What would you do ?

Subject: What would you do ? Thu Mar 05, 2009 7:11 pm

Hi all and I am glad to be here !

Here's the situation. Ivette found an injured feral last week outside of a petfood store in a shopping center south of here. She goes there for her supplies and feeds the ferals occasionally. The bird had been attacked and had a gouge in it's leg...it was bleeding from the mouth and disoriented. She caught it wil relative ease (although worth noting that several passers-by refused to help her in the least).

Fortunately, I took over that evening and started her on antibiotics and painkiller. Washed the wound, treated it with Silvadene. The blood from mouth had stopped. Wound wasn't bad, although it HAD been bleeding badly for a short time.

Long story short, one week later here we are, almost time for release. She's a sweetie...at first I thought an adult, but the past day I let her out of her cage to see if she is flying OK, and she's clearly an adolescent.

I am not sure if I should return her to her flock and home stomping ground, though. I would like her to return to her flock, to what she is familiar with and all....

The shopping center is in a small valley surrounded by heavily-tree'd hills. It is a good place for pigeons, lotsa food and apparently water somewhere. BUT...it is also a good location for hawks as they can observe from high above and the trees and swoop down on the flocks and pursue them in open air with no quick cover for the birds to escape to; due to the huge usually mostly empty parking lot and 1-storey store buildings. This was likely a hawk attack...judging from the location and type of wounds.

Ugh. Or do I release her locally, near me...she would be left to her own devices as far as finding friends and cohorts...but generally hawk attacks here are less frequent due to many things including the urban-ness of the setting and tons of places for shelter/cover.

Thoughts ?

Subject: Re: What would you do ? Thu Mar 05, 2009 7:24 pm

Jaye...I would release her from your place. Since she has been on her own in the wild, she can return

to her flock if she wants. Released her form your place, she will know where to find help and food if

she needs it.

Subject: Re: What would you do ? Thu Mar 05, 2009 8:01 pm

I have Cindy on the phone. She wants you to know that she welcomes you and is gladd you have joined our forum.

She does agree that releasing the Pigeon from your place would be the best idea.

Is releasing from your place an option?

Subject: Re: What would you do ? Thu Mar 05, 2009 10:09 pm

I wouldn't take her back to the parking lot. She got caught there already. I'd try it from your place. If she wants, she'll find her friends, but she'd be in a safer place. She'll be alright, as she is ferral, and knows where to go for food. I would probably leave out a dish of food for her, just in case she stays around for a while. Thanks for helping him/her. And welcome to Pij-n-angels. Nice to have you.