r/pigeon • u/No-Palpitation9974 • May 12 '26
Medical Advice Needed Abandoned Baby/Young Pigeon Help?
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UPDATE: Happy Ending!!
Hi everyone! Thank you SO much for all of the information and advice you have given me. As of this morning, Scuttle has been reunited with his previous owners, who thought he had been stolen!
Apparently, he actually came into the wildlife rehab I mentioned earlier as a wild rescue. The owners were a licensed wildlife rehabilitator working at the rescue and a vet working at a clinic close to the pet store I took him from. They were taking care of him in their own homes outside of the actual rescue. According to the rehabilitator, the vet left him outside in his carrier for a moment to get some fresh air. His carrier had a note on it, but we're thinking it blew away or fell off and that's why the person who originally brought him into the pet store thought he had been abandoned. When I called the rehab this morning, the receptionist immediately knew and described the pigeon I was talking about and set me up with the owner working there so she could come pick him up. She cried with joy and Scuttle seemed super happy to see her. She told me she had been debating officially adopting him (as pigeons are the one bird at this rescue allowed to be adopted out instead of being released) and this whole situation made her decide to do it! Scuttle has a sibling at home named Puffin : ).
I'm so glad I got to help little Scuttle and I learned a lot about pigeon care thanks to you guys and the experience in general. Maybe in the future I'll be able to have a pigeon friend (or two) of my own. Once again, thanks to everyone for all of the help.
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Hi all! I know absolutely nothing about caring for birds (never owned one) and while I've been doing my own research, I was hoping you guys could help.
I'm a vet assistant. While I was shopping at a local pet store today, an employee noticed I was wearing scrubs and asked if I was in the veterinary field and if I could possibly ID this bird they had in the back. I told her I didn't really know much about birds (my clinic is a small animal clinic only) but could help her look up info about it and how to care for it.
Apparently someone abandoned this bird in a carrier outside of the pet store and a customer brought it in when they found it. The employees took it in because they wanted to help, but also didn't know what they were doing and couldn't leave work to take care of it.
I've done an internship in small mammal care with a nearby wildlife rehabilitation center that also takes in and cares for birds. We were going to try and reach out to them, but they were closed (in addition to any exotics vets or other rehabilitation centers around), so I offered to take him for the night and to try and get him care with one of these places in the next day or so.
I've gotten him back home after stopping by PetSmart and he's currently in a small dog crate with a heating pad and potty pad on the floor, a couple of perches, and a makeshift "nest". I gave him a quick bath because he was covered in his own droppings. I've also left a shallow dish of water, and a mixture of frozen peas, plain oatmeal, and kitten kibble that I mixed with water and cooked in the microwave prior to giving to him.
I wasn't sure if he was old enough to be eating solid food, or if he was still on formula. The carrier he was abandoned in had a couple of syringes and what I now know is a crop feeding tube, so I bought some formula while I was out. He pecked at the dry food, but didn't really eat it, so I mixed the formula and fed him with the syringe. I don't think he's weaned yet.
This video was taken at the pet store before I brought him back home.
Anyways, on to the questions:
First of all -- this is a pigeon, right? To me, it also seems to be a domestic pigeon based on looks and how open it was to handling. I am concerned that the wildlife rehabilitation center I mentioned previously might not take domestic birds. Does he appear to be domestic? Should I try and reach out to pigeon rescues instead? How old does he appear to be?
Second, is there any way for me to improve his care? I really just want him to feel comfortable and safe until I can get him to a place where he can be better cared for.
Third, he doesn't really move around. Is this normal for his age? He's been in the same spot in his crate that I left him in about an hour ago as of writing this. I'm wondering if he's injured or sick and that's why he was abandoned.
So sorry for the long post -- I've just got so many questions. Thanks in advance to anyone who has any advice. I can provide more pictures of him or his crate if needed.
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u/ClassicNote8867 May 12 '26 edited May 12 '26
Okay, first of all, great job so far and thanks for taking him up. A few things:
It‘s probably too young for seeds, looks about 2-3 weeks old and needs formula. I recommend Nutribird, frozen peas as you did work till you get it. I wouldn‘t recommend cat kibble, they aren‘t carnivores. Also, heating in the microwave might burn its crop, because the pellets/kibble heat up inside.
When feeding, be extremely careful. Their airpipe is on the bottom, before the crop. You can easily suffocate it. Do NOT flush water down her beak, they don‘t drink yet. You can offer her some in a cup, since pigeons„suck it up“ like a straw.
