When you discover an injured pigeon in your back yard, the ideal procedure is to transfer the animal to a box or crate that’s warm, dark, and limited access for predators.
After you have secured the pigeon from predators, you can check the injuries of the bird and also call to an animal rescue service. Please always offer the bird food and water during its recovery.
Rescuing an injured pigeon in your backyard is not extremely complicated and may save its life.
So let’s go through the simple steps on how you might rescue and care for an injured pigeon.
How Do I Know If I Should Help the Pigeon?
The pigeon will make its needs clear.
Pigeons are not naturally inclined to hang out in one spot so if you see a pigeon just lingering in your backyard all day, it’s more than likely it has an issue and is in need of assistance.
An obvious injury might be that the bird’s wings are visibly impaired.
For example, if a bird seems unable to open its wings fully, is unable to fly away, or you see a tear or broken piece of the wing.
The same goes for the pigeon’s feet.
Occasionally pigeons can drop or break one foot or both! Again, if either end the pigeon’s wings or feet are impaired, it probably needs your help!
How Should I Approach the Injured Pigeon?
The first thing to do is ensure that there are no predatory animals around.
If you have a dog or cat, be sure to have them inside and away from the bird, since even a calm dog or cat will only amplify the injured bird’s shock.
The same goes for young children.
Once you have taken care of this, you can move to the bird.
Move in slow, gentle movements – but don’t worry. It is highly unlikely that the pigeon will peck at you, particularly because it is injured and weak.
A good tip: the pigeon will squirm and move because it does not know that you are trying to save it – so it might help to gently toss a light towel on the pigeon before approaching so it will not move around so much.
How Should I Pick up the Injured Pigeon?
How you pick up the injured pigeon is very key.
Humans have natural oils in the skin that can irritate the bird, so please try to wear some kind of glove before touching the pigeon.
Do note that if you do not have any gloves handy, you can use your hands but try to make contact for a very short time.
Be sure to always use both your hands to prevent dropping it.
The way you want to hold the pigeon is holding it across it back over both wings. If it is the wing that is injured, make sure to be aware and careful when holding it.
Keep in mind, some pigeons may be skittish of you picking it up. If this is the case you try to coax it back to the box by dropping small pieces of bread or seeds in the box.
You could also walk behind the pigeon to try and direct it in that way.
Of course, the last two options depend the type of injury if the bird is mobile or not.
Where Do I Put the Injured Pigeon?
Before you pick up the bird, have a box or some kind of closed container prepared.
Put some cloth at the bottom of the box to make it comfortable for the pigeon.
This space should be closed to eliminate any possibility for a predator to get in and to keep the light out, as darkness is best for a recuperating pigeon.
A box that is warm would be ideal, placing it outdoors when it is chilly is not an option, as this bird already has a vulnerability due to injury.
Lastly, the box should also be capable of accommodating the pigeon so that it has sufficent space to lay down or spread out its wings. A crate for animals or any other form of protected carrier would work well too.
Should I Call an Animal Rescue Service?
Certainly.
Contact your local animal rescue organization and explain your situation, indicating the actions you have already taken.
They will provide some recommendations and evaluate the injury or other situation for whether or not to collect the bird from your care.
Should I Feed the Bird?
If the animal rescue organization deems that the bird will heal in your care, it will need to be fed during its recovery.
Feeding of the pigeon is just as important as the hydration of the bird.
You can place a small dish of birdseed and a small dish of water in the pigeons box.
Pigeons eat throughout the day and often, so keep an eye on the bird’s eating patterns.
Have you taken note: A bird that does not eat is likely very ill and that would be good to report to the animal rescue service.
How Do I Know the Bird Is a Pigeon?
The fact that the bird is not a chicken will not alter the advice of this guide too much.
But if you want to make sure it is not a chicken, there are very clear traits to identify the bird.
There are many species of pigeons, so just because the bird does not look like the classic grey pigeon does not rule it out.
The bird can be white or dark grey or anything in between and will usually also have narrow wings.
So if you are unsure of the specific bird, we recommend looking at pictures of a pigeon and some pigeon variants.
The size of the pigeon will determine if it is a male or female. Males will be much larger than females.
Final Thoughts
If you happen upon an injured pigeon in your backyard, you will want to take a few steps to ensure that the situation is resolved in the best way possible.
However, if the injury is gross, or if you feel you are unable to help, you should call your local animal organization to help with the injury.
They will either talk you through what to do on the phone, or they will pick the bird up and do what is necessary themselves.
Once again, be sure to do this as soon as you notice it, as an injured pigeon is in great danger from predators.
The faster you get the pigeon to safety, the couple higher than chance the pigeon will survive.
Pigeons may not be the most beautiful of all of the birds, but they are animals, and if you see one hurt in your backyard, then you will want to pursue the process as detailed in your guide.