# Abandoned Pigeon



## Mama (Feb 10, 2007)

I work in a drug store (Duane Reade for all the New Yorkers here!) and last night a customer apparently came into our store, wrapped the pigeon in a plastic bag, put it on one of the shelves and left. Another customer found the pigeon and told my manager. My manager brought the pigeon to the front of the store and put it in a cardboard box with holes punched into it. She was going to take the bird home but left without it so my assistant manager asked whether I wanted it or not. We live in a small space but I decided that I could at least bring it home and give it something to eat or drink before I take it to the near-by animal hospital. So here it is, in my little home. It's a pure white adult with clipped wings, no band on it's legs and seemingly healthy. We did not have a bird cage but rather a small metal dog cage. The bottom of the cage is not solid - it has thin metal bars with a tray beneath it. Should I put something flat on the bottom of the cage so that it'll be easier for it to walk around? I have two small bowls of water and sesame seeds in the cage. Before I had some crumbled crackers in the food bowl but then I read that they like sesame seeds, which I had, so I thought maybe it would like that better until I can get it some bird food. I also made a little nest out of a bowl with a hand-towel and shredded toilet paper. There is currently a heavy blanket covering the cage (with a part left open for circulation) because it's cold in the heat-less kitchen where the cage is. Is there anything else I should do to make it comfortable? What sort of home-made toys or perches can I provide? I do not have a lot of money to spare so any money-saving tips would be appreciated. 

Maybe it's previous owners being so heartless was a good thing...
now it has a good home with an owner who really cares for it!
I shall post a picture of it soon!

PS - Is there any easy way of figuring out which sex it is? I'd like to stop calling it "It", you know?


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

*Welcome!*

Hi Mama, and bless your heart for taking this orphan pigeon. The place you selected should be adequate for securing the pigeon. The kitchen should be fine as long as there are no drafts, it will be fine, as long as it is otherwise healthy.

Does it seem alert?

How are the poops? 

Please try and get some wild bird seed. It is the closest to pigeon food that you can readily get, other than going to a feed store or a place such as pet-co. Most supermarkets carry wild bird seed. Please do not feed it bread or crackers. Salt is a "no-no".

If you place newspaper for now on the bottom, it should help it walk with better footing, but change it at least once daily.

Is the water dish deep? They dip their beaks in the water as we do straws. and suck it up. 

If you can put a brick inside, he can perch on that just fine.

Some pigeons will play with bell toys and small stuffed animals.

Now, the sex can many times be determined in ferals by the deeper darker iridescent colors around the neck, but your is white, so that makes it a bit harder. Place a small mirror in front of it, and if it puffs up, pecks at it and generally becomes vocal, the very likely it is a male.


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

Oh, I forgot to mention one thing Mama, if you have your pigeon in the kitchen, be very careful if cooking with teflon pans, as it is toxic to birds when heated. If you can move it to another room, at least while cooking that would be great.


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## Mama (Feb 10, 2007)

Right now it seems to prefer one of the cage corners and hasn't ventured very far from it. Whenever I take a peak in the cage it looks at me and doesn't seem very frightened... I think it just wants some "alone" time since it had a very exciting evening. As for the poops... I haven't noticed any on the newspaper I put in the tray. In the box it originally was kept it there was plenty. I'm going to stop at a petstore that is nearby tomorrow and see what they have. I'm sure they have appropriate food. 

I love looking at birds but I'm kind of afraid of handling them.
Is there any tips to getting over that? 
I've read here that pigeons can become attached to their owners and I'd really like that... if only I could get over my bird fear. My husband handled it for a while and it didn't get very flustered nor did it try to bite him. I wanna hold the pigeon too!

As for the teflon, I'm not sure we have anything that has teflon. It is possible to move the bird into our room with some rearranging... I'll ask my husband about that later!

I just finished reading your thread about losing and RECOVERING Tooter. I am sooo glad that he made his way back home!
He's a pretty special bird, that's for sure!


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

You are right but it works both ways...they get attached to us too. Your pigeon is frightened because it probably went through some bad sad times, after all it was abandoned and maybe even mistreated or at least ignored...we do not know. Once time progresses, the pigeon will get comfortable and be more accepting of you and your husband. It takes time and patience. He/she does not know your intentions. Pigeons make wonderful devoted pets.Thank you for reading Tooters thread.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Every now and then a bird with an odd story comes along and this certainly sounds like one. Bless you for taking the poor thing in! To my mind, it usually takes them about three days to calm down and figure out that they're not in any danger. Sometimes they even decide that the ready food and water is so nice that they'd like to own the place.

