# i found a baby pigeon or dove and i want to identify it please help me!!!



## bellebomb

Hello All,

4 days ago i found the cutest little baby in the world it was only by chance that i found the little thing... it was dusk and i simply glanced down and too my left saw a baby bird under a tree. It looked dead... now normally i would have just sighed and walked inside (im a country girl and death is part of the natural order of things) but i didn't and under closer expectation there was a very very minute movement to is chest as though it was trying to breath. I scooped it up and clutched it to my chest in my warm hands and very slowly it came back to life.... Now i assume it can only have been about 2 days old at the most because its eyes were closed (incidently they opened staring straight at me.... major imprinting ensued).... anyway to cut a long story short i've now had her for 5 days and she's doing amazingly well, i take her everywhere with me, feed her from my mouth and just adore her..... the only problem (well not really a problem as it makes not difference really) is I don't know what she is, as i have 3 choices..... Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, or Stock Dove which all share the tree under which she was found!!! please see picture attached and share with me your wealth of experience.

Thank you so much
Helen


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## amyable

Hi Helen,

Well it could be any of those three options from the picture. If it's a Wood Pigeon it will have some white feathers on the edge of it's wings. If you gently open the wings you can usually see those starting to show.

A collared dove tends to be slightly more brown colour but hard to tell again from the photo.

The only thing is if it's a dove it will be much smaller so will need differing amounts of food to a woodie as it developes.

What are you feeding it?

By the way, well spotted and thanks so much for taking such good care of this little baby.

Are you uk based with those birds in your garden?

Janet


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## Feefo

I would think woodie, because of the size, but as Janet says the test is the wing bar which should already be showing.

Have a look at this link, it shows what you can feed, how to feed etc etc. There is also a list of the hospitals and sanctuaries that can help.

Pigeon and Dove Rescue UK

BTW, feeding from your mouth is innovative but it is not a healthy option for the pigeon because we can carry pasteurella bacteria in our saliva and that can make birds sick.

Cynthia


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## bellebomb

Hi Janet and Cynthia,

im feeding her on egg food that i got from my local petshop.... mainly used for hand rearing aviary birds, but was told it would be fine for her and she wolfs it down.... I don't mind feeding from her from my mouth as I know its not gonna go down the wrong hole and the bond between us is very strong..... yes we're in the UK Nottinghamshire to be exact...... thanks so much for your help xx 

whats the chances of her living a normal pigeony existance?


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## YaSin11

Helen,
CONGRATZ! on the great find. Adorable  Must have felt amazing when it opened it's eyes. Judging from the beak size/shape I wouldn't think it any type of dove..probably a woodie..but I'm no expert  What are you feeding her?...as for the 'from the mouth' method..it's great n works wonders..but be careful about future considerations...this imprinting is strong. Babies are the most fun, good luck with her,kudos to you for savin' the lil 1. Peace, YaSin


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## amyable

Hi Helen,

When you say a normal pigeony existance, do you mean as a wild bird, ie; released back to the wild, or in captivity?
It will no doubt live longer in the safety of captivity but it may not have such a satisfying life, (as far as a bird's life is concerned) with relationships and a mate etc if kept alone.
Woodies are slightly different to feral pigeons and tend to be far more skittish and nervous naturally.
As YaSin says, imprinting is very strong when hand rearing any baby and so if it's to be released eventually it will struggle to adapt to living as a wild bird if not integrated into mixing with other birds and handling kept to a minimum.

Would you be able to offer it a life long home if it's imprinted as you do need to make that decision sooner rather than later as it will govern how you carry on rearing it.

By the way I think what Cynthia was saying was that it's the baby that's at risk of getting sick from you by mouth feeding, not sure whether you had misunderstood her note on that.
It's not, as so many people like to put around that pigeons will make us sick, it can be quite the opposite as it happens.
Anyway you're obviously very fond of this little baby and it's been very lucky to have been picked up as it wouldn't have stood any chance being out there overnight.

Do keep us posted as to how it's doing. There tend to be a lot of baby rescues at this time of year and others can learn a lot from your experiences too, (and we all love to watch as babies grow!!!). 

