Found a pigeon in the road; it cant fly and has balance issues. Any advice as I have never raised pigeons

[RoostersAreAwesome]

Im thinking of trying tomorrow. I will take her back to where I found her and where a large flock of pigeons gather. I will see how it goes. If they all take off in flight and leave her behind Ill know she is not going to be able to join them yet. It is a large parking lot area that is not used so she will have plenty of room to practice.

Is she flying in the house? If she’s not flying in your house, she won’t be able to fly with the flock, and a flightless pigeon could be in danger of being hit by a car in the parking lot.

 

[Lobzi]

She seems so scared of me. She does flap her wings sometime but it seems more like a streatching feat than that she is trying to fly. If I pick her up and try to encourage her to fly she flutters to the ground. I can tell that she is getting stronger though. I forgot to mention I am offering her live medium size meal worms but she doesnt seem too interested in them. If I take her to join her flock and she cannot fly I will bring her back home with me. Im not going to leave her to die or get hurt. She just seems so scared of me I hate to think that would be her life, just hiding from me until a chicken comes to the sliding glass door.

 

[TXchickmum]

This sounds familiar. We ended up with a wild pigeon once. It had been injured and had a broken wing. The wildlife rehabilitation facility we consulted told us she’d never be able to be released, told us how to care for the wing, and what to feed. The first six months or so, she fluttered all over her cage when we would fill food/water and clean. After that, she calmed down and was fine with us near her. After about a year, she started hopping up and cooing when we’d come near her cage. She eventually became completely tame. Eight years after rescue, she laid a clutch of eggs - shocked us! (That’s how we determined she was female) She regularly would sit on my daughter’s desk next to her computer when the daughter was working. She loved to perch on my daughter’s arm and be carried around. She definitely had a happy life.

 

[Lobzi]

Thank you for sharing that story. My little Roxy might need to stay with me. Ive opened up the living room to her to see if she will fly voluntarily. So far nothing. I want to take her down to her flock and see if she is able to join them today. We shall see.