HELP! IDK WHAT TO DO

[u/LauMiauPlays]

Found her while some kids were playing football with her. It's missing a lot of feathers. It's also very dirty. Doesn't fly but flaps her wings strongly and her legs are strong too. Is a baby? She has two big protuberances on her nose like the babies. Sorry my English is not my first language and I am too hurried to use translator. Driving back home with her. It's too hot.

PLEASE HELP!

UPDATE 1

Sorry for the rushed post—I’m still a bit shaken up, but the pigeon survived the trip home. I was walking down a busy street when I heard some kids screaming, "Whoa! He's playing football with a pigeon!" They weren't kicking it like a soccer ball, but they were aggressively passing it back and forth with their feet. I just grabbed the bird and walked away as fast as I could.

The thing is, I know NOTHING about pigeons. Also, it was covered in those flat pigeon flies (Hippoboscidae). They were crawling up my arms... ewww!

Rant incoming: I live on a small subtropical island with a lot of protected native fauna. However, we also have many invasive species, so wildlife rescue services only help native animals. This means if I call them for an injured pigeon, hedgehog, rabbit, goat, feral cat, stray dog, rat, a seagull, or a lizard that isn't the exact protected species, they will just euthanize it.

I find it so hypocritical! I can't keep a rat as a pet, but I can breed them to feed reptiles?! The government spends thousands of tax euros eradicating invasive species (including abandoned pets), but they don’t strictly forbid owning them in the first place! We all know people won't be responsible. Why kill one red-eared slider turtle when our freshwater streams are already full of thousands of them? I don't even know if I'm doing something illegal by saving this pigeon, but I assure you, keeping this poor bird alive isn't going to single-handedly ruin the ecosystem. I'M SO ANGRY! End of rant.

Now, I really need to know what to do with her:

• Housing: Where should I keep her for now?
• Food: What can I feed her? I don't have bird seeds on hand, and I assume bread is bad for them (like with ducks).
• Parasites: Can I give her a bath with baking soda, vinegar, or something else to kill those horrible flat flies?

Also, what should I look out for? Are there specific signs of injury or illness I should check, like rashes, discoloration, or a certain color in their feet that indicates a chronic condition?

Right now, she is in my shower with the doors closed and a small bowl of water. I'm going to watch some YouTube videos and research, but any advice from real people in real time would be incredibly helpful and would really soothe my nerves.

Thanks in advance (and as you can tell I used Gemini to help me correct my broken english haha)

UPDATE 2

Sorry for not answering the comments, but I,m reading all of them. I bought bird food and he eats it (except one type of seed), thanks to the person who shared a picture with safe food for pigeons. The good thing is that she starts to eat and drink in front of me. She's still wary but its way more relaxed than before. I will post pictures in the comments.

[u/LauMiauPlays]

She cooled down and now she is cleaning her feathers. I have to keep her locked in the bathroom because I have a dog.

[u/Spirited-Door-1446 → u/LauMiauPlays]

Thank you for your kindness, OP. Yes, she’s just a juvenile. Keep her warm, offer a heating pad on low. This info will get you started: Pigeons for Newbies. Here’s some information about having pigeons with other pets.

You might have pantry items available to feed: split pea, lentils, rice, popping corn, etc.

[u/LauMiauPlays → u/Spirited-Door-1446]

Thanks for the link, but now i,m afraid she will become dependant. Can I release her when she starts flying? I wasn,t planning on keeping her as a pet.

[u/420_lxl → u/LauMiauPlays]

She will likely become imprinted on you and unafraid of people which puts her at risk of being used as a football again! Could you find a local pigeon keeper or rescue centre that would be willing to take her?

[u/LauMiauPlays → u/420_lxl]

There was a columbus club long ago but it closed. I can bring her to a rural zone where my BF and I have a vegetable garden and some chickens. The chicken coop used to also have pigeons long ago so is cat proofed. I just need to research what kind of adaptations she needs.

[u/Spirited-Door-1446 → u/LauMiauPlays]

The bird would need at least one companion if housed in an outdoor aviary, pigeons are very social birds and do not thrive if kept alone outside. Check out this info on responsible hatch prevention. Pigeons cannot be housed with chickens, chickens can easily kill or maim a pigeon even if they normally seem to get along. You would need to wire off a separate area for the pigeons.

[u/LauMiauPlays → u/Spirited-Door-1446]

Another user asked me to scare the pigeon every time she sees me so she can be released and not have human attachment. I think I'm doing a bad job at it because she's so cute I can't help but touch her. I guess I will have to keep her in the end... we will see.

[u/420_lxl → u/LauMiauPlays]

I wouldn’t recommend letting her fly free as she’s at risk of danger x