Janet


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## bellebomb

Hi Janet.... there is absolutely no problem with my baby staying with me for the entirety of its life.... how long do they live anyway? ill post some more piccys later of her.... she's so strong and has a great character already. 
I did get the message with the mouth feeding and am exploring other avenues

thanx again x


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## amyable

Hi Helen,

Thanks for the reply.
You sound very confident and devoted to babie's welfare, that's lovely. I don't know if you've had time to look on here at the various methods of feeding. There are some videos that make it easier to work out rather than me trying to explain. I personally find the what they call the syringe and balloon method very easy and quick and like feeding from your mouth it mimics the parent's way of feeding with the baby putting it's beak in a hole to feed.
I've found my vets is willing to let me have a large syringe from them if you haven't got anything like it.
If you need any further help on that just ask, glad to help.

I hope I'm not telling you anything you already know but just for the babie's sake I'll just say to make sure the food is always warmed to body temperature and just to make sure the crop is empty before feeding again so the food doesn't stack up and go sour in the crop.

Looking forward to seeing how he grows up, photos anytime are welcome. 

Janet


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## bellebomb

*worried*

okay worried about my baby.... she's stopped taking food.... last big meal was last night at about 8pm as it was getting dark. She looks fine, is preening and flapping her wings and squeeking but she wont take food from me... not even from my mouth, ive only managed to get a little bit down her.... please help ill be totally devastated if she dies.


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## altgirl35

oh no, how do her poops look, can you post a pic? look down her throat is it pink and clear? do you see any white cheesy stuff, is there a foul odor?
is her crop empty or full?


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## bellebomb

well her poos are the same as they have been, long and thin soft solid with the watery bit... no she smells nice like she always does... eyes are clear... she's fapping and cleaning herself. she goes to take food than shuts her mouth and shakes it away.... shes been doing really well and so strong and inquisitive i just dont know what ive done wrong? Could i have overfed her.. her crop seems to have some food in it as it's not as flat as it normally is when she's hungry... it's the fact that she doesnt want food that is freaking me out.... please help me, ive been really unwell of late and she's brought me out of a very dark hole ive been living in, she's my little angel!


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## Feefo

If she is not eating give her some supplementary warmth like a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel, that is so that she doesn't lose energy trying to keep warm. 

You will also need to ensure that she doesn't become dehydrated, you could put some warm water in an egg cup and dip her beak in that to encourage her to drink. Don't try putting water into her mouth as that could cause her to aspirate.

Please keep us updated.

Cynthia


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## Feefo

Her refusal to feed could be because the crop hasn't emptied or the food isn't warm enough. Warm water should help empty the crop.

Did you say you are in the Nottingham area? If so, Burton Wildlife Rescue is about 30 miles away from you...do you have any transport? The founder, Lindsey Newell, might have a look at him for you



Cynthia


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## bellebomb

at the moment im in mansfield and without transport but could get into mansfield with her.... is there anywhere that you know of round here.... ive just checked inside her mouth and its pink and clean and clear... she seems great, she just won't eat.... im just stressing out, i cant let her die and i dont care what it costs.


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## altgirl35

do you still have her on heat???


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## Feefo

Try not to panic, it could be that her crop is just emtying slowly and that as a result she doesn't want to take more food.

As her poops are coming through normally there si still food being digested.

Warm water, a warm pad should both help. 

Our little collared dove Poppet, who was handraised by another member, wouldn't eat when she got here. We realised that we were offering her food that wasn't warm enough, it should be 39C.

I have tried to locate an avian vet in Mansfield, but no luck so far...

Cynthia


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## bellebomb

*my baby girl*

okay so ive been putting her on and off the heat as she seems to get too hot if i leave her on it too long.... at the moment she is in my arms cradled agaist my chest as thats where she is happiest. 
i worried mainly because she has fed amazing well since day one, this behavior is so unlike her. she kepps laying to the side as well and i dont know whether this is because shes tired and it's comfortable or whether its because she is poorly..... seriously guys i cant loose her!!!!


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## altgirl35

keeping her warm and hydrated is the most important thing you can do for her, laying on her side is not normal.
do you have any antibiotics in the house, has she eaten today? is her crop emptying?


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## Dobato

How is her breathing, is it as before, or is it labored in any way? Have you been able to get a bit of warm water into her?

If you have her on heat and she is getting too warm, it may be set too high. A heating pad should be set to low with a folded towel on top. When you place the palm of your hand on it, it should not feel immediately warm, but take a few moments until you start to feel the warmth radiating up. Keep your hand there and after a few minutes and it should still feel nicely warm, but not approaching anywhere near starting to feel hot.

