# Wounded pigeon...



## Ducados (Sep 19, 2011)

Hello,

Found the pigeon seen in the attached photo. It was walking in the garden, not flying - I left it. Then later I found it in a daze on the road - may have been hit by a vehicle.

You can see the quite large wound to its wing in the pic. It can't seem to move that wing; the tip is hanging an inch lower than it should, but it doesn't look completely unhinged. The bird looks healthy otherwise (speaking with no experience). It was totally K.O. but after a night in a warm box it's a bit more lively. Managed to make it drink some water. Cleaned the wound with hand sanitising gel. Excrements are a watery patch on the newspaper and yellow solid chalky stuff in it. No idea if that's normal or bad.

I realise there's lots of advice around here and elsewhere, including taking it to a vet, but I don't have the means, nor frankly care enough. Just want to give it a bit more of a chance than certain death. If it even has a chance.

Any particular ideas, given that wound? Thanks on behalf of the pigeon.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

are you in the UK.. I would not think you are in Antarctica and find a pigeon there, There may be a member who is near you that can take the bird off your hands as that would be the best thing for it at this point.. beside the basic life saving steps. which I will go find and post a link.


http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f95/youve-found-a-pigeon-now-what-9558.html


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Please tell us where in the UK you are, as there _may_ be a rescue place that would take him in.


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## Ducados (Sep 19, 2011)

> are you in the UK.. I would not think you are in Antarctica and find a pigeon there


Yeah... If anyone in the New Forest area wants to help this casualty, I'll PM you the details. Or give me a rescue centre phone number.

Thanks folks.


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Thanks for saving the Dove. He/she is a baby or adolescent. Will need proper care and meds within the next 24 hours. For now, keep him/her in a very warm place...around 26-27 degrees cel. If you have a warm room, put her there, in a box lined with a towel. If you do not, and have a heating pad....put the heating pad under a layer of towel, and put it on low, then cover the box/enclosure half way to keep the heat in.

As I said, this Dove will need meds and a wound cleaning within the next day or she will likely perish. If nobody contacts you and you are up to feeding and cleaning her/him...then that would seriously up her/his chances.


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Hi

Couple of places from *This Site* depending on which part of the New Forest you are:



> Wild Things ResQ
> Updated Aug 28
> Wild Things ResQ
> New Farm
> ...






> Bournemouth Bird Rescue, Rearing and Rehab
> Updated Mar 11
> Bournemouth Bird Rescue, Rearing & Rehab.
> 
> ...


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

You could try contacting Bournemouth Bird Rescue Telephone :01202 572810., if they are not close enough they might know of someone who is. What you have is a newly fledged wood pigeon, they are gentle and loving birds and he needs help.


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## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

Jaye, thanks for the PM. Couldn't reply as your PM's full up!! 

Hope Ducados keeps us posted on progress.

Janet


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## PigeonQueen (Aug 13, 2006)

The New Forest covers a large area and is not very helpful information.


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## PigeonQueen (Aug 13, 2006)

Would you be prepared to drive to Surrey? If so I will take the Dove. Unfortuantly I do not have a car. Please let us know.


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## Ducados (Sep 19, 2011)

Thanks for the replies. I don't have a car, so the dove would need to be picked up. (For detail where I live, please PM - not close to Surrey I'm afraid.)

I called Bournemouth and asked at a local pet shop, friendly people all but no dice for the pigeon. A friend from a local shop with a wide customer base will ask around, that may help.

Meanwhile, the pigeon seems quite sprightly but:
1) It doesn't eat. I tried rice, lentils, bread, raisins, both in a dish and in front of its beak. It does drink some honey water when I hold it right up to its bill.
2) It's friendly and not scared, but does try to escape from its (covered) crate. I taped wing to tail so it wouldn't stumble over it.

More advice welcome. Thanks.


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## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

Hi,

I don't know your area unfortunately so could you just name a few places that are local to you as New Forest is quite vast.

Obviously with you having made this great effort on behalf of this youngster, we'd like to be able to get it somewhere for treatment.
To buy it some much needed time it must eat and if it's not showing any signs of trying it needs help to do so.
The easiest thing that's ideal at this age are defrosted peas as you can gently open it's beak and pop one in at a time. They love these and usually will catch on quite quickly as to how to pick them up for themselves and then get on to seeds from there.

I realise you're not planning on taking on the care fulltime through to release but it's such a shame for the bird to starve to death while we try to source some places.

I really appreciate you coming back with the update so if you can give us a bit of info on areas it might be of use.

Janet


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## Ducados (Sep 19, 2011)

> I don't know your area unfortunately so could you just name a few places that are local to you as New Forest is quite vast.


Across from the Isle of Wight.



> The easiest thing that's ideal at this age are defrosted peas as you can gently open it's beak and pop one in at a time.


