Orphan wood pigeon Help please

[Guest SPORTKA]

Hi all, Just on my way back from wholesalers this morning when I spotted 2 magpies and a crow at the side the road  stood on a baby w/pigeon tryin there damdest to rip it appart, the anoying thing here is there was a load of people waiting at a bus stop who were just stood watching the poor thing, anyway I soon scared them off and have now got it back home,

The problem is its not eating or drinking,I dont think its suffered any real damage from the attack appart from loosing a few feathers and it looks  nearly big enough to eat on its own.

I was thinkig of using a syringe to get some fluid / food into it any ideas on what to feed and also how often.  thanks in advace for your help Chris.

[cokacola]

If it's quite big, then what I would personally do is soak about 20 peas from your normal racing pigeon corn in water for a while and put them down his beak one by one. Maybe twice a day?

[Simeon Turner]

Hi,

 

A couple of years ago whilst driving to our loft I spotted a wood pigeon that had been hit by a car, As I was driving upto it, I realised it was still alive, pulled over and picked it up, it had got a small cut on its wing and also a lump on his head, I put it in the car and took it to the loft, where I put in an aviary that we weren't using at the time, I gave it some water and pigeon corn in a pot and left it, I thought it would be dead the next day.

 

when we arrived at the loft the following morning it was still alive but hadn't drunk, so again we left it but put the corn and water nearer to where it was standing, over the next couple of days it slowly started easting and drinking, then eventually perching not once trying to escape, this went one for 2 or 3 weeks, and you could tell he was getting better as he had an exceelent appetite - one day when dad opened the aviary door to feed him, he flew over his head and to freedon. - our good deed for the season.

 

So, to cut a long story short, corn and water will be fine, try not to have in in a box, try to make the environment as open as you can, with the warm weather we are having lately I would be tempted to put some water with electrolights down his throat if he hasn't drank by the morning that is....

 

Good luck and let us know how you get on.......

[Guest CS]

Feeding

Wood Pigeons feed on seeds, grain and crops, but will feed on almost anything that is placed on a bird table.

 

They also drink a lot, mainly because they do not get sufficient moisture from their food, unlike birds that eat earthworms, etc. An interesting feature about how they drink is that they use their beak like a straw, whereas other birds scoop the water up and throw their heads back to let it flow down their throats.

 

http://www.garden-birds.co.uk/birds/woodpigeon.htm

[Peckedhen]

Go on this site under 'member exchange' and PM Cyro51.  She has rehabbed many woodies and will be your best bet. They are not like pigeons and are very easily stressed.  They fledge at a later age so it may be that the one you have isn't self feeding yet.

 

http://www.pigeon-life.net/

 

[THE FIFER]

put some maple peas over its throat, going by its size it will be on solid food,

[jimmy white]

i think , a few maples put down its throat , a syringe of water down it, and release it , where there are other wood pigeons , its more likely to survive this way , if its big enough to flutter to a tree itll be ok,, the more you hold on to it the more stress ittl go through , and maybe not eat or drinkatall, good luck, looks like youve saved it anyway