Guest Post by Jill Shepard and Heather Hohlowski

I sat down with Co-Director Jill Shepard to talk to her about a recently rescued pigeon, brought to Palomacy with a unique beak injury.

Heather: How did Coral make his way to Palomacy?
Jill: Coral was brought to Ohlone Wildlife by someone who feeds a feral cat colony nearby. He (I think Coral is male) was found close to where she feeds them. He was very thin and had an obvious beak injury.

How did he get this beak injury? And have you seen an injury like this before?
Palomacy has seen some pretty traumatic beak issues. Some are possibly congenital, like scissor beak. This one clearly was caused by impact. His bottom jaw was split in two and very unstable.

What has the treatment been and how has he progressed?
We have been working closely with Dr. Holly Galusha. Coral’s progress has involved lots of time, medications for pain management, antibiotics, support through gavage feeding, and debriding. I think he has PTSD from the pain. Beaks are very vascular and have a lot of nerve endings. He must have suffered a great deal while he waited for someone to find him.

Did he have a band? Any idea how old he is?
No band. He’s an adult for sure, and I don’t think he’s very old, but that’s just a guess.

Is he eating on his own?
He’s not self feeding yet! We have a system where I pinch a seed between my finger and thumb and he grabs it. He also can pick up individual seeds out of my palm. We are still working toward self-feeding and I think one day he will be.

What’s his personality like?
He is persistent. He doesn’t give up. He’s a confident bird.

Will he be available for adoption and will he need special accommodations as a companion pigeon?
Yes, he will be able to be adopted. But he will definitely need lots and lots of time spent with him. He’s very social – as all pigeons are. He’s such a wonderful inspiration.

How does he get along with other pigeons?
Good! He lives in the aviary and defends his shelf and flirts with the other birds. I go out there at least twice daily, and sit in a chair and feed him. It’s my favorite time of day. And he’s even doing outreach events with me now! He is a wonderful ambassador of what Palomacy is all about!