It's too active to do that easily. I can't figure out how to hold its head still, without hurting the wound or otherwise upsetting it. It wriggles out. Any tricks?

I now put its crate outside in hopes the parents are around to feed it.



> I realise you're not planning on taking on the care fulltime through to release


Could be interesting - but if it won't eat it won't be interesting for long :/ Also don't really have long-term pigeon facilities in case the wing doesn't heal properly for flight.


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

They are squirmy, but one way to feed them is to roll a towel/other cloth round (burrito style) to immobilize them gently, so both hands can be freed up to open beak and pop in food.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

without food he won't last long ...esp with an injury.


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## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

Ducados said:


> Across from the Isle of Wight..


Great, I'll just get my niece who lives there to pop on a ferry and come and fetch it. 

If I want to locate a rescue facility I just need to know your nearest town, Isle of Wight doesn't leave me any the wiser I'm afraid. 

As far as feeding the peas go, if you're willing to give it a try, wrap the bird up in a towel so it can't struggle and have it on your lap.
There is a link somewhere that shows it being done but I have to go out for three hours ATM and can't just put my hand on it at this second.
With both hands now free, gently open it's beak and pop a warm pea in. Honestly, it's simple.
It will be getting very cold outside if it's not eaten it'll go downhill quickly. Highy unlikely the parents are going to find it there now.

If you'd be prepared to give me a post code on a PM then I can try and look into things further.

Will be back on later,

Janet


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## Ducados (Sep 19, 2011)

Thanks John and Janet on the towel tip. It worked without too much fuss: a dozen peas for dinner. Seemed really tired after that?

How much should they eat?
How much should they drink?
When and how do they figure out how to eat on their own?

I've taken the pigeon back inside for the night at least.

Janet, I'll send a PM.


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## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

Hi Ducados,

Thanks for the info. How do you fancy a trip to Southampton on Sunday?

I'm taking my daughter back to uni then and having looked it's 35mins, (18miles) away from you!! Possible solution!
Just a thought anyway.

Great that you cracked the pea feeding. He'll need about thirty at a time roughly. They usually get the hang of picking these up quicker than seeds as they're softer so you could leave a couple lying about in his box or where ever you're keeping him to see if he tries after a couple if days.
Have you had a chance to look or bathe the wing to see exactly what is wrong there. Hard to tell if it's a bad scrape or actually broken.

Janet


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## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

*He Did Care Enough Really!*



Ducados said:


> I realise there's lots of advice around here and elsewhere, including taking it to a vet, but I don't have the means, *nor frankly care enough.* Just want to give it a bit more of a chance than certain death. If it even has a chance.


Hi, Just thought I'd post the outcome to this thread as I'd had a couple of members PM me to see if anything could be done to find help.
Once we'd made contact and I knew the real location, it turned out by coincidence I was going fairly close to Ducados today. It was too far for me to go all the way to collect the Woodie so Ducados found someone to drive him to meet me in the town.
I was so sad to receive a text at the time he was due to arrive saying the youngster had literally died a few minutes away from our meeting place.
It had taken a turn for the worse this morning apparently but we'd hoped it would hang on long enough to get meds and treatment etc.

I wanted to post this as I have to say, for someone who gave out that he wasn't that bothered about helping this poor bird, in the end Ducados did all he could to keep it going until he could get it to me today.
Sorry it wasn't possible to get it sooner.

Janet


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## November-X-Scourge (May 12, 2011)

poor little guy


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

amyable said:


> I wanted to post this as I have to say, for someone who gave out that he wasn't that bothered about helping this poor bird, in the end Ducados did all he could to keep it going until he could get it to me today.
> Sorry it wasn't possible to get it sooner.
> 
> Janet


To be honest when I read the first post I just assumed that it was probably just a poor choice of phrase to use, as Ducados obviously cared enough to register on the forum and ask for ideas & help in the first place.
Just a shame the bird didnt make it, but glad you were both able to at least try & help it.


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## Ducados (Sep 19, 2011)

Thank you, Janet. And thanks everyone who posted.

The evening before the pigeon had just figured out how to drink independently - the worst seemed past.

But somehow during the night things went wrong. Such beauty gone now. Back to the forest. Too sad.

I did care from the start - just not convinced that one ought to, or to what extent. Once you commit yourself though, it's on.

It's puzzling and tragic. We tried.


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Ducados said:


> Thank you, Janet. And thanks everyone who posted.
> 
> The evening before the pigeon had just figured out how to drink independently - the worst seemed past.
> 
> ...


You did well.
Sadly, birds who are ill tend to try & hide it as long as they can in order to discourage predators from making them easy prey. By the time we tend to find them they are usually pretty well advanced with the illness & theres not a lot of time to help reverse the process or findout exactly is wrong.
As I said, you obviously did care by trying to help in the first place.
When you find any others, at least you'll know where to come.


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