it is a bit difficult to tell how much. She DID drink a lot the first night.

She isn't pacing and looks happy to hang out in a corner of the cage most of the day. She was even batting at the parrot toys a bit. I put a slim box in the cage - the container my protein shakes come in. It takes up about 1/4 of the cage. She absolutely LOVES it. She has been sitting on top of it since last night. She has been standing on one leg and switching back and forth, just like my parrot often does.  She seems to be comfy. I removed the round perches from the cage to give her more room.

She is quite interested in the goings on around the house.......she doesn't get scared even when approached. She likes me and lets me pet her and hand feed her, but she isn't too fond of the fiance - she backs away from her touch.

She seems (and aside from looking quite tired, HAS seemed since we found her) healthy. She is plump and well fed. She didn't seem dehydrated or ill. I can't find any area of her that causes pain upon examination. She isn't ruffling her feathers (like birds do when sick). Her eyes are clear and bright - and she is quite attentive to the goings on around her.

The area around us is nice, being it is a quiet historical district, but I still worry about releasing her if she was indeed a pet. Then again, I hate to keep her caged if she was indeed feral and used to living outdoors. It's a tough decision to make - I want to do what is best for her.....


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Well, if she is feral and used to being on her own, then she would have to be ill to be so tame. If she was someones pet, then she could be healthy and just tame. Only time will tell, as if she is feral and just not well, that will show sooner or later. If it turns out that she isn't coming down with anything, and is just tame, then she is someones pet and wouldn't do so well on her own. Nice that you gave her something to perch on. You could put in a good sized mirror for her. It would kind of keep her company. If it is a female, then she may lay beside it, but if it is a male, then he will probably react to it, and put on a display for the bird in the mirror.


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## Cthulhu (Jul 18, 2012)

Jay3 said:


> Well, if she is feral and used to being on her own, then she would have to be ill to be so tame. If she was someones pet, then she could be healthy and just tame. Only time will tell, as if she is feral and just not well, that will show sooner or later. If it turns out that she isn't coming down with anything, and is just tame, then she is someones pet and wouldn't do so well on her own. Nice that you gave her something to perch on. You could put in a good sized mirror for her. It would kind of keep her company. If it is a female, then she may lay beside it, but if it is a male, then he will probably react to it, and put on a display for the bird in the mirror.


It seems like the stray animals always come to me, LoL!

When I was young a dog crawled up to our doorstep on Christmas Eve. It had been shot in the top of the head and the bullet had exited its eye. My dad wanted to shoot it again to put it out of its misery, but I wouldn't let him. The dog lay there on the doorstep for several days while I fed and watered it. One day it just got up.......and we owned her for many years. She must have been abandoned and wild for a long time, since she would bury most of the food we gave her in the yard and hunt for animals to eat instead, LoL. We called her "One" for obvious reasons - she only had one eye. She was one of the sweetest dogs I've ever met - and it was a pleasure to have her in our lives.

Since then all manner of wayward creatures have always shown up at my door - cats, rabbits, injured squirrels, ducks, etc etc. The vet used to think I was crazy for bringing creatures (like injured squirrels) in and paying for them to be treated, LoL.

I guess our new pigeon is just another in the long line......

I'll keep an eye on her (as I have been) and see how she looks. If she shows signs of illness I'll bring her to the vet. Everything looks ok though - she is eating and drinking well.......droppings look good.......everything looks good as a matter of fact.

I'll keep you updated.........


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## Cthulhu (Jul 18, 2012)

Boy, she really is liking the box for a perch - she sits on it all day now and only comes down to eat or drink. She's a little piggy.......she eats a LOT........


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## Cthulhu (Jul 18, 2012)

Well she is still doing good - no signs of illness. She is getting more and more used to us being around, too. She came right up to the cage door when I opened it to feed her today. BOY does she eat a lot. She loves Cheeze-Its for treats, too. She makes little squeaks when she sees me coming with them, LoL.

Even though I'm not too enthused at having another bird - particularly a pigeon - for a pet, it appears that is the way this is heading, LoL.......


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## Cthulhu (Jul 18, 2012)

Still no luck finding her home. She is loving the free food it seems, however........LoL. She is also warming up a bit to the fiance and not scared of her any longer. She gets really rowdy in her cage in the AM, but then sits on her box most of the afternoon and evening. I'm certain she isn't injured at this point and pretty sure she is in good health otherwise........she isn't exhibiting any signs of illness........

There is a bird sanctuary up North from us a couple of hours drive........do you guys think she would be given a good home at a place like that or would she be better off with us, despite being in a smallish cage? I'd love some feedback and thoughts......


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Do you know anything about this sanctuary?

I would call and talk to them.

If you can allow the bird some free time to fly about once a day, I feel the bird could not get a better home.


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## Cthulhu (Jul 18, 2012)

Skyeking said:


> Do you know anything about this sanctuary?
> 
> I would call and talk to them.
> 
> If you can allow the bird some free time to fly about once a day, I feel the bird could not get a better home.


Where should I let her fly? The two parrots I've owned haven't flown despite me not believing in clipping their wings, so I'm not experienced with flighted birds. I worry she'll hurt herself flying in the apartment.........

Yeah, I would visit the sanctuary before taking her there........


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