Karyn


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## Pigeonlove

Dear bellebomb. I hope your baby is doing OK...I for one, know what it is like to get attached! Thanks for keeping us updated, and I am really hoping for the best for you and your new little friend.


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## pdpbison

Hi Bellebomb, 


I thought I had posted some info to your thread days ago, but I do not see the post.


Our mouths contain Germs which can cause young Birds to become very ill and die.

Kisses should never be on the Beak, nor should any Seeds or Food be given from our mouths.

If you have done this, please consider to obtain some broad spectrum Antibiotics, and or, consult an avian Vet a.s.a.p.


Three or four days is about all between event, and slow curve to fast demise...same as Cat bites.


Phil
Lv


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## Feefo

How is the baby today?

I agree with Phil on this, even if the baby hasn't developed pasteurellosis it is a sensible precaution to give it a course of antibiotics. Try to get it to the vet today, I would ask for Synulox or Clavamox. 

There nothing you could do about this yesterday as no vet would hold an emergency surgery or carry out a Sunday visit for a baby woodie that is off its food.

If you simply can't get to a vet then I can post you some Synulox which *should* reach you tomorrow if you PM me your address. But if it is still not eating then I think it would be best for a vet to examine it, just in case whatever is affecting it isn't bacterial. 

However, I must also say that other members have raised heathy squabs succesfully by mouth feeding. 

I was also wondering how thick the egg food that you give it is and whether you chewed it before offering? If it wasn't chewed then there would be less chance of its being contaminated by saliva. If it was thick you might want to thin it down until the baby is older or switch to chick crumbs (soaked for half an hour in hot but not boiling water, liquidised and sieved three times, served quite runny.

Cynthia


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## bellebomb

Hi All,

im pleased to say my baby is fine again... and she seems to like laying onto her side a little when she's chillin out. I think i overfed her and she was trying to get rid of the food. shes back to climing all over me... showing off her beautiful new wings and making a lot of noise.... and most importantly eating up her food. 
im being more careful not to overfil her crop again and she seems contented enough now she has got the message.
im sure ill have a few more panics in the near future, however thanks to you all for seeing me through this one.... anyway shes fast asleep and a little grumpy with me cos i left her for a few hours today and my dad had to feed her..... aparently she just squeeked, flaped and wriggled ha ha ha! x


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## Feefo

I am so glad that she is better. Hand raising a baby bird (or any baby animal) can cause so much anxiety. I am always worrying about whether mine are getting too much or too little, about whether they are too hot or too cold etc etc. Fortunately they can learn to feed themselves quite early.

Please keep us updated and....can we have a name for the baby? 

Cynthia


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## bellebomb

*babies name*

Hi 

She's called Pumpkin (dont actually know if she's a girl i just think she is) and i love her... as i said ive been poorly for some time and she's like my little ray of sunshine, she's totally devoted to me and it's very very special.


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## Feefo

I remember the first time my first rescue (a baby but older than Pumpkin) looked me in the eye and waggled her wings and squeaked for food...like you, I fell in love on the spot. It is an amazing feeling because until it happens you can't imagine that you could feel so much for a pigeon so quickly! 

Pumpkin is a lovely name for a lovely baby.

Cynthia


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## cotdt

Any pics of how the bird looks like today? I wonder what it is.


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## amyable

That is such a relief to know she is better.

I'm glad she is such a comfort to you, I do think they are sent to you for a reason and Pumpkin is certainly turning out to be a special baby.

Janet


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## altgirl35

aww pumkin! glad she's doing better, i was scared for you too


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## bellebomb

*update*

Hi Guys,

she's doing well.... sorry i have'nt sent pictures yet i have some just need to upload them which i will do tonight. Im still not sure what she is as she's wood pigeon coloured but she's small and compact and she has a very very pretty face.... tell me what you think when i send the pictures later.

As far as feeding is concerned she's feeding again on a regular basis however she stops after a few mouth fulls likes she had enough and i thought she'd keep feeding til she popped... i guess she's a clever girl. 

I have her with me in London at the moment and i'm in Stoke Newington so if there are any avian vets around that you know of please let me know as id like to get her the once over.

