# white dove or pigeon and what to do next?



## whitedovepigeon (Jan 1, 2013)

Hi all...Looking for help. Earlier this evening we found a white bird just sitting under our car in our driveway. It was dark out, freezing out, and all other birds had gone to roost by that time of the evening. Very strange to find it there. We threw some cracked corn out and it ate it all, even coming within inches of us to get it. Not sure if it's a dove or pigeon, (maybe was someone's pet?), but the mourning doves which live around here would never get this close to us, and I've never seen a pigeon in this area at all. It doesn't seem injured, and can fly - it flew up onto the roof of our house and has been there for the last 3 hours. I'm concerned that it will be an easy target, being up there at night, and seeming to be not easily frightened. 
I've attached a photo and am hoping someone could tell us if it's a dove or pigeon and maybe have some advice as to what if anything we can do to help it.


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## Dima (Jan 15, 2011)

It's a pigeon.It is someone's pet since he/she allowed you to get so close.
If it's roosting on the roof, it's very easy to catch it. Pigeons don't see in the dark. Make sure lights are off. Get as close as you can and throw a towel ( big towel) on it. 
Once you got it, place it in a pet carrier with towel or newspaper at the bottom . Offer a small bowl of water and seeds.

It will not survive on its own.

Good luck.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Where are you located whitedovepigeon? We might be able to get you some help with this lovely pigeon, but we need to know where your are.

Terry


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## whitedovepigeon (Jan 1, 2013)

Hi Dima, Thank you!! The roof was too high for the towel to reach, so we reached up using a net with a long pole attached. The pigeon walked right into the net! It's now in a small pet carrier with some seed and water, in the garage. It's a small cage, but at least it's warm and away from danger.

I felt a little unsure, wondering if we did the right thing, and then seemingly out of nowhere, right by where I put the pet carrier, I saw a small white dove statue on the floor of the garage. I didn't even know we had it, but my son just told me that he knocked it off a shelf a week ago and never picked it up. To me, it was a sign that this was the right thing to do!

I noticed some green colored poo in the cage, is that normal? And could the bird transfer any diseases/parasites, etc. to us? Will the bird be okay in this small pet carrier for a little while, or do I need to do something soon? If you or anyone else has any idea what to do next with this beautiful bird, I'd appreciate hearing it. Thank you!


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## whitedovepigeon (Jan 1, 2013)

Hi Terry,
Thank you. I just saw your post. We are in NY. I'm not sure what to do next to help the bird.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Let's just cut to the chase and try to do right by this bird .. can you call me .. 949-584-6696 right now?

Terry


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

You need to get in touch with the Wild Bird Fund and/or NYCPRC to find some help for this bird. You are welcome to call me, but that is what I would be telling you. THANK YOU so very much for helping this bird!

http://wildbirdfund.com/

http://nycprc.org/

Terry


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

OK, cancel previous post .. this bird is in Mahopac NY .. not near NYC. If anyone is in the area and can adopt or foster, please let me know. I will be checking other possibilities, but come on PT folks, let's find a home for this bird.

Tery


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

*Thank you for helping this needy bird.

Please follow the guidelines in this link:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f108/basic-steps-to-saving-the-life-of-a-pigeon-or-dove-8822.html*


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## Woodnative (Jul 4, 2010)

How is the bird? Any chance you guys want a new pet?? Not really anything you can catch from it...........parasites are pretty bird specific, though use basic hygiene like with any animal (washing hands before and afterwards). IF it does have feather mites or something like that we can easily deal with them after getting the bird back on track. Very green poo could be sign of sickness though it could also be his diet or lack thereof before you caught him. Did you give him a deep dish of water? Bird seed?


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

A couple of people have offered to take in this pigeon, but the bird would need to be transported to them. I'm guessing the closest option is probably 70+ miles away.

Terry


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## whitedovepigeon (Jan 1, 2013)

Hi Woodnative... the bird seems fine to me, apart from the green poo. It's eating and drinking and seems alert. It does have a deep dish of water and some seed. 
I'm not sure if we can keep him as a pet though. How much care is involved with a pigeon, and what size cage would it need? Not sure if we can do or afford all that right now, but it's a possibility.


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## Woodnative (Jul 4, 2010)

Obviously everyone here thinks they are great pets but we are all biased, LOL! They are nice calm birds. Generally they do better in at least pairs or more but take things one step at a time and don't worry about that yet. See if the two of you bond and if you get attached but the main thing is getting him healthy first. It is also possible to keep a single bird but, if so, it is better someone is there so they get a lot of interaction/attention. A single bird or pair CAN be manageable indoors, something like a dog crate works fine. Larger or smaller depending if he was in there all the time or if he had a room/area to fly in occasionally. If you have a yard even better would be to set up a SECURE small coop for at least a pair........could be rabbit hutch size or larger. Like I said one step at a time, don't overwhelm yourself....get this guy healthy and enjoy him/her for now....he needs you right now. If he needs to be rehomed later I am sure someone here will take him.


