# How to catch a Feral Pigeon?



## BHenderson (Sep 8, 2011)

I am just asking again if anyone has any good ideas to catch a feral with a bad leg. She seems to have one leg badly tied up and is stumbling when she is on the floor.
I have never been 'athletic' and I cannot dive on the floor without hurting myself. If you take a net with you the pigeons are automatically cautious and do not come close enough.
I hate having to wait for a pigeon to become ill enough so I can catch it, by then there is a good chance that the pigeon is going to die and that is heartbreaking.

If anyone has any good ideas for other ways to catch pigeons I am eager to hear.

The few that I do catch are part of the local flock and I am able to tempt them inside with food and then shut the door. The pigeon I spotted today is not part of my local flock although there is a chance that she may join the crowd if she realizes there is food down here. She is not that far away. That may be my only option, to encourage her to come a little further down from her usual spot. I will go and see her again tomorrow anyway.

P.s. I have a main road near me and there is an overpass as the road is lifted over all the streets. All the pigeons that hang around this dirty bridge like structure seem to have the worst injuries. They all seem to have foot injuries and many still have things attached to their feet. I don't know what it has to do with the overpass though, maybe they are venturing down to the local river?


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## tjc1 (Aug 22, 2012)

They are hanging around the overpass as it has place for them to roost and make nest that are away from predators. Also it is dry and out of the way of drafts. The foot injuries are coming from the river. If people are fishing they are get that line on their feet. Which when pulled tight will even give you a cut. Also the river probably has some trash that has floated in that can get caught on their feet.


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## Dima (Jan 15, 2011)

tjc1 said:


> They are hanging around the overpass as it has place for them to roost and make nest that are away from predators. Also it is dry and out of the way of drafts. The foot injuries are coming from the river. If people are fishing they are get that line on their feet. Which when pulled tight will even give you a cut. Also the river probably has some trash that has floated in that can get caught on their feet.


Most of string feet are because of threads pigeons bing in their nesting, or just threads on the floor..as they coo and turn and swirl around it gets tangled.


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## BHenderson (Sep 8, 2011)

Its such a pity I cannot find a way to catch this pigeon with the very bad foot injury. I did not see her today, but I am going to try and feed her a few times in the hope she will follow me down the street and join the main bunch that I feed, I will have some chance to catch her if this happens. Its all I can think to do?


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## tjc1 (Aug 22, 2012)

Dima said:


> Most of string feet are because of threads pigeons bing in their nesting, or just threads on the floor..as they coo and turn and swirl around it gets tangled.


Can I just ask why you are quoting me? Did I say something wrong? Just want to learn if I gave wrong info


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

tjc1 said:


> Can I just ask why you are quoting me? Did I say something wrong? Just want to learn if I gave wrong info


Dont think so much that it is wrong info, it is a possibility, but less probable, pigeons dont really forage near a river (especialy in the UK). They are city dwellers and get their water from puddles, roof gutters etc.


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## tjc1 (Aug 22, 2012)

Oh okay just checking because I grew up in New york city and a lot of pigeons lived by the ocean because it was an easy place to get food. People throwing away food and the grasses that grew along the water. Plus they could get the minerals that were there. A lot of pigeons had foot injuries as the fishing line they brought back to the nest is some nasty stuff. Sometimes on the ferry you would see 20 pigeons and 75% of them would have missing toes and feet because of the stuff. Thats why I put it in my pocket and burn it when I get home. All the animals would suffer from the stuff.


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## Dima (Jan 15, 2011)

This is a good point Tjc1 to educate the childern (lol not only , even the grown up): do not throw strings, threads, fishing line or hair from your hair brush outside. And chewing gum..its confused with bread..they eat it andit blocks the intestine ..slow death.


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## tjc1 (Aug 22, 2012)

Fish will even eat the gum and get their intestine all messed up. Now the hair is that for long hair or all hair? I was actually told that brushing a dog or cat outside was great as the birds make it into nice soft nests but that is not long human hair that could tangle around a foot or leg


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## tjc1 (Aug 22, 2012)

Oh I should say also this was for the wild birds and not my pigeons. The sparrows and bluebirds love it but I dont want to hurt them if I was instructed wrong.


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## BHenderson (Sep 8, 2011)

it is true many pigeons have toes and even feet missing, but it is while they are in the process of loosing their toes and feet that they are obviously in great pain. They are also vulnerable to other pigeons in fight and they cannot compete for food when it is scarce. I think the cold weather makes the injuries more painful. I must admit that many injuries I see are not bad enough for me to take them seriously, but the pigeon I have seen recently is totally tied up on one foot. I am going to see if I can see her now and give her some food.


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## BHenderson (Sep 8, 2011)

I'm so pleased. I'm so so pleased. I managed to catch the pigeon that I was talking about while feeding her peanuts. She was so hungry she must have forgot that I was right above her, and I took my chance and caught her. I don't have the fastest reactions so I had to get real close before I had a good chance to catch her.
She is in the cage now, I have fed and watered her. She can see the other pigeons so I think she has relaxed a bit. She has to sit down all the time as her legs will not hold her, and when she wanted to get to the peanuts before the others finished them she did it in a series of jumps. That must have been painful, which shows how hungry she must have been. I am so pleased I cannot tell you.

Both her legs are tied up, but they don't look as if they have been tied up for as long as the previous bird, so I have hopes more of her feet will survive. I am going to give her some painkiller in a minute (Tramadol) before I start work. She needs a bit of a clean as she has some droppings smeared into her feathers. I have antibiotic cream and Neem oil for later. I am so pleased, this poor little darling has been hoping around like this for a while.


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## Dima (Jan 15, 2011)

Congratz. She was waiting for you to get caught.


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