Injured Pigeon

stupidusername

There's a pigeon outside my apartment that's been injured with the wind today. He's limping. he can't fly, there looks to be something wrong with either one or both of his wings. I'm on the fourth floor, that looks out over the roof of another building, which is where the pigeon is. So he's stuck there now as he can't fly. The only way of getting to him is to talk to the people that own that apartment, which is above a shop.

I'd like to help him as he's still eating and he's hiding away on the roof, so he hasn't given up y'know? Obviously there's no point if his wing can't heal, but I'd ask the vet if I could catch him and bring him down. Thing is, I've to go in and ask the people in the shop who owns the apartment (fairly sure its the people that own the shop), and explain why I want to go up to their roof. How strange would that be? I really want to help him but I can't imagine it going well. What should I say to them? And I suppose should I do it?

easyeason3

Well I'd imagine they would prefer you to go in & ask to help the pigeon instead of leaving him to suffer & rot on the roof.
Just tell them you noticed the pigeon is trapped & want to get it out & to a vet.
If they think it's strange then so be it, some people are like that. But it says a lot about you as a person to help a wild bird.

stupidusername

easyeason3 wrote: »

Well I'd imagine they would prefer you to go in & ask to help the pigeon instead of leaving him to suffer & rot on the roof.
Just tell them you noticed the pigeon is trapped & want to get it out & to a vet.
If they think it's strange then so be it, some people are like that. But it says a lot about you as a person to help a wild bird.

Ya, thanks. I suppose they would. but people tend not to care about pigeons. maybe i'll just say a bird, rather than pigeon, unless they ask. They have a dog, which they let run around on the roof some days, and he'll attack the pigeon next time he's up.

easyeason3

stupidusername wrote: »

Ya, thanks. I suppose they would. but people tend not to care about pigeons. maybe i'll just say a bird, rather than pigeon, unless they ask. They have a dog, which they let run around on the roof some days, and he'll attack the pigeon next time he's up.

Jesus I hope the roof has big rails around it if they let a dog run around up there!

Sure say it to them anyway otherwise you'll feel like crap. Buy a towel with you to pick him up in, it will help keep his wings from moving, if he is able to move them.

stupidusername

easyeason3 wrote: »

Jesus I hope the roof has big rails around it if they let a dog run around up there!

Sure say it to them anyway otherwise you'll feel like crap. Buy a towel with you to pick him up in, it will help keep his wings from moving, if he is able to move them.

Ya don't worry it has good railings the whole way round it. I will feel shítty if i don't say it but it's just such a weird thing to have to do. how awkward. i'd bring food and a towel. he can move his wings, but i'm almost certain at least one is severely damaged. he's got a bad limp too, so hope he can be mended.

easyeason3

stupidusername wrote: »

Ya don't worry it has good railings the whole way round it. I will feel shítty if i don't say it but it's just such a weird thing to have to do. how awkward. i'd bring food and a towel. he can move his wings, but i'm almost certain at least one is severely damaged. he's got a bad limp too, so hope he can be mended.

Well look at it this way. If he can't be mended then by bringing him to a vet you are being humane if he needs to be put to sleep but at least you did something.
Plenty of people wouldn't bother. It speaks volumes about a person that would make an effort so whether he gets better or not give yourself a pat on the back for doing the right thing.

muppet_man

stupidusername wrote: »

I will feel shítty if i don't say it but it's just such a weird thing to have to do. how awkward.

