I took these photos today of "Craow Dum". He is perched on the birdy play-stand looking out the window. As you can see he can not close his mouth due to his corroding beak.
The top beak is almost nonexistent. What remains is a tiny bony peice. Peices fragment off daily. Up close "the beak" looks like sponge candy. It is covered with tiny holes and cracks.
He can still eat so long as his food dish is filled to the top. He uses his lower beak as a scoop. He has worked his mandibular beak so much that is starting to bend to the side a bit.
Here is his favorite place. The couch!
He will get up on the couch at 4;00pm and take a snooze. He loves his 'routines"!
I have to wash his beak and feet every other day like you would a dirty little kid.
He gets a full bath every 3 days AND he needs it. He gets kind of stinky. I fill a pyrex brownie pan with warm water with a green leafy bit. He will hop right in. Putting a green leaf (collard or spinach) in the tub makes the bath look more enticing. The other birds will join in as well.
Despite his rotten beak, he is doing OK.
Statistically, from what I have been following on pigeon-talk, not many 'rescued" tossed pigeons survive. I keep a watchful eye on him. He exercises routinely by flying and walking around, eats well, poops perfectly and he is carefully cleaned.
He will let you know when he is annoyed by doing his "bust-a-move" bit (twirling around and cooing really loudly and gravelly). He will bop his beak at you and/ or hit you with his wing.
He does this a lot when my husband is around.
He wants him to know that HE is the boss!
Wonderful to hear that he is doing as well as could be hoped. You guys each deserve a Pigeon Rescue Saint medal. I remember how worried you both were about his welfare last summer. Looks like your caring and attention have saved this fellow/girl (I assume you still can't be sure which).
ReplyDeleteI am assuming Craow Dum is a boy since he does the "bust-a-move" twirl.he also peck my husband to move away from me!
ReplyDeleteYesterday I had to clean some debris out of Craow Dum's mouth and pull a seed out of his nostril.(This is 3rd seed that got stuck in his nose)He is actually pretty cooperative when I have to do these sort of things. Yeah, it is kind of gross but having to care for animals is not glamorous!