A little background first: Mr. P(igeon since we can't come up with
another name and aren't sure if we should get too attached) found my
hubby about 3 weeks ago and he brought him home. We aren't even sure if
it's a male or female, though we do know (thanks to Brad) that it is a
juvenile band tailed. Mr. P follows us around the house and will sit on
your shoulder or hand. Dunno if it's necessary info, but we also have 2
dogs, and a cat (among various other pets) but they don't bother Mr. P
at all. I'm going to apologize for not knowing correct pigeon lingo.

On
to my concerns: Mr. P is losing feathers and I'm not sure if it is
consistent with molting. No mites or bugs that I know of, we have
treated him. He's also pulling out his tail feathers...they're bloody at
the quick(?). He's also losing feathers around his beak and eyes. I'm
sure he's a bit stressed but not knowing birds at all I'm not sure if
this is normal stressed behavior. Also, where is rectum is the feathers
are bloody, or at least bright red...again, normal?...say, feather
pigment? The bottom of his beak where feathers begin also looks bloody.
His poo is green with white streaks(calcium?) and it's very watery. He
has become much more agressive, squaks when you walk past and doesn't
want to be picked up or tries to tear your hand apart. Could our warm
house cause stress? I can't very well take him to a vet because they
will take him from us.

Sorry for the long, dramatic post, but I'm
kind of a worry wart. Perhaps we need to build a loft outdoors? He's
WAY too tame to just release and would be killed very quickly. I'm
actually a bit nervous posting exactly what kind of pigeon he is since
it's illegal to keep him. We just want what's best for Mr. P, any and
all advice is more than greatly appreciated! (I can take pics and post
if you need to see what I'm talking about)

Hi Melissa,

Sorry you are worried and going through this with the pigeon. Young pigeons do moult though from 'baby' feathers into their adult plumage and regardless of what time of year it is. When new feathers grow, the shaft is filled with blood. This is the case for all feathers, (tail, wing and even the tiny ones). Once the feather is fully developed, the shaft will close off and the blood will stop flowing into it.

Are you sure the bird is pulling out new tail feathers? I'm wondering if one of the main blood feathers was broken and the pigeon is digging at it and spreading the blood from it's beak to other areas. If the bird has been treated for mites and lice, then this is likely what is going on...a normal moulting into it's adult plumage. You can inspect him to see if there is any broken blood feathers and to stop the bleeding you can use regular flour.

The poops don't sound the greatest, what are you feeding him exactly?

The aggressive behaviour is fairly normal at this age too. Although I've never dealt with a band tailed pigeon, I'm sure they have similar demeanors as domestic ones. It's around the age your pigeon is where they just naturally start to get short tempered and more aggressive. It's like a kid going through adolescence and getting moody. I wouldn't worry about this and with patience and gentleness, the pigeon should mellow out again over time. Pigeons aren't really adults until they are around 6-8 months of age.

Hope this helps and if you have any other questions, please ask.

Thanks for the prompt reply, oh wise one!

We haven't actually seen him pulling his feathers out. There were 2 in his cage and 3 where his likes to hang out on top of the bookcase. All five had bloody shafts. And I'm 90% positive they are tail feathers. I will definitely check to see if there are remaining broken ones. I was alarmed b/c I didn't think normal molting resulted in a loss of feathers with bloody shafts.

For food we bought a specialty pigeon food blend consisting of red and white millet, milo, wheat, green peas, canary seed, oats, safflower seed and popcorn. His vent is clean. I'm not too worried, figuring it's normal stress, just mentioned it for diagnostic purposes.

Great, so I have a 2 yr old AND a pigeon going through the 'terrible twos'? Awesome.''

Since we don't know what his last home was like, should we keep him outside/garage in an adequate loft/aviary...moving him, of course, after winter? Does he need a friend? Toys? Could it be our warm home kept around 75F (wood stove....I detest being cold. Shoulda been born on Fiji Island) is not keeping him comfy? Mr. P and I thank you!

All of our house pigeons & doves are going through a moult at this time, feathers are everywhere! Its natural for them to moult so many feathers that the pigeon looks terrible.

It sounds like Mr. P, we also have a pigeon that was named Mr. Pigeon by his former keeper, is bonded to you & your DH. I myself wouldn't move him out, like Brad said he's just going through a growth spurt & should get over it in time.

You can give him toys to take out his aggressions on too, I prefer small cat toys like balls, little stuffed critters & give him a mirror, lots of pijjies love looking at themselves.

Hope this helps.

Hi again Melissa,

It does sound like he's pulling out his new tail feathers. I'm sure you are right and they are tail feathers...but do you still have them, can you post a picture of them?

Pigeons do go through a lot of stress when moulting, this might explain the more watery droppings because the seed mixture doesn't sound bad. Have you been letting him bathe frequently? Bathing REALLY helps when birds are moulting. It helps to loosen the the dead feather sheaths as the feather grows and also makes the skin more supple for the growing feathers. I would suggest allowing him baths once a day or maybe every other day at the least while he's moulting. This may help with the irritation the pigeon seems to be experiencing and may stop it from pulling at any new blood feathers and possibly breaking them.

Moving him outdoors is up to you and after winter of course. I think the bird will do fine indoors and as long as you don't mind. Sun however, direct exposure is really healthy for birds in several ways. A mate might be an idea to think about further down the road and you can cross that bridge if/when you come to it.

Amt'I glad this never happened with my balcony ferals when they were moulting!! I'd have had a fit. One may wonder why this happens with some pigeons and not others.

Gladys

I went to the local feed store and found a guy that rescues pigeons. He offered to take Mr. P and I politely declined but I did learn quite a bit and it sounds like he's just stressed and with some TLC he'll be fine! Phew!

He also concurred with Brad and recommended bathing Mr. P frequently. We've tried to get him in the tub a few times but he only took a bath once. We'll keep trying but will get a better tub and place it where we know he feels comfy.

Brad: DH took the trash out and it was picked up earlier. If he pulls more I'll make sure to post a pic.

Thanks guys for setting my harried mind at ease. I really appreciate all the sound advice!

Hi Melissa,

I'm glad you were able to find someone to talk to at the feed store to also put your mind at ease. If the pigeon is reluctant to bathe, you can spritz him with luke warm water from a bottle set on mist. He may be scared at first, but will probably eventually love it once he gets used to the procedure. And it also might get him more interested in bathing on his own.