# Found young wood pigeon please help.



## billbill (Apr 22, 2010)

Hello

I am new to this site but we found a young wood pigeon in our garden yesterday. He suddenly appeared on the rockery beside the pond and stayed in the garden for the rest of the afternoon. He didn't seem to be able to fly very well and as we were concerned that a predator may harm him we opened the door to our empty rabbit hutch (at ground level) and he wondered in. 

My dad said he was sun bathing on the lawn for a while yesterday and when he tried to fly he banged into the greenhouse and then got wedged. 

He doesn't appear to have any injuries but we are worried that a cat or something might get him if we let him out. 

I would be very greatful for any advise. 

Thank you.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

He is very young, probably can't fly properly yet or could be weak. 

Can you open his mouth and have a look inside? It should be clean and pink but woodies tend to get canker which shows as a yellow growth inside their mouth. THis is treatable with an antibiotic called Carnidazole, which can gbe bought without a prescription.

Also, can you let us know what his poops are like? They are a good indicator of pigeon health.

Have you seen any adult woodies in the garden? Or another youngster about? Woodies leave the nest at 22 days and are fed by their parents for at least a week after they leave the nest.

Put some warmish water in a bowl and dip his beak in it to encourage him to drink. You can also scatter some bird seed around him, he might start eating it on his own.

If he doesn't feed himself, then defrost some peas and pop them in his mouth one by one, waiting for him to swallow them. Let him see the peas in your hand, when I have done this the woodies will start eating on their own.

If he doesn't eat on his own, try to give him 50 - 70 peas.

I am e-mailing this link to someone that has observed young woodies very closely, she might be able to work out exactly how old he is.

These are a couple of rescue places that can look after him if you need them:

Brinsley Animal Rescue
69 Hobsic Close
Brinsley
Nottingham
NG16 5AX

Tel. Local Rate 0845 458 2813

Cedar Wildlife Sanctuary 
25 Cedar Avenue
Kirby-in-Ashfield
Notts. NG17 8BD

Tel: 07972 475 736 or emergencies or in the evenings 07808 929 300





Feefo


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## billbill (Apr 22, 2010)

Thank you for your prompt response.

I think he is drinking, i put warm water with a bit of suger in as i have read on here in a bowl deep enough for him to drink from.

I have put a mix of seeds, oats and peas in a bowl and he has been chuckin it about, don't know how much he has eaten.

It is very timid and i don't want to stress it out so havn't touched it.

Difficult to access droppings as its got straw bedding in cage.

It looks healthy enough, we thought woodies were nesting in a tree in our garden a little while ago but havn't seen them for ages. Not seen any other wood pigeons about recently.

Not sure what to do.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Have you tried puting his cage in the garden and watching for the parents?

Put a clean piece of kitchen towel or some other white material underneath him to asess his poops.

If his poops are dark green and scanty then it means that he is not eating and will need to be hand fed. They are very nervous, so move slowly when you feed him.

If I was you I would take him to a wildlife sanctuary where he can mix with other juveniles and be released with them, there are lots of baby and juvenile woodies around at this time of year. Burton Wildlife Rescue is another wildlife sanctuary that covers the Nottingham area, they might be able to collect if you have no transport.

http://www.freewebs.com/wildliferescueburton/


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## billbill (Apr 22, 2010)

He is in a rabbit hutch in the garden.

Droppings are normal.


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## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

Hi,

Just caught up with this thread. Lucky you found this little one.

As Cynthia says it is still very young and so will be very lost as to what it has to do to survive without it's parents.

It's hard to assess how much it's eating so it's good that poops seem ok.
I find when they're around this stage in their development and still learning to pick up for themselves, they spend a lot of time trying to pick up seeds but haven't necessarily got the hang of it so may not get as much as they need to carry on growing and to keep their strength up.

The problem you need to address really for the sake of it's future is the fact it hasn't got it's parents to carry on showing it what is food, where to find it, also what is a preditor and whatever it needs to know to be able to survive in the wild in fact.

If there is no sign of it's parents it would ideally be better off at a rescue centre where it can hopefully be mixing with other woodies and released in a group.
You could speak to the places Cynthia has given you and ask if they have any other woodies in of a similar age where it can adopt a new 'family'. This would give it some protection and set it up well for it's future.

It's been lucky having you to protect it up to now, it certainly wouldn't have made it if you hadn't found it, so thanks for that.

Let us know how it's doing and what you decide. Any more advice you need then please don't hesitate to ask.

Good luck,

Janet


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## Paris (Jul 18, 2008)

Hi there, I'm the one who has observed woodies closely and have lots of photos which document the traits at various stages. Unfortunately I can't see in the photo above whether there is any yellow down left all, or whether the eyes have clearly differentiated. I would guess this woodie is about 15-21 days old. They start to stretch their wings at 17 days so if he's doing that you know he's at least that old. At 20 days woodies still have a tiny bit of yellow down protruding from the head and body. Their eyes are very dark until about the same time; then you can see an inner circle of pupil/iris distinct from the outer circle of the eye. By 22 days the yellow down is gone.
I hope this is helpful.
Jane
aka Paris


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Thank you Jane, that is extremely interesting and informative, you are much more observant than I will ever be.

I am writing a page on the wood pigeon in my website and I would like to add those observations, if that is OK with you.

Cynthia


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## Paris (Jul 18, 2008)

Hi Cynthia
That would be fine. Later this spring or summer I'll make a chart with photos and characteristics observed of young woodies as they grow up. 
Jane


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## billbill (Apr 22, 2010)

Hi Cynthia

Woodie has no yellow down and his pupils/iris are clearly visible. What do you suggest we do? 

Thank you.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

If I were you I would take him to a sanctuary where he could mix with other young wood pigeons and be released in a group. This is what I do when I find young woodies...the longer you keep them the tamer they get and that makes it both more difficult for you to part with them and also more difficult for them to adjust to the wild.

Cynthia


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Burton Wildlife Rescue say they can collect him if you give them a call. They have 7 wood pigeons in at the moment so he will be in good company!

TEL: 07780742748 (24 hour) 

If the above number is unavailable please call 0776465464


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## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

That sounds the perfect solution and definitely you couldn't wish for a better start to the woodie's life.
Burton Wildlife are excellent and so dedicated, to go as far as collecting the bird you can't ask for a better answer to be handed to you on a plate.

I do hope you take this opportunity to give this bird the helping hand it needs.

Well done for taking such good care of it up to now billbill,

Janet


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