Continuing
with the story of the sick pigeon I discovered on Valentines' Day
2016, it kept trying, but failing, to pick up and consume the seeds.
At this point I realized it might be about to vomit, if poisoned.
In
the past I learned that a magpie or pigeon behaves thus - failing to eat or to take
an interest in eating altogether, standing fairly still, shaking its
head or rolling its neck. Suddenly, it regurgitates and spits out a
bug or food item that disagreed with it - in Australia, this was
often a sprayed cockroach.
The
other alternative was a worse scenario - that it had a throat disease
that pigeons sometimes get struck by. This disease has proved fatal
in 2-3 of our show pigeons that we housed upon the roof of our former
home.
I
waited. Another wood pigeon landed on the sill and attempted to peck
the sick bird. I was not having this behavior, so stood close to the
sill. The sick bird remained, but the well one flew away. The sick
bird had obviously chosen my windowsill as a place of comfort, so I
gave it Buddhist blessings and Medicine Buddha mantras...
The
other bird returned, but before I could return to the sill it pecked the
sick pigeon who then fell to the ground. I shot downstairs and outdoors
and scooped it up in a plastic tray and placed it in the alleyway
where it would be safe from predator or brotherly attack. I placed a bowl
of water and some seed nearby and left to go to work.
I
returned less than an hour later to find the pigeon had shuffled out
from the tray and was standing still nearby, its beak lowered to the
ground. I realized it was dying...
I
popped out to the village shop, and when I got back thought the bird
was dead - but when I recited Medicine Buddha mantras it raised its
head, opened its eye, and looked at me. The next time I checked on
it, an hour or so later, it really was dead.
HEREare the results for 2016...
Well, that's a very sad story. But it's nice that you were able to give it some comfort and protection in its final hours-- that's something that most animals in the wild don't ever have.
ReplyDeleteI wonder why the other bird was pecking at it. Is that what birds normally do to other birds when they're sick? Some species, like elephants, take care of their fellows when they get sick.
it recognised death/weakness - and was being greedy. Pigeons may look after their own mate, and young if they have any, but otherwise its 'me, me, MY beak n belly...'
ReplyDeleteYikes.
ReplyDelete