# Hypothermia?



## woeisme (Dec 28, 2015)

I live in the Texas Panhandle, where we have been having very low temperatures coupled with high winds and snow. There are some Ringneck doves who come to my yard, along with all the other birds, to eat the food I put out for them each day. This morning I went out to feed and saw two or three Ringnecks sitting atop the snow. As I walked to the tree to fill the feeders, all the birds flew away except one. I figured it would go on and fly away as I got closer, but it didn't. I walked right up to it and bent down to touch it. I could tell it was alive, but it made no move to flee. I picked it up and looked it over. There were no wounds or broken bones, so I felt like it was hypothermic. I put it inside my coat, fed the rest of the birds, and brought it inside. I put a little rug in a cat carrier and put the bird inside. I covered the cat carrier to prevent drafts and allow the bird to warm up.
I know zero about birds. This one seems to be young, but all I can really tell is that it has all its feathers, it's clean and its eyes are bright and clear. Should I put it back outside? The temperatures are going into the teens or twenties for the next few nights, and the wind chill is taking them down into the single digits. Is it okay for it to stay in the cat carrier until it warms up outside? Should I give it food and water? Any help you can offer will be very much appreciated.


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## c.hert (Jan 15, 2010)

Keep the Ring Neck Dove warm like you are doing and put food and water down for it and see if it will eat on its own. For now just observe the situation but keep it inside where it is warm with food and water in the dog carrier. What kind of bird food do you have? A pigeon and dove mix would be good from a store like Pet Smart or something. Keep it quiet and give it privacy but keep a eye on it the best that you can...Keep it inside.. Thanks for taking care of this Ring Neck Dove...When it warms up and eats something we will know more about its condition. If it eats..Hope it does or at least drinks. If you have to give it liquid just wet the outside of the beak with water from your fingers and let it suck up on its own..Putting water or food in its mouth could be dangerous for the Dove for their air supply is in the back of the tongue---in this respect Pigeons and Doves are not like other birds. Very dangerous for them to feed or give them water unless you know how because of a thing called aspiration.. Hope this Dove in time eats and drinks on its own so that problem will not occur..Wet your fingers and wet the outside of it beak and it should suck it up..Doves and Pigeons suck up liquid.. Wrap a kitchen towel around its wings and sit it on your lap and try to wet the outside of the beak with your fingers and just be patient and do this and see if you can get a response from the dove... Not too cold of water and keep the dove warm...Thanks for helping it and hope it improves --keep us updated so people can help further..


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Give him time to warm up before giving any food or water. A cold bird can't digest anything, and it can even kill him. Let him warm up for several hours first. A heating pad set on LOW, and with a layer of towel over it would be good, set in such a way that he can move off of it if he wants to.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Jay3 said:


> Give him time to warm up before giving any food or water. A cold bird can't digest anything, and it can even kill him. Let him warm up for several hours first. A heating pad set on LOW, and with a layer of towel over it would be good, set in such a way that he can move off of it if he wants to.


*THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT^^^^^^*


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