When you finally start getting poops again, you might want to describe them and also feel the pigeon's breast to see if it's well fleshed or if it's close to emaciation. One of the ways to describe that is by noting whether the breast muscles feel as if they are hollowed out between the ridge of the keel and the root of the wing or whether they bulge, or neither.

Pidgey


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Hello and thank you for your kindness in taking in this bird.

I don't have much to add other then, God must have sent you this little sweety as no one else seemed to really care. Bless you!

PLEASE do update us in case the bird may need some help and support.

Here is an example of the correct pigeon diet. You can easily put it together between wild bird seed, and what is available at the grocery store and health food store.

http://purgrain.com/ingredients.htm


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## Larry_Cologne (Jul 6, 2004)

*Abandoned pigeon*

Hello Mama,

Should I be calling you Mama? What will my own mother think? Well, you are probably someone's mother, or at least a potential mother. My Dad used to send Mother's Day greetings to some spinster aunts because he said that they were potential mothers. They were women, had the motherly instinct, and that they hadn't given birth to a child was often due to something beyond their control. They were motherly towards him. And you are taking on the role of a mother to this pigeon.

The pigeon was certanly abandoned, by someone, at some point. 

But don't judge too harslhy. Someone in a hurry (which they had no control over), or someone who absolutely couldn't take in the bird for whatever reason, or someone who had no clue what to do (it happens) left the bird to be found by others. Theoretically a person dashing to the drugstore for urgent medications for someone else, or someone with a job not permitting animal passengers, such as an ambulance, or whatever, could come across the bird and have done absolutley the best he could think of, without setting up a scenario for rejection of the pigeon. (No prisons or drug re-hab center in our neighborhood! Build it somewhere else! (Even though our neigborhood contributes its share to the miseries of society)). 

If they wrapped the bird in plastic, perhaps it was because they knew (or hoped) the bird would be quickly found. The plastic wrapping might be a message "Don't be afraid to touch or help this bird, it's safe, it's sanitary." The plastic wrapping might be only because the bird was taken into a drugstore, where people expect sanitary conditions. (I once had my rescued-as-a-4-to-8-day-old and hand-raised pigeon *Pidgiepoo* on my shoulder at the check-out line in a grocery store when the manager quietly informed me _Es ist nicht erlaubt_ (it is not permitted) and I mumbled thanks or excuse me or of course or something of the sort. An unwrapped pigeon might bring howls of indignation from fearful customers. A wrapped pigeon signifies that he must be safe to handle because someone obviously already did so. 

You mentioned that the bird's wings were clipped. Perhaps he belongs to someone nearby who is looking for him. Even tame pigeons do manage to go off on adventures of their own devising occasionally. What is most dangerous about a tame pigeon on the loose in a house is that they own the place, the floor, everything, and they can get underfoot when least expected. 

Placing a lost but not yet re-found pigeon in a drugstore might be an effective way to advertise, since it probably gets people talking.

And there is always a Good Samaritan out there. Thanks, along with the others for taking him in. Pigeons are wonderful, and deserve the best (or almost the best, so I don't have to get involved in discussions) we can offer.

Larry


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

Larry, I sure enjoy your deep well thought of posts. Your comments about how the pigeon was placed in the drug store is sure some food for thought.

Mama, I should have thought about this last night, but I was up late, and found myself nodding off at the computer. I will add this...

Pet co sells a pigeon mix called "Kaytee Paloma and dove mix" which has the right amount of pigeon seed and nutrients. The grocery store has some things you can add to the seed, such as lentils, split green beans (also found in the package bean section),yellow pop corn (not the cracked corn), and raw unshelled unsalted sunflower seeds (mainly as a treat). Raw unsalted peanuts are also enjoyed by some pigeons and you may have to break the up a bit. Safflower seeds are part of the pigeon blend, but you can buy this at most pet stores or feed stores and Walmart now has this seed available. I add just a little bit, as they too are high in calories.We have so much to offer in the way of food and seed/water additives, such as apple cider vinegar properly diluted in the water, but we can discuss this at a later point. Let's just get this pigeon settled in for now. 

Good luck with your precious gift and till we talk again, have a great day.


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## Mama (Feb 10, 2007)

As you can see, we have poops!
I saw it eat and drink so it seems to be getting comfortable in it's new home.
I was unable to run to the pet store on Sunday but I will try to today.
Work. Blegh.
Isn't it pretty?! I can only wonder why someone left it in the store the way that they did. Sure, they obviously knew someone would find it... but who was to say that the person who found it didn't just chuck it out into the streets to freeze? It was lucky that the person who took it home was me, an animal lover. The chance of that was slim... especially since most people in New York hate pigeons... so regardless of their reasons, it still wasn't right.
Oh well. Their loss!

