# I think this pigeon starved to death



## phyll (Mar 15, 2004)

After Mass tonight, I spotted a pigeon on the side of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. He didn't appear to be in distress, but I felt something was wrong for him to be standing there alone shortly before sunset. Bob pulled off the road on the opposite side. We watched as he walked slowly, pecking at the ground. I decided to go over to him. The freakin' traffic was very heavy; I was waiting for an opening to cross. When Bob saw how long it was taking for me to cross, he asked how I was going to get back to the car. I thought, "Oh, no, suppose I have the pigeon." I got back into the car & we backed-up far enough to cross over the lanes & pull up onto the asphalt. We parked far enough away so the pigeon wouldn't be spooked.

I approached & threw a handful of seed toward him but he didn't seem to notice. I followed as he slowly walked in the opposite direction. The poor thing fell over onto his side. That's when I knew there definitely WAS something wrong & we had to take him. The pigeon got up, & I went back to the car to get Bob.

Because I always worry about Jesse, I try not to handle the ferals we rescue ~ Bob picks them up.
Just as we were approaching him, he fell into a little ditch & one wing was stretched out. I guess he would have died in that spot if we had left him there. 
To me, his body looked fine, not exceptionally thin or anything. His body was not fine! Bob said he was so light. He said the pigeon's weight was only that of his feathers & bones.
Bob put him in a box, & held it as I drove back here. 

The pigeon was placed on a covered heating pad as soon as we got to the house. A few minutes later I offered him a drink of the hydrating solution, but he moved his beak away from the water. I didn't want to force him to keep his beak in the water.
Bob held him & I placed a drop along his beak. After a while, he seemed to swallow, but I knew he wasn't okay. We let him rest & tried again. This time, his eyes were closed & his beak was opening slightly & closing. 

I thought he was dying, so I ran to get something soft to hold him in. Bob handed him to me. I wrapped him & held him for a while, then placed him back into the box. There was no movement.
Bob unwrapped him & placed him on top of the material.

He died about 7 hours ago. He looks so beautiful & peaceful. I know this is stupid, but I go over to the box hoping he will have woken up somehow.

The thought of him standing on the side of the road starving & thirsting to death, is short-circuiting my mind.

Since God already knows what's in my heart, I'm going to say it. I hate every person who thought this poor little pigeon standing all alone might be in trouble, yet passed him by.
I know he's fine now, but he didn't deserve to starve & thirst to death.

My mind is so crazy, I forgot the reason I started this thread.
If you see any creature that MAY need help, please check it out.
And, remember, even if a pigeon looks okay, he may not be ~ he may be dying from starvation.

Well, it's 5 A.M., so I'll let Bob bury him now. This really stinks!

Thank you, Terry W., for returning my call so quickly, & for your kind words.

Phyll


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## kittypaws (Sep 18, 2005)

Phyll,

Your story is so sad. Poor little thing. 

You are so right about not passing any creature that looks like it may not be right. 9 times out 10 a bird I have seen that looks perhaps a bit slow or maybe is about at dusk has been OK on approaching - when I mean OK - has flown away - but yes there is always the one.

The little pigeon that I caught at Clapham Junction Station was lying down, but then when I tried to catch her, she flew a little way away - that was when then I could see the extent of damage to her feet and after 2 more attempts with her just flying only a little way, she was easy to catch - as you say something was wrong.

I guess he was just weak anyway hence starving and thirsty - such a shame - but thank goodness you spotted him and was able to care for him in his last moments.

I was recounting some tales of recent pigeon rescues to a friend that I hadn't seen in ages last night and she said " But I never see injured, sick or baby pigeons" and then she said "Perhaps I do, but I don't realise that here is a problem". 

If only people weren't so wrapped up in themselves and "*looked"* around a bit more at what is around them, they would see things. I think often or not they would prefer not to or just ignore them thinking "that someone else will pass by and help them I'm sure"!! 

Tania x


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Ah Phyll and Bob, wonderful you to stop and help. And, you did help. You at least allowed him to pass over in a warm and loving environment. When they get so sick and run down as this bird was they go quickly at the end.

I'm like you in thinking how can people just walk on by seeing another creature in need of help. The last little fellow we got in, Briggs, was an example. However, thank God he was young enough and still had enough resources to pull through. 

