# Found young Wood Pigeon.....



## Anjelica

Hi, I just found and caught in my garden, what appears to be a young wood pigeon...... well, I know that it is a wood pigeon, but I assume that it is still a young'un going by its beak...... He/she couldn't fly, and was falling over him/herself. I saw no fledgling feathers. For a moment I considered leaving him under the shrubs, but then remembered that occasionally neighbouring cats do get into the garden, and I have found the occasional dead collared dove, etc. I just didn't want to leave the poor mite sitting there waiting to be consumed..... I put him/her in a reasonably sized wooden animal carrier which I had placed outside of the shed, whilst clearing the shed out. Gave it some bird seed, and will now add a container of water. 
Can someone please give me some advise what I need to do now......?? And am I doing the right thing?? I have taken care of baby birds before, and brought up found feral pigeons when I was a teenager. 
I have many and varied birds in my garden. The latest inhabitants to have taken up residence in the shrubs near the shed (attached to my large cat run) are in fact some dozy, gormless wood pigeons, and I think that this is one of their offspring. 
Any advise will be greatly appreciated


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## Guest

If you are happy to hand rear and you say you have done before then you need to go down to a local pet store and see if they sell "Tropican" and tube feed, as a baby bird would not be able to pick up the seeds properly!
Of course if you have hand reared before then you know how hard it is, as you need to place the whole lenght of the tube down the throat missing the other wholes so you do not drown and chook it to death!
If you are near a wildlife hospital i would suggest you give them a ring explain you know what your doing and see what they say! Or ring the RSPCA and say the same as i know many RSPCA centers are linked to wildlife centers!

Hope this helps!!


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## Anjelica

Thanks for your reply. If I were still living in the UK, I'd know who to contact, but having googled around, I am not finding anything for this particular area of the Continent. I live quite rurally. I could contact my vets, but they won't be reachable till tomorrow again. 
He's not as big as a mature wood pigeon yet. Its beak and feet are not dark grey like a mature bird either, instead its beak is light with some red, and his feet are red too. I just had a look at him, and he's puffed himself up and closed his eyes..... He seems very tired.... In an hour's time the part of the garden where his pet box is located, right near the house, will start getting dark, so he'll be asleep till morning (I hope).


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## Guest

I help out at a wildlife hospital in the UK it might be the one your thinking about maybe not!
I dont know where you are but most vets over here just tend to put the animal to sleep!
Feel The birds crop and if you can feel what would feel like grit then he can pick the seed up so wouldnt need tubing! But if its empty(you can feel anything) Then hes going to be very hungry and will need tubing!

If he has no oviouse injuries them im sure the vets wouldnt put him to sleep but maybe find him an expert hand rearer...So may be worth taking him in, in the morning!
Good luck with what you decided and please let us know!


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## Anjelica

Good morning,
Once again thank you so much. Well, the poor mite died...... Last night in the failing light I tried to see how he was, if there was anything wrong with him, but couldn't see anything..... This morning he lay dead, quite stiff, so he'd been dead for a while already. I finally was able to have a good look and discovered that the top of his one wing, under the feather cover, was damaged, some broken pieces. Poor poor thing. No wonder he could not fly. And realised that he would've died anyway. The only consolation I have is that he died in a peaceful and safe place, and was not stressed further and savaged by some roaming cat(s). 
Very early this year, when I still found it way too cold, the wood pigeons in my garden where already in a mating mood, and I think that this bird was one of theirs...... such a pity.

I live on the edge of a rural village, and since I came to live here, I have attracted a profusion of birds to the garden. Having a small pond (with lots of frogs and toads about), and regularly topped up food supply, next to the fruit and berry trees/shrubs and many others, in the garden, for starters the house sparrow population has thrived  Sometimes the place is like a nursery as the neighbourhood birds and young all gather around my pear tree where I have the feeding table/containers, etc. They're totally undaunted by my cats. I hasten to add that I have a very large cat run, much like an open, partially covered over, sun room, attached to the width of my home. The cats consider all these goings on in the garden their "wildlife TV" and keeps them amused for hours.


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## Guest

Aww no i am so sorry to read he didnt make it  Poor Poor little baby! You did everything you could and like you say he was comfy and relaxed when he took his last breaths!
Thank you for letting me know i was wondering how he was doing..such a big shame!

wow your gardem sounds a lovely place for all the birds and there off spring well done for havinf feeders out so they can come and grab a snack ..
Bless your cats for being soo good with all the wildlife you attrack!!

Thank you for letting me know again!!

kerry xx


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## flufffluff39

Phone the rspca they'll have people there who can hand rear it and make sure it gets the right food and whatever


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## clairsteven

DevilDogz said:


> I help out at a wildlife hospital in the UK it might be the one your thinking about maybe not!
> I dont know where you are but most vets over here just tend to put the animal to sleep!
> Feel The birds crop and if you can feel what would feel like grit then he can pick the seed up so wouldnt need tubing! But if its empty(you can feel anything) Then hes going to be very hungry and will need tubing!
> 
> If he has no oviouse injuries them im sure the vets wouldnt put him to sleep but maybe find him an expert hand rearer...So may be worth taking him in, in the morning!


Really Very Good Advice...


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## clairsteven

My friend has suggested me that, you can use either hunting dog or Geese repellant to prevent them. According me, Geese repellant is the right choice.


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