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Sean asked in PetsBirds · 7 months ago

Should I keep this pigeon or let it free?

Yesterday morning a pigeon got hurt and could not fly. So I put it in a box and till now the pigeon is still in the box but now I do not know if it should stay in the box or if I should let it free. 

9 Answers

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  • 6 months ago

    If it can fly reasonably well, set it free.  

    If it still can't fly, you can call a wild bird rehabilitator to care for it.  If you don't know any, call the veterinarian, they should know.  

    I have taken in a pigeon that couldn't fly.  It was able to fly within a month, so I took it back to where it came from and released it.  Normally a pigeon can fly miles to its home, but I didn't want to make it fly that far when it had just recovered.

    If it had taken longer to recover, I would have released it where I was, because it would probably think this was its new home.

    If you think you should care for it, it should be in a cage or something it can see out of, not shut up in a box.  You would need to get pigeon or dove food, or wild bird seed, and give it water.  It might do better on the bottom than on a perch, because pigeons like flat places, and anyway you don't want it to fall with its hurt wing.  

  • 6 months ago

    I suggest you take it to a rescue organization, you can contact your local animal shelter for a referrral.

    I was at the beach with my dogs at sunset one night and there was a pigeon acting strangely near the waters edge, it kept flying out over the water then back to the beach.  There were dogs all over and I thought it was going to get grabbed and killed.  When I approached it it didn't seem afraid and when I got close it looked like something was going on with it's eyes (it was getting dark so I couldn't see well).  I was able to walk right up to it and wrap it in my jacket.  

    It was a bit of a trick getting it to my office with my three dogs in the cab of my truck trying to check it out, but when I got it into the light I could see someone had put a single stitch into each of it's eyelids and literally sewn it's eyes shut.  Then I remembered this creepy fat guy who had "jogged" past me four times while I was carrying the bird, he was probably the one who had done this.  

    I left it in my office that night in a quiet corner and the next morning took it to a wildlife rescue.  I was afraid to hurt it by removing the stitch.  They pulled out the stitchs, kept and and gave it antibiotics for a few days and released it.

    The best thing you can do for an injured bird is get it to someone who knows what to do to help it.

  • Anonymous
    6 months ago

    Call the library and ask them to give you the contact info for a local wildlife rehabilitation center.  Make sure that its the type that'll take-in birds.  

  • 6 months ago

    You can do both.

  • 6 months ago

    If it can't fly and is badly hurt, keep it for a month, feed it fresh water & wild bird food and see how it is in a month.  If you can't care for it, give it to a rescue.

  • ?
    Lv 7
    6 months ago

    Take it to an animal welfare center or call the DNR

  • 6 months ago

    Unless you have an aviary or something where the pigeon can rest, let it go. It's probably just stunned hitting a window.

  • 7 months ago

    You should set it free.

    It's a wild animal so keeping it in captivity, especially when you're not really able to help it, might be doing more harm than good.

  • Raven
    Lv 5
    7 months ago

    Let it go, they don't last long without food or water

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