Speak later when i send the piccys

Cheers 
Helen


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## Feefo

When you take a photo make certain that it shows a wing clearly...even folded that will probably be enough to identify her as woodie, feral, stock dove or collared dove!

This is my favourite London vet, he knows a lot about pigeons...but I found all the Companion Care vets that I have dealt with to be compassionate and helpful:

Retief Ehlers
Companion Care Raynes Park
Inside Pets at Home
80 Bushey Road
Raynes Park
London
SW20 0JQ 

0208 946 2105 


Cynthia


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## YaSin11

Glad 2 know pumpkin is feelin' better


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## bellebomb

*Pictures*

okay this shows her wings i guess... she loves my nails she always plays with them


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## bellebomb

*Pictures*

another of my baby


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## bellebomb

*Pictures*

and another


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## Feefo

Actually...I don't know!  Stock dove?

It is definitely a stock dove or a woodie but I am leaning heavily towards stock dove now, its beak is smaller than what I would expect in a woodie and I can't see any trace of white feathers at the lower edge of the wing (that is where they are visible as a thin white line when the wing is closed). There also seems to be the slightest of grey smudges on the wing which could be the stock dove's broken black wing bar.

The problem with identifying baby stock doves is that we don't come across them that often and there don't seem to be any photos on the net (I will keep looking). Woodies have very fragile nests in trees so they often fall out or are rescued when trees are felled, but the stock dove nests in holes in trees and rabbit burrows so we don't see the nestlings. Bedfordshire Wildlife Rescue had a photo of two nestling stock doves on their site, but that photo is no longer there.

At one stage a baby woodies eyes will be blue and it will later turn to very pale green, whereas the stock dove will always have black eyes, but some of my baby woodie photos show them with dark eyes.

This is a photo of one of my rescued baby woodies...see how the white feathers show at the bottom of the wing? That is the bar that shows across the wing when woodies are in flight.


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## bellebomb

okay so my next problem is now she doesn't seem to like the food any more..... she feeds about two mouths fulls each feed and then wont take any more..... what should she be eating now and how much?


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## Feefo

The stock doves and the woodies that I feed in the wood eat toegther. I give them mixed bird seed. Stock doves will eat ripe cereal grain, but eat mainly weed seeds, so if she is a stock dove then very small seeds might tempt her. Scatter some around her and see how she reacts.

If she is a woodie you can try defrosted peas and corn.

Can we have another photo?

Pigeon Queen has had a stock dove in her care that wasn't self feeding. I will ask her to have a look at this thread.

Cynthia


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## wildlife-rescue

I have uploaded a picture of our stock doves from a couple of years ago and I do think that this is what your bird is although the pics aren't that clear.

You can wean stock doves by using a finch seed that they can practice picking up, though at the age of your one, I would still be tube feeding at the same amounts for collared doves, ie, 10-15mls of Tropican every 4 to 5 hours.

Though you have done a fab job so far and this may be an unpopular opinion, I do think this bird should go to an experienced rehabber so that it can go back to the wild, sorry. Stock Doves are more like Woodies than ferals, they are not domesticated and are quite highly strung, not suitable for captivity at all.

Bedfordshire Wildlife Rescue


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## PigeonQueen

hello , I totally agree with Wildliferescue's post above. I recently had a Stock Dove for several months and had difficulty getting the bird to eat. They are more emotionally fragile than Feral pigeons and need an experienced rehabber with an aviary to ensure this bird has the best chance. 

You have done a wonderful thing helping this bird but you can help it more by
giving it to someone with more experience. You say you are in the London area today,well the Lady I passed my Stock Dove to, lives just outside on the Surrey Borders. They are experts and your stock dove will be safe with them. My Stock Dove is now with others and eating and doing very well.

I have left a message on your private messages and the phone number of the lady who could help you. Please phone me if you want to and I can tell you about my little dove.

best wishes Jayne


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## Feefo

> this may be an unpopular opinion


Actually I agree with you and with Pigeon Queen on this. And thanks for responding and for the photos!  We are pretty thin on stock dove experience and information here.

Cynthia


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## PigeonQueen

Hello, if you miss my post today and take the bird back to Nottingham, it occured to me that Bedfordshire Wildlife rescue is not so far away, and it might be easier for you to take the pigeon to them. I am told they are very knowledgeable about pigeons ,so please give them a call. The number I have is 07890 973050 (10-6.30pm only to call) You could check their website if it is wrong. I have had their number for some time so it might have changed.