As you say, you'll feel crap if ye do nothing. Could also look at it like this, chances are you'll never meet or deal with them again so who cares what they think.
Fair play to ye to for worrying about an injured pigeon. Most people wouldn't care about an injured bird never mind a pegion.
Probably best if you can put him in a box with some water and oats/porridge till morning and bring him to a vet.
Please let us know how you get on, few of us on here do be thinking/worry about how animals problems work out and don't find out

stupidusername

Here's an update so. I went into the shop and explained there's an injured bird on the roof, and I wanted access to try catch it. She said the guy that owns the shop owns the whole building and that he wasn't there. Took my details and said she'd get him to ring me when he got in. went out to feed Toby, got back to a missed call. went down, talking to a different girl, she said the other girl went up to check, and said he wasn't there anymore. If he could've flown off he would have done it yesterday, he can't fly, so he has to still be on the roof. But she also said the owner was complaining about someone feeding the pigeons on the roof. I said that was me, but I would stop if he likes (what could I say).

She said that she'd check later and if he was there she'd take care of him herself, as she has done with other injured birds. So basically I don't know. They could've been trying to fob me off, or not. I don't know. I just hope that they do catch him if he's not already dead. I pointed out to the girl there that their dog will attack him if they don't catch him. don't know what more I can do.


Added:
I can see him on the roof again.he can't fly, he's stuck behind something thats been left there. I'd like to go in and say he's there so they'll go get him, but I can't push it. Hope he doesn't get left there for the night again.

stupidusername

Another update:

I'm a bit pissed off. I went back into the shop a couple of hours ago, I kinda wanted to push them to make sure they were going to try catch him as it was getting late. So I also brought down some seed for him, so they could try catch him, and if they did so yer one could feed him at home.

The first girl said she'd go upstairs, while I was there, to see if she could grab him. She was clearly reluctant, and a bit worried she'd hurt him. So I waited, chatting to the other girl (the one that likes animals). The other one came down after a little while and said he flew away. She said he was where I said he'd be, and that she walked up beside him, but then he flew away.

Now that seemed odd to me but I didn't assume it was made up. So they said they'd have a check on him again tomorrow and maybe she'd be able to catch him then.

As I was walking home, it slowly became clearer to me she had to have been lying. I came back up and looked out, and ya he wasn't there, but after a minute he waddled out from under the decking that he's been hiding under most of the day, and yesterday. He can't fly. He just can't. One wing is very badly damaged, and with other pigeons pecking at him earlier he would have tried to get away from them. And considering I'm providing his only source of food he would've flown off before now to get more, like the rest do.

So I'm rightly pissed off. I was more upset earlier, as I can see him hobbling around trying to get to the food I throw out, and he's in such a bad way, but now I'm just so pissed off. What is wrong with people. She obviously had a problem with picking him up, but why couldn't she just ask the other girl to do it, or ask me to get a towel so she could do it without touching him. I had brought a towel in the first time today, but didn't think there'd be any point the third time. If I had she'd probably have been ok with doing it, and he could be in the vet by now. Instead she's happy to leave him die there.

What do i do? Go back in tomorrow again, and hope she does it? If I bring the towel for the next attempt, do you think she might actually do it?

Vel

What a nightmare. I'll never understand people :rolleyes:

Could you go back in tomorrow and say that if they don't get the bird that you will have no choice but to alert the ISPCA? I know the ISPCA won't give a fiddlers but the girls in the shop might not know that and might not want the hassle of them coming out for the bird.

stupidusername

Vel wrote: »

What a nightmare. I'll never understand people :rolleyes:

Could you go back in tomorrow and say that if they don't get the bird that you will have no choice but to alert the ISPCA? I know the ISPCA won't give a fiddlers but the girls in the shop might not know that and might not want the hassle of them coming out for the bird.

well I dunno. It's a bit odd going into a business and talking to them about something completely unrelated to it...if you know what I'm saying. I suppose I could mention it as in, if we can't catch him...maybe i could call animal welfare and they could... see what they say. though I'd imagine all she'll say to that is that he'll just keep flyin away...

stupidusername

The story has come to an end. Before I could decide whether or not to go back in to the shop, I've basically figured out that the pigeon is dead.

He was under the decking last night. and he hasn't come out at all today. He obviously would've if he could, to warm up, and to eat when I fed them all.

Poor pigeon.

LisaO

That's a shame At least you tried for him.