# found bird, need help



## rjinvegas (Jul 20, 2007)

Hi, 
I found what I believe is a juvenile feral pigeon. It still has a few yellow tufts, cant fly, but almost full size. I am having trouble getting it to eat. I think it may have drank some water because at one point I saw him very close to the bowl. He attacks the dropper but I don't think he has eaten anything on his own. Do I need to hold his head and open his beak? I know very little about birds or pigeons but he was at my front door and it is very hot in las vegas so I felt I better put him in a box.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

rjinvegas said:


> Hi,
> I found what I believe is a juvenile feral pigeon. It still has a few yellow tufts, cant fly, but almost full size. I am having trouble getting it to eat. I think it may have drank some water because at one point I saw him very close to the bowl. He attacks the dropper but I don't think he has eaten anything on his own. Do I need to hold his head and open his beak? I know very little about birds or pigeons but he was at my front door and it is very hot in las vegas so I felt I better put him in a box.



Thanks for taking in this baby. It sounds like it COULD be old enough to eat on it's own, but probably hasn't been out of the nesting area until now and hasn't learned how yet. What are you trying to feed it? Seeds of some sort is what you need to feed it. Wild bird seed, unpopped plain popcorn, lentils, thawed frozen peas and/or corn. You may have to open the beak and put in one seed at a time. These guys don't gape like most wild birds. We actually have a member in Las Vegas who can probably help you out. Let me see if I can get in touch with him......hold on a few........


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Ok. I have sent a private message and an e-mail to our member. Hopefully he'll see it soon and respond...........


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## rjinvegas (Jul 20, 2007)

Thank you for responding. I put some wild bird seed which includes cracked corn in the box. I also made a mash of oatmeal and sproated whole wheat bread mixed with water and tried to dropper feed him. He tries to attack the dropper. I also tried using a tweezer with a larger clump of mash and putting through one of the holes in the box thinking he might think it was a beak. Like I said I know nothing of these things.


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## rjinvegas (Jul 20, 2007)

I work with someone who knows alot about all birds and rehabilitating them but it just so happens he is on vacation till Monday.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

I don't have a lot of time but...you need to pry the beak open and put the mush in the back of his throat. He's too young to know how to eat on his own. It's not hard once you get the hang of it.
It sounds like the poor little guy is very hungry.
To get him to drink, gently push the back of his head until his beak is in the water. Don't push past the nostrils.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

here's a video of me feeding a couple of babies a week or so ago. i was feeding them some Exact baby bird food in this video. The same type think as your "mash"......it's just a matter of holding the baby, openeing his beak (gently) and putting food in his mouth. He's attacking the dropper because he probably realizes there's food but doesn't know how to get it out. He's not going to hold still, that for sure. You've got to hold him still and make him eat. If you put it in his mouth, he'll swallow. He might calm down a little once he realizes what you are doing. 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJe6y8EYQRg


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## rjinvegas (Jul 20, 2007)

Thanks for all your help. I will go home at lunch and try this. That video was helpful. This bird is older than those and it is hard to imagine him being so cooperative. It makes sense that once he realizes what is happening he will calm down, but it is kind of scary, even though I know he wont hurt me. It is so great that there are people like all of you who care for birds. I will let you know how it goes.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

I'll PM you with the member's phone number in Vegas, if you like.

Pidgey


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Pidgey said:


> I'll PM you with the member's phone number in Vegas, if you like.
> 
> Pidgey


I thought I had it but couldn't find it............that's great.


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## rjinvegas (Jul 20, 2007)

I did get one number, thank you. It is good to know that if I have trouble with the feeding I can call someone for advice.


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi rjinvegas,



I'd be happy to care for him from here.

I have various other Squeakers at the moment, as well as other Pigeons of all ages, and I am sure the commoraderie would do him good.

I am used to their ways.

I am Downtown, just off Charleston and Main.


388 - 2085


Phil
Las Vegas


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Phil just sent me a PM. He's up (barely he said) and is aware of you and this baby.


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## rjinvegas (Jul 20, 2007)

Thank you so much. I just called and left a message with Phil and I will drop off the baby later. I did have a little success at lunch with food and water. It was very satisfying to watch his little beak move when he finally figured out I was giving him food and water. I could not get the beak open but was able to get him to take a little food from the syringe and off the side of the syringe and I had no problem getting him to drink water from the dropper. I put a tiny bit of sugar and salt in the water to hopefully rehydrate him. Now I feel that I have bonded so I will be a little sad to see him go, but I know this is best. Thank you all for you kindness, it is amazing how many people dislike pigeons, I don't get it.


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Just talked with rjinvegas...


She will be bringing the little one by later this afternoon after she is done with work.


I was just out to the store, needed to get some little butane containers for my one burner table top stove for warming formula ( preparing to move, I am getting rid of my 1926 'Reliable' four burner with oven Stovea and endless else) ...while there, bought a case of ripe Mangos...other day, it was Queen Anne Cherrys...yum...

I need someone to bring me a Tucan to help me out on some of the bunches of Fruit I tend to buy..!

Anyone have one up for grabs?


Lol...


Phil
Las Vegas


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

rjinvegas brought by a delightful FIERCE little Squeaker.


He pecked and shoulder-pushed me instantly, and was completely indignat about my wanting to pick him up ( even though I asked first and paused politely! ) but I soon won him over a little bit anyway, where he settled down in Hand Nest and eventualy made a few peeping-nuzzles.

He is not afraid of anybody, and is very self posessed and standing in such a way as to make himself look 'big'.


More later...otherwise all seems well with him...even had a few little poops in the carrier to tell me he had eaten something anyway. I guess he is about 21 days old or so, still lots of yellow down going on...


