# Pigeon can't fly



## help with pigeo (Jul 9, 2009)

Hello again
well, we found another pigeon, this guy was walking around outside our shop. As I got close to him I realized he couldn't fly. I cornered him and brought him inside, couldn't and still can't find anything wrong with him. When we got home from work I set him up in his new digs on a small back porch, he's in front of a window so he can see all the action in the back yard at the feeders.
As soon as I put him in his box, which is a recycle bin on it's side about 3' off the floor and about 1' from the window so he can walk out of the box and hang out by the window, anyhow, he ate immediately, more than I ever thought a pigeon could eat at once. He's pooping normal legs seem fine, when I hold him by his body with his wings free he doesn't seem to have any problem flapping. But if I let him go, down he goes. And when he tries to fly from the ground can't get more than a foot in the air. I still have plenty of pigeon builder, pro bios and oyster shells, that Bella gave me last fall for pidgy, and have been giving him all the above. 
The flock (including squeaky & Mexico, yeah!!) is in my back yard now and he's going nutso right now hahaha.
The bumps on his nose are white, that means he's an adult, right ??
I haven't seen any nasty pigeon flies on him.
Any ideas?? Could he just be hungry and weak, and needs time to rebuild his strength?


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Thank you for helping this non-flyer, there certainly is a reason for it. Sounds like an adult. Have the wings been clipped?

He may just be weak from starvation, but keep a close eye on him and do keep him for the time.

Have you checked inside his beak for any lesions?
Have you weighed him?


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## help with pigeo (Jul 9, 2009)

His wings have not been clipped, but the tips of his tail feathers are a little worn, like they've been dragging on the ground , So I assume he's been grounded for a few days, I have no way to weigh him, but compared to pidgy last fall, who was horribly emaciated, he seems pretty normal, maybe a little light but not starved looking, he has a good appetite, I'm giving regular wild bird seed with lentels and brown rice added in. I haven't looked down his throat but i will. We've had him since Saturday afternoon. We'll keep him till he's airborne again.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

I would treat for worms, canker and coccidiosis once he has his strength build up. Do give probiotic suplement and ACV in the water.


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## naturegirl (Nov 7, 2005)

What about a broken Collar bone... that will keep them from flying and only get off the ground a little bit, that takes about 3 weeks to heal.


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## c.hert (Jan 15, 2010)

I think he was down because he needed nutrition and water. Feed him a mixed seed-pigeon mix if you can buy it in the area or oats:whole wheat:millet:flax:barley:corn:sunflower seeds small and what ever other natural seed you have wild bird seed and you could hard boil an egg and put that down his throat by getting pieces from the eggs and put lettuce down for him--he might like that even carrots but I think it is a matter of nutrition as this point and if he starts blinking his eyes a whole lot then he is dehydrated and need hydration immediately--dip beak in water and see if you can get him to suck up some and just keep an careful eye on him and let us know your progress with the bird...c.hert


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## help with pigeo (Jul 9, 2009)

He's still not flying, he goes crazy when the other ferals are here, he seems to be stronger when I hold him and let him flap his wings. There's only about a foot or so between his bin & the window, I'm going to move it back a little to give him some room to flap around.


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## help with pigeo (Jul 9, 2009)

well our friend is flying,just short hops around the back porch, which is only about 4'x8' but at least he's airborn, and getting harder to catch, he hate us naturally haha. definately not ready to go yet, but getting stronger everyday


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## josiechapman42 (6 mo ago)

I realise this is a old post but I have been searching for something similar to what I am going through with a pigeon I found on my doorstep!
He's pretty skinny can feel his chest bone protruding, is alert and noisy, can fly but not high enough to take of, a little clumsy for example when I let him fly in my lounge he can't land on anything without stumbling.
Mouth is clear, wings are healthy and looking good, the only thing I can really notice is his tail feathers are looking almost wet? Or worn? 
I'm stumped and unfortunately our wildlife rescue is closed due to staff and COVID.

I'm just asking for a little advice, I think the pigeon could be a youngster as his eyes are grey and he doesn't have much colour to his feathers.
I'm not a expert but I am willing to do anything to help him get better and be free again.


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## Doves Witness (Apr 23, 2016)

The muscles which provide the power for take-off are the breast muscles on either side of the keel bone. If the keel is protruding then the bird is underdeveloped, likely due to malnutrition.

What food is the bird eating?


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## josiechapman42 (6 mo ago)

I just got mixed wild bird feed for him? I don't know what food is best to bulk him up


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## Doves Witness (Apr 23, 2016)

Common brands of pigeon seed mixes and / or pellet diets vary somewhat in crude nutritional terms, but generally they are mostly carbohydrates with more protein than fat. Example below.

"crude protein 13.5%, crude fat 6.5%, crude fibre 5.5%, crude ash 3%, carbohydrates 59%, lysine 0.57%, methionine 0.28%, threonine 0.45%, tryptophan 0.14%, cystine 0.23%, calcium 0.15%, phosphorus 0.32%, sodium 0.03%"
http://www.versele-laga.com/en/gb/for-your-animal/racing-pigeons/products/plusic-blacklabeljunior

_^ That one is a diet specifically for young birds that haven't reached adulthood (less than six months of age.)_

Commercial seed mixes achieve particular levels of carbs, protein, and fat by using different amounts of various seeds. They sometimes also have added vitamin and mineral supplements (usually synthetic forms.)

Wild bird seed mixes *are not designed to be a complete diet since wild birds have access to other foods*. Wild bird seed mixes don't tend to have any added nutrients other than what is provided by the seeds themselves. They may also contain seeds with hulls which aren't nutritious at all (other than as sources of too much indigestible fiber, perhaps.) An example of that would be sunflower seeds in the shell -- the shell offers nothing but fiber.

Feeding an indoor pigeon *only* wild bird seed will quite likely result in vitamin and mineral deficiencies which lead to illness. However, it is possible to add other seeds along with the wild bird seed mix to improve the nutritional value of the bird's diet. Some examples are sunflower seed _kernels (out of the shell)_ or roasted-but-not-salted peanuts out-of-the-shell which supply more fat, or legumes such as dry lentils and peas which supply more protein and iron, and veggies such as diced carrot or bell pepper which supply more vitamin A. Hard-boiled eggs supply more vitamin D and the shells can be given in a separate dish as egg-shell grit which is rich in calcium.

Pigeons also definitely get considerable enjoyment from a wide variety of seeds.


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