Fables Friends Pigeon Rescue

My rescue specialises in pigeons and doves. They are my area of knowledge, experience and the species I am best equipped to care for.

That said, wildlife doesn't always fit neatly into categories. If there is no other option, I will also help songbirds, corvids and other wild birds, especially when it's an emergency. I work closely with some incredible rescues including Millie & the Moorhen Wildlife Rescue and Myrtle's Small Wild Garden Bird Rescue Coventry. We support each other wherever we can, whether that's taking pigeons from them, transferring birds to the rescue best suited to their needs, or stabilising an emergency patient until a space becomes available.

If I'm not the right person to help, I will always do my best to point you in the right direction. Other fantastic resources include Leicestershire Wildlife Hospital, along with wildlife-friendly vets such as The Animal House Veterinary Surgery and Pear Tree Vets.

Right now, every wildlife rescue I know is under immense pressure. Admissions are relentless. We're all running on adrenaline, little sleep and a determination to keep going.

The heat is taking a devastating toll. Baby birds are leaving nests too early or falling because they're struggling in the temperatures. Parent birds are finding it harder to forage enough food and water. Natural water sources are drying up, and we're seeing more birds arriving dehydrated, exhausted and fighting for their lives.

Every rescue is doing everything possible, and every single bird matters.

If you'd like to help, one of the simplest things you can do is leave shallow dishes of fresh water in your garden and keep them topped up during this hot weather. It really can save lives.

We're running super low in 20ml syringes, if anyone is able to help us out? 😇
Whilst we try to re-use where we can, especially plastics, the ones we have left are beginning to give up now!

These can be found on our wishlist here:https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/S3A9QA2QAOMO?ref_=wl_share

Thankyou so much!

We are also running low on Harrissons High potency Mash, Puppy Pads (as always!) and Avipro.

Thankyou again so much to all our supporters 🩶🤍💜

Over the past year, our little pigeon rescue has grown so much that we've outgrown our current setup.

To give all the birds the care they deserve, we're raising funds to transform our garden room into a dedicated Bird Hospital.

The new space will include a biosecure isolation area, dedicated treatment and recovery spaces, improved storage and specialist equipment, allowing us to care for more birds safely and efficiently.

If you're able to donate or simply share our fundraiser, it would mean the world to us, and to every bird whose life it helps save.

Thank you for your support.

Donate to Help Us Upgrade Our Bird Hospital Room, organized by Abbie Plant Every year we see more injured, sick and orphaned wild birds arrive needing urgent … Abbie Plant needs your support for Help Us Upgrade Our Bird Hospital Room

Thankyou for the donations this week! These are both absolute lifesavers, we get through so much disinfectant and always have used puppy pads coming out our ears so every single donation from our amazon wishlist helps us out so much!

If you'd like to donate to us, our wishlist can be found here:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/S3A9QA2QAOMO?ref_=wl_share

And also a HUGE thankyou to Georgina who sent us a £20 PayPal donation ❤️

I've been receiving lots of messages about young wood pigeons sitting on the ground in gardens. Most of the time, this is completely normal.

When wood pigeon fledglings leave the nest, they spend a few days on the ground or in low shrubs while they build their strength and learn to fly. During this time, their parents are still caring for them, feeding them regularly and keeping watch nearby, even if you don't immediately see them.

If the fledgling is bright, alert, fully feathered and has no obvious injuries, the best thing you can do is leave it exactly where it is. Admire it from a distance and let mum and dad do their job.

If you're worried about immediate danger, such as a busy path or road, you can move the youngster a very short distance into nearby cover, but always keep it within the area where it was found so its parents can still find it.

One thing I would really like to raise awareness of is that putting a healthy fledgling into a box, cage or shed to "keep it safe" can have devastating consequences. Although it comes from a place of kindness, the parents can no longer reach their baby to feed it.

I had a wood pigeon fledgling that came into us that was found perfectly healthy on the ground, but was placed into a rabbit cage to protect it from cats. By the time it arrived with me, it was dangerously underweight because its parents had been unable to feed it. I did everything I could, but it's body had completely shut down and it passed away overnight.

Please don't see this as criticism of the finder. They acted with the very best intentions, and many people simply don't realise how dependent fledglings still are on their parents.

If you have cats and there's a healthy fledgling in your garden, one of the kindest things you can do is keep your cats indoors for a day or two if possible. It gives the young bird the chance to strengthen its wings, get airborne and move up into the trees where it is much safer.

Knowing when not to intervene can be just as important as knowing when to help. Sometimes the greatest act of kindness is simply giving nature the space to do what it has evolved to do.

If you're ever unsure whether a young bird genuinely needs help, feel free to send me a message before picking it up. I'm always happy to advise.

Do we have any crochet wizards!? If so, we need your help!

We'd love to see if anyone could make us some nests for all the little babies we get in! From tiny little ones for little songbirds to larger ones for young pigeons, each and every one would be so beneficial to us, and we can also distribute others to other local rescues!

Nests that have sides that can be folded down to make them a bit more solid and hold their shape are usually the best ones!

Here's a little YouTube video that may help!
https://youtu.be/p5lZeJ22aDI?is=qLopEJ30IhlNUDJv

Two little ones today! A grounded swift and a little window strike goldfinch.

Both have gone to the absolutely incredible Millie at Millie & the Moorhen Wildlife Rescue who takes all the little birds for us and works absolute miracles. It's always so nice to be part of their journey, and we're also learning so much about the little ones at the same time so we can help them when Millie isn't available herself. ❤️

We'll always do our best to help all birds, and get them where they need to be, so please don't hesitate to contact us where needed!

Another couple of intakes today. Both, like yesterday's, are victims of cats.

Yesterday it was a young wood pigeon. Today it's an adult wood pigeon with a severe infection, and a baby blackbird.

This is one of the biggest challenges wildlife rehabilitators face. Even cats that are well fed and deeply loved still have a strong instinct to hunt. They don't do it because they're hungry, they're simply following their natural behaviour.

What many people don't realise is that even tiny puncture wounds from a cat's claws or teeth can be fatal. Cats carry bacteria in their mouths and on their claws that can cause overwhelming infections in birds and other small wildlife. A bird may fly away looking fine, only to become critically ill 24 to 48 hours later.

There are simple things cat owners can do that genuinely make a difference:
• Keep cats indoors around dawn and dusk when many birds are most active.
• During fledgling season, consider keeping cats indoors, or having a catio for a few weeks where possible, as young birds are especially vulnerable while learning to fly.
• Add a brightly coloured anti-predation collar cover, such as a Birdsbesafe collar cover, if your cat wears a collar.
• If your cat does bring home a bird or small mammal that is still alive, please don't assume it will recover on its own. It needs urgent wildlife rehabilitation or veterinary treatment, even if you can't see any injuries.

I know people love their cats, and this post isn't blaming them. Cats are simply being cats. But as owners, we have the responsibility to reduce the impact they have on our wildlife.

Three patients in two days, all because of cat attacks, is heartbreaking. Hopefully, by raising awareness, we can help prevent the next one.