# Fledgling collared dove help



## brittone05

Have been keeping an eye on it and the parents have not been bck to feed it for 2 days.

It has it's tail feathers, still a bit fluffy on it's chest and has only just got the very front feathers on it's beak area coming through ( they are pins at the moment )

The issue is that the little one has not got it's eyes open and the eyelids appear to be sort of kinked in the centre so they go like this _/\_ They also appear to have a small amount of crusty stuff in the centre of the slits in them so i have tried to gently bathe them with cooled boiled water while trying to create minimal stress to the little thing.

Is there anything I can do for it? Rough age of it from description etc 

Thanks in advance for the help xxx


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## feorag

This is the best website, imao, for information and help on rearing wildlife. This is their page for injured birds 

Common Findings and Reasons for Presentation of UK BIRDS

And this is their page for handrearing

Hand Rearing Pigeons & Doves (Techniques)

If you can't find a specific wildlife rescue in your area this should help.


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## brittone05

Thanks Eileen  

the little one seems very healthy and such, i haven't tried to feed it or anything as i didn't want to do more harm than good so shall contact some rescues in my area today. Hoping to find a pigeon/dove friendly one.

Little guy is sat on the rim of his temporary home ( a snuggly box lol ) with his eyes tightly closed - he will step up onto your hand and doesn't flap his wings or make a fuss though which i am unsure is a good thing or bad  xx


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## feorag

Neither have I. Have you tried him with something to eat??

We found a collared dove collapsed on our garage roof a few weeks ago. It was skeletal and couldn't support its head - no idea how it got on our roof. We gave it a drink of water and put it in a warm box on a towel, but it died less than an hour later. :sad:


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## brittone05

well - he can fly that is a certainty!! He flew roundthe kitchen before promptly crash landing to the floor after bouncing off the cupboard  He just can't see anything at all even if you are right in front of his face! he can hear good and well because if you make a noise behind him he turns his head.

i managed to get him to take a teeny bit of water but there is no interest whatsoever 

i read that at the age and size it is tha millet and chick crumbs are okay? I have millet available and also read that cooled ready brek is okay which I have also.

Should i just put the food to beak or try to force feed? i don't want to cause stress and certainly don't want him to ingest it into his lungs if i open his beak too far.

Can't find a single place nearby that can takehim without killing him so looks like he is a fixture here until I discover what the eye issue is


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## tinyfish

I would ring the Gower Bird Hospital, a great little wildlife charity, on 01792 371630. I know you are not anywhere near the Gower, but they are incredibly knowledgeable and very nice and I am sure they will talk you through how to look after the little one and they may even have a contact near you who can help. Best of luck! Keep us posted! :2thumb:


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## brittone05

Wellllll update alreadly!!!

Little "Prince" ( When the doves cry lol ) is doing really well so far.

I have been sporadically bathing his eyes with cool boiled water and one of them is now open  The other is still tightly closed but we will get there.

He has taken the opportunity to have a little flap about in the kitchen again albeit very badly cos of impaired vision lol

He has taken some water and I got some millet and very small seed, softened it in hot water and let it cool right down and he really tried his best and managed to get a couple of little pecks of it.

i will assess him again tomorrow and, all being well will try to find a quiet and safe place to release him. thankfully we are surrounded by lots of woodland, forests and stuff so should find a good place for him  xxx


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## feorag

Doves and Pigeons are very difficult to feed because they don't gape like other baby birds and so there is a risk when feeding that you push the food into the trachea by mistake.

If you are confident then you could try rolling up a small ball of the chick crumb/millet/porridge/seed mix whatever you have, into a pea sized ball, opening the beak and pushing the ball of food to the back of the throat so you miss the trachea.

Or you could try the method suggested on that website i directed you to of putting the damp food in a bag, egg cup or something like that and trying to get the squab to 'suck' the food up.


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## brittone05

Thanks Eileen  He actually hadanother go at the seed last night, I softened it beforehand  

He is drinking okay ANDDDD his eyes are both open this morning so he will helpfully be going on his merry way later today. I don't want him here any longer than necessary - he is already too human friendly and even with his eyes open this morning as soon as my hand went near him he stepped onto it and roosted down! xx


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## feorag

Does he have all his flight feathers so that he will be able to fly well enough to keep himself out of trouble, because i would be wary about releasing him too soon?


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## brittone05

He has all his flight feathers and is currently in our garden watching the other birds as if he is trying to suss out what they are doing.

He flew into the patio doors a few times earlier so thought it best to put him in the garden where he can fly away if he chooses to. His eyes are fully open, beak clean, fed, watered etc so if he is ready then i guess it is best for him  xx


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## feorag

Brilliant! Just keep your eye on him as you're doing!

It's a wonderful feeling isn't it to take a creature that you know would die without your help and see it released back into it's destined life - there's nothing quite like it imao! :2thumb:


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## brittone05

Well Prince has left the building - or the garden as is was lol

He flew up on the fence, had a mooch, flew back down and had some seed and water and then took off into the distance 

Really hope that he is going to fare well in the wild as it were and can honestly agree i wouldn't hesitate in doing it again, agree Eileen such a wonderful feeling  xxx


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## feorag

Well done, you! :no1:


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