Baby homing pigeon Bella was bred for “dove release” but “set free” because of her/his black feathers & splayed legs. (See The Truth About Dove Releases & learn about culled pigeons*.)
Baby Bella
The helpless, two-week old nestling was left in a park and it’s a miracle she survived long enough to be rescued. A kind person knew she needed help and brought her to Napa Wildlife Rescue where they recognized she was domestic and contacted Palomacy. We said Yes to helping and began making arrangements to find her a foster home and get her to Medical Center for Birds for assessment.
Click to see Bella’s legs
While we worked on that, Napa Wildlife and WildCare worked together to get her x-rayed and her legs splinted into position underneath her. The radiograph showed folding fractures of the left radius and ulna, no fractures of the legs, the bones looked normal for her age, congenital tendon abnormalities suspected.
Vet tech Nick welcomes his new foster baby Bella
Tiny baby Bella is full of life
Dr. Rachel Baden chats with Bella
Bella’s feet are taped to a snowboard-style fixator
Brave sweet baby
Bella’s doing very well. She’s learning to self-feed and we’re monitoring her legs to correct them as much as possible. Her legs will likely always be a little wonky and special.
Bella will be an amazing indoor companion for the right Northern California adopter. Hurry and apply now for maximum squeaky baby-ness!
Perfect
Learn more about How to Welcome Pigeons Into Your Life
