Parking Lot Bird - What To Do? - Probably an Imperial Pied

fiddlejen

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Mar 28, 2019
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Sunny the Sun Conure (sept '18, gotcha 3/'19). Mr Jefferson Budgie & Mrs Calliope Budgie (albino) (nov'18 & jan'19). Summer 2021 Baby Budgies: Riker (Green); Patchouli, Keye, & Tiny (blue greywings).
There's a Very Unusual pigeon in the parking lot at work. I noticed it last Weds - actually thought it was a lost parrot at first! - but then figured, oh, it's just one of the pigeons. But, it's quite gorgeous. Mostly white with very distinct black wings. It's been hanging around in the grass, edge of the woods, near the front of the parking lot.

This evening a coworker sought me out about the bird. Turns out some folks from that end of the building have been feeding it bread. (She was concerned about this causing it poor health, and I said I can bring some parakeet seed.) Apparently the bird seems friendly to the point of Possibly tame. And, the normal pigeons in our lot have Not been associating with it.

Well like I said, it's gorgeous. Ilooked online and found a picture. I'm entirely convinced it is an Imperial Pied Pigeon. NOT a common bird in this part of Massachusetts. I wonder if indeed it might be a lost pet?

I drove home tonight thinking that tomorrow I may double-check with the folks possibly feeding the bird, and then perhaps Weds AM go in very early, try to get it into a box, and then drive it back to a local SPCA (about 45 minutes away) which definitely shelters birds, including doves.

BUT then I suddenly worry. Sunny Mason loves going for drives.

IF I have this bird in my car appx 45 minutes, will I need to quarantine the car from Sunny afterwards? How could I disinfect the the car?

Has anyone heard of anyone who recently lost an Imperial Pied Pigeon??????

Or maybe it really IS a wild bird, just somehow blown far off-course? ((Maybe it was trying to reach the bird sanctuary? :cool: )) Do people even keep Imperial Pied Pigeons as Pets? IF wild, would it be wrong to take it to SPCA? Our local wild pigeons can handle the Hawks & eagles, & foxes, & whatever other fauna may lurk less visibly, but, I don't know about this lovely birdie. I mean, it absolutely does Not blend-in.

What should I do?
 

charmedbyekkie

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May 24, 2018
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Cairo the Ekkie!
It is highly unlikely that a Pied Imperial Pigeon be a wild bird in the US. They belong to South East Asia with some subspecies in Northern Australia. Not sure about the US, but in parts of Asia, they are kept as 'pets', particularly near where they're indigenous. I use the word 'pets' loosely here since they're mostly just kept caged or chained with little stimulation/engagement.

Not all bird diseases can be transmitted to parrots, but there's always a small risk. F10 definitely helps to disinfect, but I'd let others with more knowledge on this step in.
 

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