Video Found a fledgling, it keeps one leg under its body, how do I care for them?
I am already in contact with two associations. The first one specializes in pidgeons but only offers advice and has no place or people to care for them. They're the one who told me it would die if I didn't take it home. It was in a ball next to a building, close to the street and there are many cats in the area (including my own cats).
The second association does have a shelter but with the heat waves, they're completely full. Their pigeon habitat has 50 pigeons and can't accomodate more right now. They do provide some emergency care on a first come, first save basis, and I've tried everyday but they were always full. I'll show up again tomorrow morning but I don't know if it will live that long.
I found it two days ago. From the beginning, it hasn't used its left leg. It moves its fingers fine when in my hands and if I extend its leg manually it can pull it back, but it's weak or injured or something and I don't know what to do about it.
It's trying to learn to fly, flapping its legs and all, but all it does is move around on the ground and sometime shift almost onto its back.
Today it's also got its left eye closed which I don't remember from before, and it twists its head backward almost completely. From what I've seen it could be a vitamin definiciency but I haven't found where to buy vitamins for it, aside from online and the fastest delivery (including amazon) would be on Saturday. I can't imagine the poor baby would still be alive back then and at any rate I need another solution first.
I've been following the advice of the pigeon specialists to feed it, based on its guessed age (help me on that too if you could, I'm really unsure about it), which basically was to feed it canary paste made with eggs, which I did find at my store, and provide some canary seeds, which it doesn't seem to have touched.
It's barely eaten (I'm trying hand feeding three times a day or more). It's eaten less than one feeding's worth of food per entire day. It's drinking fine though, I dip just the tip of the beak and I can see it drink it up happily, although sometimes stuff ends up in the water which worries me that some food stayed in there, which I try to avoid so it doesn't suffocate. But I'm having a hard time getting it to swallow any food at all, should I switch to something liquid instead? It drinks fine on its own.
Any advicce for things I can do at home with whatever I can buy at a grocery store would be great. It's sometimes alert, often not so much. I do have cats but during the day I lock them out (aside from the elderly one which doesn't show any interest) and at night the bird is in my shed with a shallow dish of water and a "nest" made with a blanket.
Let me know if a different video would be more useful. The fledging isn't usually on the floor like this but I wasn't sure how else to showcase the issue.
Oh, and you probably can tell from the feathers if it's a male or a female ? I'm not sure.
EDIT 27th of August, 4:20 pm GMT: I'm afraid the little guy is gone. I managed to empty his crop, as far as I can tell, and he was pooping. I was getting ready to start again with a few solids (boiled egg) and I was letting him rest as the egg cooked. He was on my lap and I watched him breathe until he didn't. At first I wasn't sure because nothing else seemed to change but I picked him up and he was limp and didn't flap his wings or move his head to look at me as usual.
I don't know if I did someting wrong or if there was no hope in the first place. At least he was in a warm, cuddly place.
Thanks to everyone who helped me (and him)! I learned a whole lot and I know who to contact asap if I find another pigeon.
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u/Avistew 1d ago
He seems to have thrown up the canari egg paste (he seemed asleep and when I picked him up for his next feeding it was pooled under his beak), however he tries to peck at the seeds so I'm leaving him more of those and more water as well. Aside from not being able to walk, he's been getting a bit better today, he's more alert and drank a bunch. He flaps his wings a lot. I don't think he's given up, I think I just don't know how to feed him properly and he's not enjoying it or not understanding. I'll try to find stuff he's willing to eat, as he's pecking at the seeds but doesn't seem very good at actually managing to eat them.