Pigeon Rescue: Who to Call & How to Do It

There's bad news on the horizon if you're hoping that you can rehabilitate a sick or injured pigeon yourself, with whatever you have at home. This is even more so the case if you come across a nest of squabs or baby pigeons.

Pigeons need pretty specific care, and they'll need even MORE specific care if they have a physical injury or affliction. There is a chance that you could raise a relatively young pigeon from the orphan stage, releasing it back into the wild at a later day, but the prognosis for that hand-reared pigeon isn't good. Being more tamed than the rest, it might not be able to establish itself with a group or flock, and that will leave it more vulnerable, particularly to predators.

If you come across a sick or injured pigeon, you could search online for something like, "pigeon rescue near me". You'll get a good idea of how many rehabilitation centers are close by, and whether or not it is worth your time trying to attempt it. If there isn't a rehabilitator close enough for you to work with, you'll either need to travel a great distance to find one, or you'll need to do the job yourself. At this stage, it is down to you whether or not the job is worth it, although it does pay to bear in mind that the bird could be feeling a great deal of pain.

If a wildlife removal expert were to find a pigeon that couldn't fly and was in need of rescue, the situation would be evaluated. If there wasn't an experienced pigeon handler in the area, it would be a kinder approach to put that pigeon down. If keeping it alive is going to just prolong the pain it goes through, it would be considered cruel and inhumane to try. In many instances where inexperienced handlers have attempted to release a rehabilitated pigeon, the pigeon has died. These wild birds are not meant to be tamed or raised by humans, and it puts them at a massive disadvantage when the time comes for them to fend for themselves.

If you HAVE found a rehabilitator close that will take on your poor pigeon, you will need to first get that pigeon into a box or similar. Wear gloves as you do this -- the thicker the better. Diseases are easily spread by birds to humans by way of direct contact, as well as contact with feathers, feces, and nesting material.

Something soft in the box, such as an old towel or blanket, can be used to make the bird safe and to keep it warm. This also gives the bird something to grab hold of as it and you are on the move. Otherwise, it could easily slide from one end of the container to the other as you're moving it around, and this could cause further injury to an already-injured pigeon.

The chances of you finding somewhere or someone to take in an injured pigeon are rare, mostly because the animal is considered to be a disease-spreading pest, in almost all places across the globe. Especially when you're talking about REAL pest pigeons -- feral pigeons.

The most natural way to let this situation play out, is to let nature take its course. An injured pigeon would become food to another animal, out in the ‘wild', and there are a few other animals that will feast on a feral pigeon given half the chance. Unfortunately, the sight of a dead/dying pigeon can be too distressing for some, and it's not the kind of thing you or your kids want to see in the back garden or on the sidewalk.



Also read our other bird tip: How to inspect a house for pigeon entry holes