# Injured or Exausted? - Advice for friend to pigeons



## Sansevieria (Jul 6, 2020)

Hi there!

Last night I was out on my balcony when I saw a pigeon flapping wildly and descending from the sky in a spiral. At first I thought it was looking for a place to land, but then it came down hitting some leaves on a tree. A car was blocking my view from that point, so I'm not sure what the landing looked like.

My neighbourhood is dripping with cats, so I went down to investigate. The pigeon was on the ground and not really moving. There were no visible injuries that I could see. I was easily able to coax it into a box, though she did flap her wings once, and sat on my hand during the transition. I was surprised by how hot her feet felt.

I placed her in a box with a towel, some water in a deep dish, and cracked unpopped popcorn. She would sometimes half-heartedly peck the side of the box, but wasn't really moving. I never saw her eat or drink.

Fast forward to is morning. She has clearly moved around, I can see evidence that she drank a little, and there are poops on the bottom of the box.

Was she just exhausted? Should I try letting her go now that she's had a safe place to recover for the night? Otherwise, I can take her to the SPCA and they're able to transfer her to a bird rescue.

Thanks for your help!


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## Sansevieria (Jul 6, 2020)

A very quick update, I've added some additional feed (lentils, pearl barley, some sunflower seeds) and here is a photo.


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## Ferallife (Apr 26, 2020)

I’m an amateur here. It looks like a young bird to me. Just a few months old. Maybe I’m wrong. Do check her for injuries under the feathers especially the wing. If you see any wound, clean her wound with a saline solution. Maybe she had a lucky escape from a falcon or hawk. 
In regards to sunflower seeds, always fed pigeons black oil sunflower seeds as opposed to the striped ones as the latter have a harder shell. 
Wait for the more experienced members. 
Peace.


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

She looks young. What did her first droppings look like just after you got her? This will indicate if she is sick or starving. What does the droppings look like now after she has eaten?


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## ptras (Jun 29, 2010)

I can’t see the other leg in your picture. Is the bird banded? Based on your original description of the bird “spiraling down” I thought it could be a roller or tumbler. I used to keep rollers, and sometimes would get a bird that was a “rolldown.” Birds that would start to roll, and never recover until they hit the ground. If they survived the rolldown, I would not fly them again.


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