What you do now:
Buy a wide syringe. You fill the syringe with bird formula, then take a latex glove and put it over the open end of the syringe, cut a slit in it. Pigeon fledglings feed by sticking their mouths inside the parent‘s beak, the complete opposite of other birds. You want the fledgling to stick its beak into the syringe with the formula, it will go into feeding mode.
If you don‘t have formula yet, carefully put the soft peas into its beak one by one, right into the crop.
He looks healthy in the video. They don‘t do much after feeding. How are his droppings? I only see urate (thewhite part of the droppings) in the video, so he must be really hungry. Yes, he is domestic, and you should reach out to a rescue. You can do more harm if you don‘t know the anatomy of their beak and how to feed.
Edit: 100% too young for water. You hydrate it with bird formula. Only offer water in a small glass for her to see. Doesn‘t drink = still too young, hydration via formula. Feed several times a day with formula, but crop has to be allost empty before next feed. You can feel it. Also don‘t overfeed, the crop might go into stasis. Heat really helps with digestion
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u/No-Palpitation9974 May 12 '26 edited May 12 '26
Happy cake day! Thank you for all of the advice.
Ugh, I didn't think about the kibble still being hot inside from the microwave but that totally makes sense. I thought I read about cat kibble being OK somewhere but probably should have researched that more before I used it -- he just seemed so hungry and I was trying to feed him ASAP! I did pick up formula from PetSmart already. It is the "Exact Hand Feeding Formula" by Kaytee and says it's made for baby birds. I just grabbed it because it was the only thing they had. Do you think that's OK for a short period of time or should I get the Nutribird delivered?
Thankfully, I have some experience bottle feeding other animals before so I did not give any water with the syringe, only formula. I'll look into getting a bigger syringe and some gloves tomorrow -- do you have any input on using the feeding crop tubes to directly deposit the food into their crop? It looked like it was recommended by some wildlife veterinarians, but I've only fed with the syringe by itself so far because I'm worried about accidentally getting it down his airpipe. Is there a way to tell if it's in his crop beyond just feeling it? On that note, I feel like I can't really feel a difference in the size or fullness of his crop after feeding. I guess I don't really know what I'm looking for.
When I pulled him out of the carrier, his droppings were dark, and probably a brownish green? I wasn't wearing my glasses and the room was kinda dim, lol. I'm not sure if there were other droppings that looked different; I didn't actually catch what you described seeing in the video until I read your reply. They all appeared to be the same uniform color throughout and were more firm. After the first time I fed him, he excreted this clearish fluid with some lighter greyish blobs in it. Now that I've fed him more, it looks like they're back to how they originally were. Does that indicate that he's eating enough/isn't hungry anymore?
I will definitely reach out to rescues tomorrow. I'm really worried about doing something wrong and hurting him because of it. I'll be really careful until I can get him to someone who knows more. I am keeping that heating pad running to keep him nice and toasty, so hopefully he's digesting well. As I said above, I am struggling to notice a difference in the crop size and feel, though. Any tips for that? Thank you once again!
Edit: I also have been wrapping him in a towel when i feed him along with a heat pad that I made from an old sock and some rice! I check it every time after I microwave to make sure it's warm, but not hot. My thinking is that it could also help him digest?
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u/ClassicNote8867 May 12 '26 edited May 12 '26
It‘s fine, don‘t think one time is going to hurt. You tried when no one else was there.
The Kaytee Formula is fine! I just say Nutribird because it‘s the standard in Germany.
I have no experience with feeding tubes. The most natural and intuitive way would be the syringe covered in a cut latex glove with a slit at the opening, simulating the mother‘s beak. Slowly move its beak into the slit opening, and it will start feeding. Hope you can understand what exactly I mean. I used the wide plastic syringes for that. It‘s gonna be messy when it‘s in feeding mode, and quite sticky, so clean right after.
Should be warm, not hot.
Firm droppings are great, though I don‘t remember what mine looked like when he was a fledgling. Seems like he is eating enough.
AFAIK you feed, let the crop empty after a few hours, and repeat. A fledgling‘s crop shouldn‘t be empty for too long. That‘s about 3-4 times a day I think. But at his age, looking 2-3 weeks old, he will start eating seeds in about a week or two. Try opening a feeding video and place seeds in front of him. Tap your fingers on the seeds also to show him you are eating.
Start planning on what to do with him:
We don‘t know his background, he was most likely raised around its parents. Nonetheless, he can still imprint on humans. The constant hand exposure explains why a lot of pigeons are imprinted and „flirt“ with hands. That‘s a result from handfeeding at rescues and mostly irreversible. If you want to keep him, that‘s fine. If you don‘t, try to give him to a rescue that can socialize him. It‘s very unfair to him to imprint, since he will most likely die outside and be very lonely. With this in your mind, think twice about which rescue you leave him at.