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## whitedovepigeon (Jan 1, 2013)

Thank you Woodnative, your post put me at ease.  I will just enjoy him for now and help him (hopefully) get strong and healthy.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

I do have three possible placements for this bird, whitedovepigeon, but I'm glad to see that things are stable and may work out for you to keep the bird. Please keep us posted, and thank you for helping this needy pigeon. You have my phone # should you need to call for any reason. If you do feel it would be best to place the pigeon and can drive it to any of the possible homes, just let me know. One possible home can pay gas expense or may be able to have someone meet you half way .. this placement is approx 105 miles from you.

Terry


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## whitedovepigeon (Jan 1, 2013)

The bird seems to be getting stronger, it's eating and drinking, and it's poo seems to be darker in color already, (not as bright green). However, when I put my hand in the cage to clean it, or to give it food and water, it tries to peck at me. I'm starting to be afraid to go near it. The cage we put it in after we got it off the roof, is very small. So I'm guessing the bird is not happy in there, and that is why it's pecking. I'm trying to see if I can borrow a larger cage from someone else because I can't afford to buy one right now. Do you think a larger cage would fix this? Or could I be doing something else wrong that's making it peck at me like this?


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## Dima (Jan 15, 2011)

This pigeon knows his place. He is being territorial. That mean he just started to adjust to his place. You shouldn't be afraid. He just likes it there..of course he needs space to stretch and flap. a bigger cage would be great.
Quazar had some great ideas with making cheap cages from oven racks. I hope i can find some pics or someone can help.


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

whitedovepigeon said:


> The bird seems to be getting stronger, it's eating and drinking, and it's poo seems to be darker in color already, (not as bright green). However, when I put my hand in the cage to clean it, or to give it food and water, it tries to peck at me. I'm starting to be afraid to go near it. The cage we put it in after we got it off the roof, is very small. So I'm guessing the bird is not happy in there, and that is why it's pecking. I'm trying to see if I can borrow a larger cage from someone else because I can't afford to buy one right now. Do you think a larger cage would fix this? Or could I be doing something else wrong that's making it peck at me like this?


Sounds like its accepted the cage as its territory, and has accepted you and is not afraid of you so it is protecting its territory lol.

As Dima says, I use wire cake cooling trays to make cages. You can get them in most supermarkets quite cheaply. By joining them together with cable ties they make excellent accomodation either temp or permanent, and at a fraction of the cost of a proper cage. By overlapping some panels, you can make them fit in a particular place for your conveniance if you want.
Heres a pic of a simple one I made as a hospital isolation cage.


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## Tashy/Rob (Jan 18, 2012)

TAWhatley said:


> One possible home can pay gas expense or may be able to have someone meet you half way .. this placement is approx 105 miles from you


Myself and my girlfriend Tash drove approx 165 miles to collect our Poppy.

I'd happily double that distance for that extremely handsome pigeon......

And I'd probably have to race Quazar Bob.

If I lived in the USA!!

Rob


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## Woodnative (Jul 4, 2010)

Though they can give a slight pinch IF they grab really hard........their beaks are not really strong enough to do any damage. Unlike the parrot family where thier beaks are used for gripping, pigeon's beaks are pretty much made for picking up seeds....nothing sharp there. They can also "wingslap" you.........neither pecking nor wingslapping can do any real harm at all to you. BTW, they sometimes seem to think of your hand differently than your face. People here have had pet birds that would sit addoringly on their shoulders but attack the evil hand that enters their cage, LOL.


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Woodnative said:


> Though they can give a slight pinch IF they grab really hard........their beaks are not really strong enough to do any damage. Unlike the parrot family where thier beaks are used for gripping, pigeon's beaks are pretty much made for picking up seeds....nothing sharp there. They can also "wingslap" you.........neither pecking nor wingslapping can do any real harm at all to you. BTW, they sometimes seem to think of your hand differently than your face. People here have had pet birds that would sit addoringly on their shoulders but attack the evil hand that enters their cage, LOL.


Someone better tell my rescue Charlie that, he cant fly coz of wing damage, but thinks nothing of grabbing hold of a finger or hand and just hanging on and swinging lol.


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## DeeDee's Mom (Dec 17, 2011)

Their bite really doesn't hurt. Only time you have to watch them is if they try to peck your eyes! LOL. Our dove, DeeDee, gets irritated when I nap on the couch and flies over, sits on my head and pecks my (closed) eyes until I either wake up and get up, or get irritated myself and put him in his cage.

If you can, once the dove is well, you might try letting it out to fly about and see how much it will interact with you. Ours stays right with us, riding my husband's shoulder or head all around the house (yes, taxi driver, thank you!). He'll visit with me, play on my keyboard, sit on the monitor and go to sleep. Mostly, he just likes hangin' with us. But DeeDee will also attack our hands at times if we put our hand into the cage, because that's "his" place...his territory.