Please do keep us all posted about this lovely pigeon, Best wishes Jayne


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## Feefo

wildlife-rescue who posted above *is *Bedfordshire Wildlife Rescue... and yes, they are knowledgeable about stock doves, hence my appeal to them. 

Bedfordshire Wildlife Rescue


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## bellebomb

im back home and no where near bedfordshire for someone who cant drive. I must say this is not exactly how i imagined this turning out.... i had planned on keeping her with me, but obviously i dont want her to die because of something i do wrong..... im pretty devastated right now........


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## wildlife-rescue

I see tht you are based in Nottinghamshire, could you take the bird to Cedar Wildlife Hospital??:-

http://www.cedarwildlifehospital.co.uk


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## PigeonQueen

hello thanks for your message. I'm sorry, I did not realise you wanted to keep the Stock Dove as a pet. Jayne


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## doveone52

Please do not despair. I know this dove is close to your heart and because of you, she is alive! If stock doves do poorly in captivity, I have no doubt you could adopt a pigeon or dove. Not the same but that's the wonder of pigeons and doves. No two alike. They do make amazing pets- and friends.


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## cotdt

You could always adopt a pigeon which makes a great domestic pet.


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## bellebomb

thanks guys... well my baby is doing relatively well, she's attempting to fly now and can manage very small distances. i live in the countryside and had envisaged letting her fly free, with me keeping a watchful eye on her, when she is ready of course. 

She has just spent the evening waddling round the living room between me and my mum and dad, taking in turns as to who's knee she wanted to sit on... pecking at the carpet and anything that i have i.e. phone, cigarette packet, sweet wrapper etc. She seems so happy and content, she's just a little bugger with her food sometimes but we are getting through that with patience and perseverance!

It's pumpkin i want, the bond and the trust is like nothing i've known before and i've successfully raised; magpies, kestrels, crows, owls, mistle thrush, a stoat, and a litter of kittens. 

however that said i do want the best for her


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## Feefo

> i live in the countryside and had envisaged letting her fly free, with me keeping a watchful eye on her, when she is ready of course.


I wouldn't advise that with a stock dove, I have no experience of hand raised ones but I don't think stock doves "home" like feral pigeons...tame collared doves that have escapd from aviaries, houses or are deliberately released have usually disappeared (including one of mine!). As she won't have learnt to forage or to avoid predators she might not survive if she gets lost.


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## bellebomb

*pictures*

beautiful x


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## bellebomb

*pictures*

Pumpkin xxx


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## bellebomb

*pumkin pie*

isnt she lovely


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## bellebomb

*last one*

my baby xxx


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## doveone52

She's a beauty alright and so is her "mom"!


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## Feefo

> i had planned on keeping her with me, but obviously i dont want her to die because of something i do wrong


I don't think it would come to that...besides which, bad (worse) things happen to birds in the wild, specially with the increasing numbers of sparrowhawks.

Some sanctuaries say that all unreleasable wood pigeons should be euthanased as they never adapt to captivity but my woodies have proved them wrong and I know there are also members that have happy rescued woodies as house pets. Our understanding of different pigeon species changes as we obtain more first hand information from rescuers.

So... if you can't part with her and she is a stock dove you can become our source of information on hand reared pet stock doves...and if your circumstances change, or things don't work out, then we can help you find an aviary home for her with others of her kind. Either way, I know we all look forward to updates and more photos, she is a real darling!


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## bellebomb

Thanks Cynthia, it means a lot to have the support provided by you guys.
Tonight she spent the whole evening sitting on my hand while i surf the net preening and tweeting at me for cuddles.... she's so very affectionate and just loves being around the whole family. She took her first baby flight today and i was very proud and she just kept showing off flapping her wings. 
I send some more piccys tomorrow


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## cotdt

Cool she can fly now! Have you considered buying her a diaper?


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## bellebomb

diaper?????


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## cotdt

bellebomb said:


> diaper?????


Yeah, so she doesn't poop on you!

http://birdwearonline.com/


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## bellebomb

excellent..... and it would restrict her?