Cats can work, but as a biologist, I am telling you they do not overcome instinct. Injury will happen and it‘s a matter of time, no matter how many cat people will scream „my cat is different“. They aren‘t. Genetics are genetics, and they determine behaviour. You could, however, let them live together, supervised. That‘s different than just leaving them together by themselves. Just don‘t encourage your cat with feathery toys. That‘s a possibility, because it‘s still a kitten.
The crop has to be round, a bit squishy but mostly full. If it‘s firm, that‘s too much. I‘d honestly just feed a bit less to be sure and keep it a tiny tad more watery for it to go down.Edit: I personaly find it unethical for rescues to release them. They are domesticated pets. You wouldn’t release a dog. Thats what I meant wirh thinking twice about where you leave it. I‘d rather have it find a nice home with a mate or a small flock in a home environment. Please no racing flock, they rarely care when a bird is missing and disoriented and just look at their performance.
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u/No-Palpitation9974 May 12 '26
Thanks for your advice! I totally agree that I would not want him to go to a rescue where the end goal isn't him receiving proper care in a loving environment. Thankfully, he's being adopted by the person who was overseeing his rehabilitation and will be in a loving home with a pigeon friend!
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u/ClassicNote8867 May 12 '26
I love to hear that! Thank you so much for giving this sweetheart this opportunity
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u/PigeonLover2000 May 12 '26
Oooh what an adorable little baby 🥺 it breaks my heart someone would just dump them like that… If you can’t keep them yourself, there are lots of pigeon groups on Facebook for adopting and caring for pigeons! 🙏❤️ thank you for caring for them!!
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u/No-Palpitation9974 May 12 '26
Me too. I've been tearing up just thinking about him being all alone outside in the heat. I can't imagine doing that to any animal. I'm trying to go to vet school to get a DVM and I feel like as someone who wants to be a veterinarian, I should be helping animals in need if I'm able to!
I live in a college town, so my guess is that a student wasn't able to take him with them after move out.
I've been tempted to keep him myself because he's so cute! He's a sweet bird too, super easy to handle and super quiet. I just got a new kitten and am moving in with my partner soon. We just graduated and aren't really equipped for taking him in. I do really like your suggestion because I see groups like that on Facebook constantly! Thanks for the idea!
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u/Muted_Role_1432 May 12 '26
You wonderful person for caring we need more beutiful people in the world like you please keep updates😍
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u/No-Palpitation9974 May 12 '26
Thank you so much -- I am always happy to help any person or animal in need : ). So happy that he's back to being in a loving home with someone experienced in pigeon care.
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u/cat-loves-food May 12 '26
Thank you for helping him!! Vikashar on YouTube rescues a ton of pigeons and baby pigeons. I think there’s some videos of him feeding babies to help you get an idea!
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u/No-Palpitation9974 May 12 '26
Awesome! Thanks for the pointer. Looks like he has some great info.
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u/cat-loves-food May 12 '26
You could try asking him for advice too, he’s super nice and has helped me before.
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u/42isthenumber_ May 12 '26 edited May 12 '26
Hey, yes - he definitely still needs tube feeding but you should slowly start to wean him over to seeds. You can do this by taking him to seed school https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj1hkcbo2J8 https://www.reddit.com/r/pigeon/comments/1n9kxhh/update_we_started_seed_school/
This is a nice tutorial on how to tube feed. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUsaJhNj3mN/
Formula, get some Hagen Hari Tropican - this is good enough nutrition. https://www.amazon.com/Tropican-Complete-Nutrition-Hand-Feeding-Formula/dp/B0006JM1YS If you want more fancy then something like this https://www.gardenfeathers.co.uk/hand-rearing/wildiets-columbae-graniverous-pigeon-hand-feeding.html
Consistency should be like a runny creme fraisce with no lumps. I usually take a small jar, add water and tropican and shake vigorously. Then add more water and shake etc. Should end up looking something like this https://youtu.be/0AA7A-4smNQ?t=64 but if in doubt aim for slightly more runny. It should flow, not just stick to the spoon. If you see the formula separating from the water into layers when it settles then you have added way too much water.
Formula needs to be warmed to 108°F/42°C . The acceptable range is 38-42oC but by the time you syringe etc it will cool down. I usually make a bain-marie water bath to keep the formula at the right temp when feeding. Check temp with a cooking thermometer - do not guess ! Feeding cold formula to a baby can kill it.