I love it when DeeDee wing slaps us! It is so funny! Sometimes he'll chase my husband's hand across the desk, pecking at it and wing slapping!

Do enjoy your dove whether you decide to keep it or not. They are unique individuals--much more than you would think with birds (birds that aren't usually recognized as such, like parrots, etc.). It's nice having a bird whose bite really can't hurt you, and that actually LIKES being with you. Parrots may like being with you, but those beaks can cause a lot of damage if they so desire.


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## whitedovepigeon (Jan 1, 2013)

Thank you everyone, I'm learning a lot! Quazar, your cage looks really cool, and to DeeDee's Mom...your bird sounds like fun! I'll think about letting this pigeon fly around, but as for now, even though I believe all of you about the pecks not hurting - I'm still terrified of the bird! lol
I'll keep you all posted. Am so glad I found you guys!


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## Tashy/Rob (Jan 18, 2012)

Quazar Bob used to avidly watch a programme called Blue Peter!!

He makes lots of things from discarded objects and " sticky back" plastic!

Pigeon pecks don't hurt.......

They KILL............











Lol just kidding!


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## DeeDee's Mom (Dec 17, 2011)

*pecking*



whitedovepigeon said:


> Thank you everyone, I'm learning a lot! Quazar, your cage looks really cool, and to DeeDee's Mom...your bird sounds like fun! I'll think about letting this pigeon fly around, but as for now, even though I believe all of you about the pecks not hurting - I'm still terrified of the bird! lol
> I'll keep you all posted. Am so glad I found you guys!


Seriously, try to overcome your fear of being hurt by the pecks. Unless you are EXTREMELY thin-skinned, the dove literally CAN'T hurt you more than you feeling a little sting in a sensitive place (like when DeeDee tries pecking my closed eyes--ouch!--THAT'S a little painful, but c'mon, EYELIDS?) Now, if they peck your OPEN eyes, they could do damage! Other than that, so far, I really haven't seen that the pecks hurt at all. My husband always says that you have to really be paying attention to be "hurt" by a dove. I'm pretty sure your fear is "reflexive". If you've ever had a pet parakeet, even, you KNOW how much THOSE little birds can hurt you if they grab you, but a dove's beak is completely different from a parakeet's or parrot's. Doves are called "soft bills" for a reason.

I love it when DeeDee "preens" us. He LOVES feet with socks on them, and will preen your feet for ages (which really TICKLES), all the while making this soft, cute, cooing noise. He preens our hands, our faces, our hair--I guess he thinks we really need help in keeping ourselves tidy. LOL. Seriously, he does it because he LOVES us. That's how they express affection.

Another thing he does that's cute is that he will chase us all over the house (hopping/running on the ground behind us), because he likes to "attack" our feet. He especially likes shoes with bows on them, like the ones my 5-year-old granddaughter wears. You've never seen anything funnier than a 5-year-old girl running through the house giggling and squealing with her dove hot on her heels, laughing like a maniac. I've tried several times to get a video of it, but I never seem to manage it: I'm lookin' for that $10,000 prize on America's Funniest Videos. LOL.

Try to feed the bird treats out of your hand to get it used to being with you, and YOU used to the feel of its beak on your skin. You'll quickly realize he can't hurt you...at least not enough to really be CALLED pain. DeeDee loves safflower seeds. People say pigeons love peanuts (chopped, I assume), but I've not tried that with DeeDee. Peanuts are EXPENSIVE. One thing DeeDee loves is cooked rice from OUR plates. He loves Chinese fried rice (although I limit it as it IS salty). 

Not all pigeons and doves like being petted or held. DeeDee does. He will lay on my chest or stomach for ages with my hand held lightly over his back and stroking him. He'll constantly make those very soft cooing noises while he goes to sleep, or he'll preen my other hand. Sometimes he will even crawl underneath my quilt and lay there, poking his head out of the covers. Very cute and sweet. For most doves, a big hand is too "predatory-like" to make them feel easy, especially at first, but DeeDee, while not "hand-raised", has been extensively handled since he was barely out of the nest, so for him, it's normal.

For some odd reason, DeeDee has never liked baths...in fact, he really HATES them. So, we settle for spritzing him with water from a bottle and he tolerates it. The only times I've ever seen him willingly enter water on his own and bathe was when he joined me in the bathtub, lighting on my leg and "walking" down my leg to bathe in the water (which was too deep for him). He doesn't do that often, but it's cute when he does.

Anyway, I just wanted to give you some examples of how much fun these silly little birds can be once they bond with you. As I said, not ALL of them become as completely head-over-heels with people as DeeDee is, but a lot of them are.

Have fun with yours! Have you named him/her yet?


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