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## cotdt

bellebomb said:


> excellent..... and it would restrict her?


nope, no restrictions unless you attach a leash


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## nikki702

ive seen it all now ... a pigeon nappy LMAO! 

ur baby is lovely


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## bellebomb

*Pumpkin Sunbathing*

Doesn't she look beautiful xxx


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## cotdt

she's growing fast


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## Pigeonlove

*Super Beautiful!*

Yes, she does look great!! And I do agree...some Doves don't make very good pets, they can never be tamed. They constantly try to get out of the cage and their wings are always bloody. ON THE OTHER HAND, some Doves make great pets, and are awesome friends!! They all have different temperment. You are a lucky one, you got a friend!


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## Feefo

She is beautiful ...the colour changes in the photos are a bit confusing, he looks like a collared dove in some, I had to go back and check the tail...he is grey with a black tail band and black eyes, isn't he?

Cyntia


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## bellebomb

yes that's right she is pale silver grey and her chest is starting to develop a pinkish tinge and at the back of her neck it is starting to darken where the green bit will appear. She has a black band at the end of her tail and the black edging to her wings is coming as is another set of black markings further up her wings so she's defo a stock dove.

Yes i'm blessed to have such a tame bird, she responds to her name and tweets when i tweet to her.. its a very low sweet little sound that she only uses for me. 

i cant believe the two of us have come this far together as she was seriously knocking on deaths door when i found her all cold and alone in the twilight hours.... we were obviously meant to find each other that evening as she's been so close to me ever since. She doesn't really stay confined during the day, she just potters about with me all day and now that she can fly, sits on the tops of the doors or tries to get into the sink (with water in it).

She still cant feed herself but we are working on it and i will keep you posted.

xxx


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## Feefo

She is a lucky little bird.

If she is trying to get into the sink she may appreciate a bath or a shower. Try misting her with luke warm water and see how she reacts.

Cynthia


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## bellebomb

Yes ill try giving her a bath and see what she makes of it.... Any tips on how to teach her to feed herself, she picks it up but just flirts it away again!


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## Feefo

They take longer to be weaned when they are hand raised. In the wild the parents reduce the food as they prepare to fledge and they also have other stockies (Rob Doves term for them which I have adopted) to copy, which makes it much easier for them. You could try leaving her with the finch seeds and holding back on the hand feeding for longer...hard love! 

Cynthia


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## bellebomb

*feeding*

Okay she is still being terrible with food.... she takes a couple of mouthfuls and then stops .... this is about 3 times a day just enough to sustain her and its beginning to get worrying! The thing is she is so settled and tame i couldnt imagine letting her go into a situation with other doves she would freak out im sure.... she thinks she is human or a dog i havent worked out which..... she loves my two dogs and they are starting to love her after being afraid of her initially. Im going to have to force feed her soon if she doesnt book her ideas up! Any advice would be most welcome!!!? 

just so you know i have been trying her on a variety of different foods... egg food, dog food, chick crumbs, wild bird seed and its the same wih them all... wet or dry (if wet nice and warm and runny) 

Help!


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## Feefo

Have you tried hand feeding her warm defroeted peas by hand? That usually kick starts hand raised wood pigeons into self feeding.

The problem here is that none of us have experience of hand raising stockies in an environment without other birds, so we don't know what works for them in those circumstances.

Cynthia


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## PigeonQueen

The Stock Dove would do well in an aviary with other Stock Doves and would probably start eating on its own. Healthy competion for food works wonders when a bird wont eat.

I dont know why you think the bird would 'freak out' with other Doves. The Dove would have company of others and not be isolated.I dont think it thinks it is a dog or a human . 

As I said in a previous post I know a place where your Stock Dove could live a peaceful and happy life in a safe environment.The ladies concerned are extremely experienced. The place is where I took my Stock Dove, as I had to force feed it as it also would not eat. The bird is now eating on its own and sharing an aviary with others in a nice sunny spot.

Please do not be offended at my suggestion. You have done amazingly well and I congratulate you. I have taken in many Feral Pigeons but the Stock Dove was the most challenging bird I have had to look after.The Dove is much happier in an aviary now and despite not wanting to part with it. I know I made the right decision.

Of course it is up to you what you decide. Please keep us posted of your progress as it will be useful knowledge to other members here in the UK who have not had the experience of keeping a Stock Dove. They are rare in some parts of the UK.