PS - I am a "Mama" to a little destructive girl named Angie who is 15 months old. I couldn't think of a better username so I stuck with what I'm used to - Mama!


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

Hello Mama,

Thank you for posting a picture of your newly found white angel. It is a beauty too. It has good structure, the feet look good, the poops, well just a bit watery, but near normal. The pigeon has gone through some stress and change, but judging from the picture, it looks healthy.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Mama,

What do you want to do here? You are free to adopt the bird if you like or we can help you find a home. Please let us know.

It's a most beautiful pigeon, and we all thank you for rescuing the bird.

Terry


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## Mama (Feb 10, 2007)

For now we are going to keep it. 
What time of pigeon is it? A homing one?


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Mama said:


> For now we are going to keep it.
> What time of pigeon is it? A homing one?


Well, it looks young and a bit too chubby to be a homing/racing pigeon .. might be a King or a Modena.

Terry


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## Mama (Feb 10, 2007)

Anything I should know about those specific breeds?
Any interesting traits?


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## warriec (Feb 2, 2007)

i think it should be a homer x modena or homer x king. its a big baby too big for pure homer but does show a modena or king shape. is its tail feathers missing


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## Mama (Feb 10, 2007)

I do believe the previous owner clipped the tail feathers.
It can fly... sort of... but not high enough to survive in the wild I think.
I doubt you can tell from that photo alone but how old do you think it is?


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## warriec (Feb 2, 2007)

can you send me a picture of its wing opened. you need to hold its body with one hand and using the other hand open its wing fully. thurn the bird upside down so the legs are facing up, ask someone to photo the wing this way


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

Judging from looking at the feet at the cere, which is above the beak in the nostril area it appears to be on the younger side. I would guess oh maybe a year or so. Perhaps a breeder with more experience can correct me on this?


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## Rooster2312 (Mar 8, 2006)

What a stunning bird Mama. Thank you so much for taking he/she into your loving home.

I have a pet feral pigeon called Jax, who has made herself very much at home during the past 3 years. Pigeons are such sweet birds with great personalities and I am so proud to say I have a pet pigeon. It's certainly a great talking point and can help educate people about the beauty of these endearing birds.

Good luck with your new bird and welcome to pigeon talk  

Lindi


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## Mama (Feb 10, 2007)

My husband held her tonight and said that she feels very thin.
Is there any specific seeds or treats I could give her to fatten her up quickly?
She's so puffy that I wouldn't even noticed that she was thin...
and I'm still afraid of holding her. 

As for the wing picture: what would that determine? Her age?


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

As posted by Treesa in post 7, check the link that will show you the proper seeds. 

I mentioned earlier if you have a name brand pet store such as Pet-Co, they sell a brand called Kaytee Paloma (pigeon) and dove mix. A bag of pigeon seed is less than 4 dollars. They also sell a large bag of safflower seeds, for approximately $7.00. 

You may also add variety by adding a few times a week:

lentils
yellow pop corn
dried split green peas
shelled unsalted raw sunflower seeds in moderation---high in calories
raw unsalted peanuts in moderation, possibly cut up

Safflower and sunflower shelled seeds should be given in moderation as a treat. They are high in calories, so if you believe he needs to have weight added well add a bit more. 

Some members had told me that they have a difficult time buying the unsalted raw shelled sunflower seeds. My grocer sell a bag which has 1/2 cup full for 99 cents. A bit pricey, so I do limit the amount I give to my present 6 pet pigeons. This item can be found at most health food stores if not in the seed/nut department of your local grocer. I also found them by doing a googel on them, and one can purchase them even cheaper.

Speaking of health food stores, most of us give our pigeons an ACV additive twice a week. 

I also get mine at the health food store, called Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar with the "mother" in it. It costs only $3.88 for a bottle of concentrate. I dilute mine with a 1/2 gal. old milk container. I add a teaspoon and a half to half gal. of water, shake it well, and add it to the drinking cup. Day 2.3.4 back to water, then repeat and skip.It is great for their immune system, and I am a firm believer in the product. It helped save our last pigeon rescue. Barbie, last Summer when we found her motionless, cold, dirty and a head wound. We strengthened the dosage and removed the rock embedded in her head, and now she is the healthy mother to two beautiful healthy babies.