Thanks rjinvegas for helping him out, and for making that long drive to get here..!


Phil
Las Vegas


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Well...after many tries, I finally won him over and he let me feed him.

Till now, I had got no-where so far as offering Water or formula.

He'd eat a little bit, and then run off...Lol...and of course one can not restrain them for this kind of feeding.

I'd corall him up and get him started again, and anyway, after five or six of these short eating moments and run aways, he decided m-a-y-b-e he could trust me and then seemed to find an enthusiasm and ease, and was soon majorly nuzzleing and peeping and Wing flapping and following my hand.


He has responded well from the first to my 'OoooOOOoooo!' call, but he just did not like 'hands' I think...and maybe there had been some chasing or awkwardness to his having been caught eralier today, and that can make it hard sometimes for them to feel okay with 'hands'.


So, he happily ate about nine Nipple's worth then, extra-soupy since he had done no drinking today...and I put him in with a gentle convelesing Hen in a Cage for his beddie-bye-time...taking her out in fact for a little excercise time and for the youngster to settle down and not be nuzzling-peeping her too much.


I would be fine to discover the next meal to be one which proceeds 'normally', and with no sample-taste run-off get-corralled-again episodes...

Lol...


Phil
Las Vegas


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

Yay! A happy ending so far. Thank you both for helping him out and taking care of the fiesty little guy.


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## PigeonQueen (Aug 13, 2006)

It is so kind of you to take in this piggie Phil.
Jayne


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

All goes well...an entirely charming and happy little Squeaker...very at-home now, accpeting, relaxed and all round in good spirits.


Tonight, after a nice Baby-feed 'Nipple' session, we did some 'Seed-Gobble' out of the little Shot Glass...he really excelled after a couple tantative first trys.

So, since he was so into it, and had room, we went back and for then, doing more...from the Soupy-formula of the Nipple, to the whole small dry Seeds of the Seed-Gobble, and I put him to bed with a nice happy Crop.

I did not get any good images of him yesterday, but here are some of his Supper Time just now...


I have been recommending the Shot-Glass "Seed-Gobble" for ever it seems...and it has proved an excellent way for them to not only get small whole Seeds on their own Steam, but after only a few sessions, they do it without one's finger tips needing to stay on their Beak...and then, they start pecking the Seeds and REALLY go to Town then...so, it makes for a very elegant transtion from being fed-like-a-Baby, to their pecking Seeds ( with one's presence and encouragement and so on of course...) as anadditional way of being fed.



http://public.fotki.com/PhilBphil/july-20th-2007-squeaker/


Phil
Las Vegas


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## rjinvegas (Jul 20, 2007)

I gave Phil the baby and I was really happy about it. It was nice to meet Phil, and I even came home with mangos! Phil, if you see this let me know how he is doing, I will check in from time to time.


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## rjinvegas (Jul 20, 2007)

Hi,
Sorry about the previous post, I did not see page 2 and did not realize all the bird updates! Thanks again, I am so happy he is doing well.


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## Margarret (May 3, 2007)

Phil, Thanks for the pictures of seed gobble. that little guy is as cute as a button. How are Squeak-a-bug and his nest mate doing? Maybe I just missed your posts on them.

Margarret


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi rjinvegas,



Yup, he is doing well, and he is a beautiful and very dignified little Squeaker in every way.

He has a very grown up poise or presentation for himself too...which all falls apart once feed time rolls around.

Yesterday, I let him spend most of the day on the bed, where other various Birds could visit him or pester him and so on, and I kept an eye on things of course, off and on, and he did very nicely with it all. Mostly he just day dreamed on the pillow top and watched the surrounding daily life things or snoozed off and on.

If a bully was bothering him, I could hear him Squeaking a certain way and I'd rush over and bail him out. Soon the couple of mild bullys that there are, realized I'd bully them if they bothered him, so all I had to do was clear my throat and they'd desist and wander off...so they left him be and that was that.

He went to bed with one full Crop last night, what with his excellent Seed pecking now in place ( along with Baby-Feeds) ....and it is still 1/4 full this morning.

I just let him sleep on the bed, where he spent the night electing a spot next to my head...and all his poops he made sure were ( just about ) off the edge there by the headboard...so, very tidy of him, and appreciated by me, too.

I have lots of sheets, and I know how to use them...

Lol...


He is waiting for some breakfast at the moment...as are several others!

Nice thing...everyone is quiet and day dreamy and still untill I get out of bed.

I can open my eyes, lay there, be awake and so on and no one stirs.

But, soon as my feet hit the floor, everyone accepts that THAT is when the day begins, and all sorts of Wings and Flying and Arooo-Kuh-Rooos and so on start in...

Pretty amazing they'd let me set the pace like that, and I really appreciate it too or I would get no sleep at all with all their intermittent commotions..!


Phil
Las Vegas


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Phil, those are some of the best pictures you've posted. I wanted to keep clicking for more. What a cutie. Loved the one with the seed all over his mouth.


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## rjinvegas (Jul 20, 2007)

Those pictures are so cute. Now I can show people at work and my family. thanks for posting them Phil.
Rebecca


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Margarret said:


> Phil, Thanks for the pictures of seed gobble. that little guy is as cute as a button. How are Squeak-a-bug and his nest mate doing? Maybe I just missed your posts on them.
> 
> Margarret



Hi Margarret, 



Oye, Squeak-a-Bug and his mysteriously appearing sibling...are doing 'better'.

They have had some serious troubles, and I will update their thread soon sometime. They have been too sick for me to let this little one play and hang out with them.

Thanks for asking about them..!


Phil
Las Vegas


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