Perhaps you could build an ouitside aviary and get another Dove for your friend?

Jayne


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## bellebomb

*aviary*

i suppose it selfish reasons i dont want to let her go she's so close to me.... i wish you could know how tame she is.... maybe i will make a little video tonight of her and email it to you she really is funny to watch at times. 

i lke the idea of an outside aviary here... where would i get another dove and how big should it be?


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## PigeonQueen

You could advertise here on the adoption forum asking if anyone has another unreleasable Dove or Woodpigeon that needs rehoming. You would have to see if the birds 'got on' together.

However you would then be taking on more responsibility and you would not beable to just up and 'go on holiday'. Alot of serious rehabbers never have holidays because of the commitement needed to care for unreleasable birds.It is not easy to rehome birds that become totally dependant on you. A bird is for life so to speak.

Jayne


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## bellebomb

so i havent written for a few days and there is a very good reason... my little friend Pumpkin had a nasty accident! It was a couple of days ago and we'd been pottering around as usual round the house, we'd washed the pots, hoovered, and she'd watched me a shower and id ocasionally flick some water her way (which she loves) and i went up stairs to get dressed, she was sat in the room looking out the winow. I heard a thud and i came rushing down stairs and pumpking was on the floor.... she'd flown into the window and was sitting on the floor. Now i must explain before eveyone chastises me for leaving her on her own, it was only for just a minute and Pumpkin knows about windows she normally lands on the sill and pecks the glass to check it and we've gone round the whole house so she can check every window. Anyway i was distraught and her eye was swelling by the minute... i sat and cuddled her for a momnet and was sobbing into he feathers as i thought she was dying, but she just went to sleep in my arms like she normally does. So i put her in her bedroom and closed the curtains made sure it was toastie and left her to sleep. we are on the third day now and her eye is starting to go down... she's not as lively as she was but i guess she's in some pain. I think she will be okay now but i still worry about the internal damage she may have done to her little head.

Anyway thats why i have been silent these past few days, i been looking after my prescious baby...... on a ood note she's eating a bit better xxx


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## spirit wings

my pigeons that fly outside, sometimes(only a few) go into my windows, I hear a thud, but they keep flying and have had no seriouse injury thus far.. Im sure she will be ok soon. oh I really like your finger nail polish in your pic you posted it looks good..lol..


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## Feefo

Hi Helen,

These things happen and to be honest if you had been there you couldn't have stopped her...but first, while I remember - please read about the household hazards that could kill an indoor bird. IMO Teflon is the most dangerous as if it overheats it can kill silently.

One of my woodies must have panicked and crashed into the aviary roof, because I found her crumpled on the ground with her neck limp...At first I was convinced she was dead or dying. Fortunately I had been reading about the symptoms of concussion only the day before and concluded that must be what was affecting her. I had some hoemopathic remedies to give her, I kept her quiet and helped her drink by lifting her head and dipping her beak in water. She recovered the ability to lift her head on her own within 25 hours and was able to walk the next day, but it was a few days befor she got back to normal. I read that they can have a pretty nasty headache when concussed! Concussion is the one injury when supplemental heat can be dangerous.


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## YaSin11

Bellebomb,
Hope Pumpkin is doing better  These are typical hazards faced by 'indoor' birds...don't worry 2 much about it. I doubt there has been any 'internal damage'.Good to know atleast eating better. Peace, YaSin


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## Pigeonlove

I hope little Pumpkin is feeling better. I know you will do your best to comfort her while she recovers.


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## BirdDogg10

I've been following this thread for a while, your bird is so cute!

Hope she's doing ok,

My sister's pug has ran into stuff before and he's never acted like he's in pain. I don't know if it's the same case with your bird or not... just a thought.


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## pdpbison

Oh yeah...having pre-release "WILD" Birds in here flying around, and the flight-able non-release-ables, I have not washed the Windows here in ten or twelve years now...they let Light in, softly, and that's about it.

No Bird would ever suppose it were something to be flown through! It is like 'frosted glass' now...Lol...

I sometimes have thought Lattice Work over the Windows would be good also, but, being 'frosty' is also good for peeping toms finding less to encourage them ( used to get people climbing up the front and looking 'in', and I was not happy about that, so...anyway...


'Frosted'...is just what I wanted the Windows to be...


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