Your newly found pigeon will add on the weight and feel more comfortable around you and her husband. Do not be afraid of the pigeon. If it pecks at you, it won't hurt, and it is a sign that it is comfortable around you. My Tooter loves me to death, and will peck the heck out of me, but I know he loves me, and I tell him this too!~


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Do you have a weight scale? It would be good to moniter her weight at this point.

I would start the bird on some probiotics to help populate some good gut bacteria, as well as help her digest her food well.

You might also hand feed her some organic dog chow, soaked and drained, just to help put some weight on. Break it up in small pieces and feed it to her.

I would also give a soft gel garlic capsule a day, to help ward off any parasites or worms that may be keeping her thin, as well as for upping immune response.


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## EarthaPidge (Feb 5, 2004)

Hello Mama,

Sounds like this little white beauty has a great home with you, but if you decide it is too much to handle or you would like him to have more room or a couple of pals, I will gladly offer her/him a good home. I have 3 birds now, all females. Here is a pic of my aviary to give you an idea...

Best of luck if you decide to keep him or her.

EP


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

EarthaPidge said:


> Hello Mama,
> 
> Sounds like this little white beauty has a great home with you, but if you decide it is too much to handle or you would like him to have more room or a couple of pals, I will gladly offer her/him a good home. I have 3 birds now, all females. Here is a pic of my aviary to give you an idea...
> 
> ...


Very nice!!!! Don't think I'd seen a picture of your loft/aviary before.......All of that for three birds? We'll start calling YOU when we get lost birds turned into us on 911 Pigeon Alert, in NY............LOL


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## EarthaPidge (Feb 5, 2004)

Hi Renee,

I just finished the aviary last Fall, so it is all pretty new to all of us (started as a much smaller plan but got out of control). The whole thing is about 24 x 10 and the shed area is about 8 x 6, so not very large. I figure my max birds will be about twice what I have now. They have a heated bath and insulated/heated shed and my girls have done well their first winter (one girl is from the West Indies so had never experienced winter before this!). I have secured the floor about 8 inches down with hardware cloth and have not had any problem with critters trying to dig underneath. The floor plan caters to flightless pidges as well as flighted. I keep up on the 911 Pigeon site, so will keep a lookout for any needy birds...

Remember we need a mate for Big Bird the Modena from bayshore....

EP


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

EarthaPidge said:


> Hi Renee,
> 
> I just finished the aviary last Fall, so it is all pretty new to all of us (started as a much smaller plan but got out of control). The whole thing is about 24 x 10 and the shed area is about 8 x 6, so not very large. I figure my max birds will be about twice what I have now. They have a heated bath and insulated/heated shed and my girls have done well their first winter (one girl is from the West Indies so had never experienced winter before this!). I have secured the floor about 8 inches down with hardware cloth and have not had any problem with critters trying to dig underneath. The floor plan caters to flightless pidges as well as flighted. I keep up on the 911 Pigeon site, so will keep a lookout for any needy birds...
> 
> ...



According to the equation for figuring how many birds for a certain space, it says 19....so....you could keep 15 very comfortably.......UMMM..let me go check my 911 files.......LOL....just kidding...... 

6ft X 8ft X 6ft = 288 divided by 15 = 19.2


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

I have absolutely no doubt that we can find Big Mama a handsome Modena boy. Just say the word, Laura, and it shall be done  I would much rather find a rescue/911 Modena for you, but if Big Mama gets to really wanting a mate, I can get one for her and have him shipped to you from California.

Terry


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## EarthaPidge (Feb 5, 2004)

Thanks for the offer Terry, but I couldn't in good conscience take an out of state rescue since I am sure there must be a local one in my future. And I'm hoping she will fall for anything I bring home, male or female. I don't think I can risk having a male Modena since my girls are on the smaller side and I don't want him "squashing" one of them. Unless he is one-winged or has some other balance problem that would inhibit mounting. Have you had Modenas choose smaller mates? 

L


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## Aias (Nov 9, 2006)

welcome to the forum mama!
always so happy to hear another new yorker making peace with the pigeons. i am anxiously waiting for the post when you announce that you have touched your new house mate. and any ideas on a name?


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

I'm glad you are willing to wait for a pigeon in need of a home to show up in your local area. We'll keep an eye out for one on 911 Pigeon Alert and on the rescue/rehab lists.

Terry


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

EarthaPidge said:


> Have you had Modenas choose smaller mates?
> 
> L


Yep, I have a 700gr male pigeon mated to a 300gr feral.
Looks quite ridiculous, but they don't know it.


Reti


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