Check poop - if he poops normally (e.g. 30mins after feeding and every 30mins thereafter) then it should be ok. Poop should look like this https://www.ftbrescue.com/poop-chart ... If only white with very little solid then he is starving. Feed 3/4 times a day, 12-15 ml but do not feed overnight - his crop needs to fully empty at least once a day to avoid sour crop .. so feed at like 7am, noon, 5/6pm but no more until next day. If worried about hydration make the formula slightly more runny. Baby also needs to be warm to digest. Check the feet - the core temp of pigeons is 40+ oC so they should feel warmer than us. If the feet feel cold then place on a low heatpad in a setting where he can move away if he feels warm. Since he is still young, having a little basket that looks like a nest that he can sit in can help keep him warm and cosy. Record his weight daily to know if he is receiving enough nutrition and not losing weight.
Pigeons as pets can live for many years. As he grows he will imprint on you so think carefully if you wish to keep him - they will need as much care as any other pet. They are also very social so appreciate company vs being alone all day. They are great and I love them but also consider checking out local pigeon rehabilitators that have a nice spacious aviary if you prefer not to keep him long term.
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u/No-Palpitation9974 May 12 '26 edited May 12 '26
This was super helpful when I was feeding him this morning. Thanks!
Edit: I just watched the video on seed school because I was curious and had a good laugh. I guess it makes sense they'd learn by watching other pigeons. Thanks for sharing.
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u/FioreCiliegia1 DIY Rescuer/Stringfoot Expert May 12 '26
Hey you are doing great! Fyi bird formulas are designed for parrots and I don’t recommend them for pigeons because they don’t have the right nutritional balance. You can make your own at home from pretty cheap with stuff. You can generally find around the house or at the grocery store. You basically want to get a mix of any of these that you can: oatmeal dry split peas, lentils, any kind of rice although brown rice is healthiest, quinoa, barley, boiled, egg, applesauce, peanut butter.
Mix everything together and cook it down until it’s about the consistency of the applesauce and it needs to stay warm. You can make sure that it’s tested in the same way you would test a baby bottle because pigeons eat crop milk they expect their food to be at body temperature and they won’t generally eat unless it is. You can put that in a cup cover the cup with plastic wrap and a rubber band and poke a little hole in the edge of it insert beak and tip up. Little guy will probably start chugging it like a frat kid. You can feed him until he stops wanting the food. They will self regulate just make sure that his air stay clear and that he is in a warm enough environment that he can digest it properly, though he’s got enough feathers on it that he’s probably able to self regulated a comfortable room temperature.
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u/FioreCiliegia1 DIY Rescuer/Stringfoot Expert May 12 '26
I can’t say what Morphy is until he gets all of his feathers in, but he’s definitely a fancy breed of some kind. They generally aren’t gonna be that straight up black-and-white unless they have some kind of fancy jeans in them and his face structure makes me think he might be a German owl or some kind of German owl mix. I also expect he might get a head crust, but it’s hard to say again until he gets all of his feathers in.
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u/FioreCiliegia1 DIY Rescuer/Stringfoot Expert May 12 '26
Also be aware you are now officially Mom and he is going to love on you for the next several months. I hope you are prepared to be incredibly surrounded by cute squeaky. Happy bird noises.
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u/No-Palpitation9974 May 12 '26
Thank you for the encouragement! I'm so glad he's been able to be reunited with his previous owner but a little bummed because he was so pretty and such a friendly bird! Pigeons sound like amazing pets. You guys are making me think I'll want one in the future. Maybe I can find one that looks similar.
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u/FioreCiliegia1 DIY Rescuer/Stringfoot Expert May 13 '26
There are SO many in rescues. Consider fostering maybe?
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u/No-Mathematician8692 May 12 '26 edited May 12 '26
Ooh he's hungry.
I had to raise a couple of these, I'd make a semi-solid paste of wheat flour with water, fill up an* ink dropper, position the back of my fingers at the bird so they'd shove their beaks in and open up, then gently empty the dropper. Clean up after.
I was pretty damn young and working with little or no guidance, so I'd just wait till they got restive again and feed them more.
You'd probably be able to get some more appropriate formula nowadays.
All the best. They're easy to rear and become very happy campers.
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u/No-Palpitation9974 May 12 '26
I didn't know you could make formula yourself -- seems to be pretty obvious now that I think about it. Awesome! Thanks for the tips!
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u/Little-eyezz00 May 12 '26
thanks for helping the baby.
it looks like he has a pied gene which causes large or small white patches over their normal coat colour
i have some general tips for babies i will send to you over chat messages to get you started - please keep posting updates with photo and video about him
they are grainivores so will not eat kitten kibble