🕊️ Found an Injured Pigeon? Here’s What to Do
Whether it’s a tiny nestling, a confused fledgling, or an injured adult pigeon, your kindness can make a real difference. Here’s how to help — safely and responsibly.
🐣 Nestlings (Featherless / Just Starting to Grow Feathers)
Nestlings are very young birds that can’t survive outside the nest on their own.
What to do:
- Look for the nest: If you can see the nest nearby and it’s safe to reach, gently return the bird to it.
- No nest? – Keep warm: Use a wrapped hot water bottle or a warm (not hot) rice sock to provide gentle heat.
- Don’t attempt to give food or water: Young pigeons need a specialist diet. The wrong food given in the wrong way can be fatal.
- Contact a wildlife rescue.
🐦 Fledglings (Fully Feathered, Hopping or Flapping About)
Fledglings are young birds that have left the nest and are learning to fly. It’s normal for them to be on the ground for a few days.
What to do:
- Watch before acting: If the bird isn’t injured and is in a safe place, the best thing is usually to leave it. The parents are likely nearby.
- Keep pets indoors: Cats, in particular, pose a serious danger.
- In immediate danger? Move it gently to a nearby sheltered spot — under a hedge or bush, ideally within 10 metres of where it was found.
- If injured, looks sick / lethargic or at risk of being abandoned: Contact a wildlife rescue.
🕊️ Injured or Sick Adult Pigeons
If the bird appears ”fluffed up” hurt, bleeding, limping, or can’t fly, it likely needs to be rescued.
What to do:
- Approach calmly. Use a towel or jumper to gently cover and pick up the bird.
- Contain safely: Place it in a well-ventilated box or pet carrier lined with a towel. Keep the box warm and quiet.
- Do not feed or give water unless advised by a rescue — it can cause more harm than good.
- Seek help promptly: Find a local wildlife rescue or a vet who treats wild birds.
🚫 What Not to Do
- Don’t try to raise or treat the bird yourself.
- Don’t offer bread, milk, or seeds to baby pigeons
- Don’t delay getting help — quick action can mean the difference between life and death.
🔀 Use the Below Flow Chart to help make a Decision on what to do next…
Advice fact checked at the time of writing