Just found a blind pigeon?
I just found a blind pigeon yesterday while I was walking down the road. It didn't move when I came up to it so I thought I would try to pet it. It moved around but didn't fly away like they usually do. Then I noticed he has like scabs or callouses on his eyes? It seems another bird or something might have plucked him out cause he has other scab like things around his head.. I brought him home and he has been eating baby food just fine when I put it infront of him as well as the water.. (I'm going to get him bird food today).
Well anyways I noticed these strange bugs crawling on him. When I first picked him up I thought they where a sort of fly but they didn't fly away just crawled into his wings. and they are flat. but they don't look like spiders. Looks like a spider mixed with a fly? I'm not sure and have not been able to read anything on them I keep only finding about feather mites and bird mites and lice, but they look nothing like this... Any help? and are they bad for the bird and also me?
June 7th, 2011 - 05:26
..shoot it & eat it for dinna….
June 7th, 2011 - 06:25
Very bad for you both! Could be fleas or any of the above. I would take him to a local rescue immidietly. They will know what to do from there.
Good Luck
June 7th, 2011 - 07:21
im afraid the best thing u or somebody. should ring its neck it will not survive in the wild nor with your help sorry.
June 7th, 2011 - 07:23
Those flies are pigeon flies – you can dust the bird with 5% Sevin dust or even use a pyrethrin based spray that you can find in any pet store or even food market for parakeets. Make sue to ruffle the feathers up and spray or powder to the skin area around the throat, neck, rump, and under belly. Pigeon guys call these little monsters “jockeys” and it’s not in a friendly way. The flies can carry a Haemoproteus that gets into the birds blood when the fly bites them (nothing for humans to worry about). http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/livestock/pigeon_fly.htm In many decades of being around pigeon flies, I’ve never even had one bite me or anyone I know. They’re pretty exclusive to the pigeons and to their predators (hawks and falcons). But I most definitely do suggest spraying them off because in large numbers they can cause a lot of stress to an already ill bird.
As for the scabs? They could be that it was a young bird that was partially scalped by an aggressive older bird or they could be pox lesions (nothing you as a human need to worry about). Pox has to run its course. If the bird is eating and drinking, it will likely survive so long as it has supplemental care.