Guest in Distress

We have a stranded baby pigeon in our atrium.


Elliot noticed it this morning. It looks like it's a few weeks old (guessing wildly here), has soft, downy brown feathers (the adult pigeons are brown here, unlike the grey ones we're used to in London) but it hasn't learned to fly yet. We looked up the atrium walls and for the first time noticed a nest on one of the window ledges. The bird had obviously gotten too near the edge and fell down.

On the floor of the atrium

See the nest on the window ledge?

I went upstairs to look at the nest more closely through the closed window and found another baby there about the same size, but as I watched that one flew up to the roof and away.

It doesn't seem hurt but I'm not sure what to do with it. Since it can't fly it'll die if it doesn't get any food. I don't want to pick it up and let it go out in the garden becuase the stray cats will undoubtedly kill it. Our maid Gina put some uncooked rice down for it but that hasn't been touched. I put out a small tray of water and scattered some of Dougie's rabbit food on the ground, which it has pecked at but not much. Next I tried a piece of bread, dry at one end and dipped in the water to soften it at the other, but he/she/it hasn't touched that.

Not eating

About an hour ago an adult pigeon flew down into the atrium and landed a few inches away. At least its Mum knows where it is. I wonder what she'll do: abandon it or bring it some food back?


Anyone got suggestions for what to feed it?