I'm so sorry.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Hi Phyll and Bob,

I'm so sorry to hear about this little one.

I'm glad you posted this, regardless of the outcome, the FACT that you stopped to rescue it and give it tender love and care the last hours of life, THAT is what is REALLY important. Yes, someone should have rescued it when it first stood there so helpless, but I thank God you came along when you did.

I will ask God to intervene and give everyone the desire to intervene should they come upon any helpless animal or bird in need. ...and when in doubt, take the time to check it out.


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## Garye (Feb 20, 2005)

I'm sorry about your loss. I also see some pigeons pecking away from the flock at times and I try my best to throw some food their way. Usually, when I move a "safe" distance from them, they'll come over and eat what I give them. They're usually just afraid of me.

In your case, you were probably just too late. Maybe it was sick with something and just couldn't eat. In any case, I'm glad you were able to take it home. At least it died in peace with love.


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

I agree with everyone who has posted a comment Phyll.Please understand that the act that you and Bob did was right, and unfortunately , not everyone is interested in coming to the aid of any fallen animal. You did the right thing. You brought it to a safe haven in its last hours. I am sure it knew.I too still think about the pigeon I tried to rescue about a year ago, and passed overnight.The red bird...the baby starling ...all we can do is try our best. Thank you both for your efforts and kiss Jessie for me will ya?


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

Yet another death that may have been prevented if someone like you had bothered to stop and check the poor pigeon earlier.  I throroughly share the anger in your heart about people that just keep driving and, like someone said, think "oh, someone else will stop and help it." I never, ever think that. There are a million stories we each can tell, I'm sure, whether it be puppies running loose in traffic, or herons with fishing line wrapped so tightly around their feet they can't even walk, or baby pigeons floating down a flooded river still alive.....etc., etc., etc. Each and every one of these creatures deserves help and most of them don't have the time to wait for that special person to arrive to help them, and when that person does arrive, it's often too late because no one else bothered to step in. I would love to tell people, yes, you may be late to work or late for a date if you stop to help. Yes, you may have a crowd of people yelling at you for trying to net an injured bird, because they don't understand. And yes, you may have to get dirt on your suit or dress by crawling into that culvert after a stray feral kitten. Isn't it obvious that it's worth whatever it takes, to save a life? 

Wow, that led to a rant I didn't know I had in me.  I have been up most of the night with my very elderly pet rat who's almost ready to go....and I guess I'm just pretty angry and sad right now.  I'm also very thankful for people like you, Phyll, and for all the others who do stop and help. All we can do, I suppose, is try to educate people to share our views. Thank you for picking up the bird and giving him comfort during his last hours here. At least he is in a place where he is happy and healthy now. Sorry for the ranting guys.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hi Phyl,

At least it found you and Bob, so it was surrounded by love when it died, so bless you for that.

The world's indifference to the pain and suffering of these precious birds can hurt, but I don't think that the majority of people mean to be cruel, thoughtless or even indifferent they just don't see what we see! But it is their loss.

I only developed "pigeon-conciousness" after Millie literally fell at my feet. Before that I had been through the city centre hundreds of times, but I had never seen a sick or injured pigeon although I had rescued injured doves, seagulls, starlings, tree-creepers etc. The sick pigeons must have been there , as they are now, but I just didn't see them or know how to recognise them.

Some years ago I saw Blackie pecking aimlessly at the pavement while the crowds walked over her and round her and thought there must be something wrong. I stopped and watched her for a moment. A colleague, who knew about my pigeon activities came up and asked me why I was standing staring at the pavement...she had literally not seen Blackie at all, although she was at our feet!

I picked Blackie up, and then a woman saw her and approached me. "Are you rescuing that pigeon?", she asked, and when I confirmed that I was she said "You have just picked up an angel". And I believe that what she said was true, the people that had stepped over and around Blackie, unaware of her existence, had missed the opportunity of holding an angel.

Cynthia


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Cynthia, that was a beautiful story. Lewis came home this morning a little down because he counted 7 pigeons dead under the bridge. A few had been there a day or so but the others were fresh. There is no telling how many people walked the sidewalks under the bridge that could possibly have saved some of them but didn't. I worry that they may even scare the babies off into the street. He went back this pm to check and thank goodness there were no new ones dead.

