To ask for help with this pigeon!

[stupiduser]

I have a pigeon in my garden. Originally I thought it couldn't fly as high as the fence but it is now on the shed roof. It isnt right, it doesn't fly away if you get quite close. I feel like leaving it alone is just leaving it to the jaws of the local cats. I don't need to be told it's vermin etc etc I don't want to have a creature struggling that I could help. I can't see that the local rescue centre will take a common pigeon. It has no ring on its leg so isn't a lost racing one. Have I got a pet pigeon?

Well it's unlikely to last the night, so you could bring it inside in a large cardboard box or similar. Trying to shoo it into a box will certainly determine if it can take flight or not.

It'll need some water and food.

Can you post a pic so I can see what sort of pidge it is? It could just be a fledgling feral - they breed all year round.

Pigeons don't always fly away when you get close. How long has it been there? If you feel like you have to do something then trying to catch it will prove whether it's actually unwell or not!

Not assuming you live in London, but give London Wildlife Protection a ring and see what they recommend - 07909 795064.

www.londonwildlifeprotection.org/found-an-animal/pigeons-advice/

It's really kind of you to care about the little pigeon

When there is a cold snap (like now) I will regularly see a pigeon that is clearly under the weather. To exhausted/tired to fly unless it has to.

I make user they have food and water and leave them alone. Typically, they plod about in the garden until it gets dark, then fly off to roost. If you start chasing it around, you are likely to make it even more exhausted than it already is.

Give it peace, space and a slice of bread.

It looks like he is settling to roost on the shed. I have left bird seed/suet pellets nearby. I'm not sure I can get it off the shed or if he is safe there. I will try to get a photo

Oh and I'm not near London but thank you though

A fairly useless picture because it's dark but he seemed this 'fluffed' for the couple of hours he was in the garden. Which made me think he wasn't well

Not sure where you live but bird flu is rife where I live and there are warnings not to approach sick birds

I can't see your pic, OP, but if it's 'fluffed' it's probably a juvenile.

Depending on where you are, it may get cold overnight but the food you've left sounds good.

If it's on the shed roosting I'd leave it tbh. Nature red in tooth and claw and all that.

I thought you meant it was sat on your patio staring at you sadly.

It was on the patio but thankfully made it as far as the shed. My DD is a big gatherer of waifs and strays so is already thinking she has another pet 🙄

We had one like this, I asked on a local Facebook group and someone came out and sorted it.