It is very sad.


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi Phyll, 

I'm sorry to hear it was too late for this poor pigeon As others have said, thankfully you were there to scoop it up and provide a safe, calm place for it to pass. It would have otherwise likely suffered from being run over on that busy street.

Not everyone watches out for animals like most of us do. I don't think it's necessarily a case of people passing them over and not be bothered as it is that most just aren't looking. There are people that don't even like animals so they would never notice.

I'm sorry it was too late for this one, you did all you could by the time you got to him.


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

I, too, add my condolences, Phyll! When I read about pigeons found who die because they were too far gone to be saved, I really take the news hard.

Sometimes, being emotionally vulnerable/fragile where injured/sick animals are concerned, can be so stressful, that we are affected healthwise. Knowledge of what to do, support and advice from our site "family" members can make a tremendous difference! 

*THANK YOU, ONE AND ALL, WHO GO OUT OF YOUR WAY TO HELP!*

*MAY YOU ALL HAVE HEALING LIGHT AROUND AND WITH YOU AND THE ONES YOU HELP...ALWAYS...*


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## phyll (Mar 15, 2004)

cyro51 said:


> I picked Blackie up, and then a woman saw her and approached me. "Are you rescuing that pigeon?", she asked, and when I confirmed that I was she said "You have just picked up an angel". And I believe that what she said was true, the people that had stepped over and around Blackie, unaware of her existence, had missed the opportunity of holding an angel.
> Cynthia


That's beautiful & I'm glad you shared it with all of us. 

Cynthia, I know that many of the people who passed the pigeon we rescued, did not realize he needed help. It occurred to me, that I probably would have passed him if Jesse hadn't come into my life.
Since it was still light, I would have thought he was just hanging out.
The thing is, that particular road leads to the bridges that go to Manhattan, so it has lots of traffic, day & night.
Thousands take this same route five days a week. This pigeon was in a small area, outside of an overpass. If you were in the left lane, you couldn't miss him. We were in the right lane when I spotted him.
Only because I wasn't there, I can't say with certainty that he was in that particular area for days, but since he was in his last hours when we rescued him, he must have been.
The area is surrounded by traffic lanes ~ he could have only reached it by flying, when he still had a little energy left. For him to reach the point of death, he HAD to have been there for days.

I am not as nice as you are, Cynthia, so this is how I see it ~
Out of the thousands of people who saw this little pigeon standing there for even two days in a row (in almost constant exhaust fumes),the thought that he may be in trouble had to have crossed SOME of their minds!
That innocent bird had to starve & thirst to death because not one of those bastards stopped to help.

In addition to starving, he couldn't escape the fumes.
That too! WHY would a bird (or any creature) CHOOSE to stay in that location?
Why didn't any of those morons think about that?

Another thing, I KNOW he was starving because I checked the boxes today. Not one poop in either box. Nothing in the box we transported him home in, & nothing in the larger box we had him in here. NOTHING!!! People suck!
I don't like being so hateful, but that's how I feel right now. 
When I go to my back door, see his little grave & think of the circumstances that put him there, I want to scream.
Sorry for going on, but it's hard for me to let this go.

Bob & I thank you & everyone for your posts, we needed them.

Phyll


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## andinla (Mar 11, 2003)

*Phyll*

I often wonder what people are thinking when they just turn their heads the other way as if not to notice injured or starving animals. 

Thank you for picking that poor pigeon up and trying to save it...

I have come across so many animals that must of been passed by for hours, maybe days and no one bothered to stop...The one that still breaks my heart is the young doberman laying by the side of the road in hot weather dying from parvo/distemper, I called the animal control which took over 30 minutes to arrive and he told me that he was dying and would be put down...I will never forget that poor dog's face...

Sometimes I don't like our human race...But then there are people like you Phyll that warm my heart with the kindness you show...

Andi


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## boyasaka (Aug 6, 2006)

when i bird has gone this far its impossible to save it,deseise is alwasy the cause of birds dying , never just of starvation as they will alwasy find food.coccxy and canker as wel all know kill many birds the bacteris gets into there intestine and casues endless problems, but if i bird gets so bad like the one you found its far better to put it to sleep and stop it suffering any longer


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