Finding an injured dove can be a sad yet hopeful experience. While seeing a dove struggle with a broken wing may seem tragic, you actually have the opportunity to help it recover. Doves are gentle creatures that symbolize peace, love and hope. With the proper care and rehabilitation, an injured dove can heal its wing and fly again. This brings up the important question: What should you do if you find a dove with a broken wing? Here are some quick answers, followed by more detailed steps:
Quick Answers:
– Safely contain the dove in a ventilated box or pet carrier.
– Handle the bird gently, without pressure on the wings.
– Offer the dove water and wild bird seed mix.
– Keep it in a quiet, warm spot away from other pets.
– Contact a wildlife rehabilitator or avian vet right away.
– Follow their guidance on splinting/bandaging the wing.
– Support recovery with cage rest, a nutritious diet and careful monitoring.
– After several weeks, assess if the dove can be released back to the wild.
Assess the Dove’s Condition
If you find a dove with an injured wing, the first step is to quickly assess its condition. Look for any blood or protruding bones, which would indicate an open fracture. Also check if the bird is able to flutter the wing at all. Can it grip your finger or perch with its feet? Does it seem alert and reactive? These are signs that the injury may involve only a sprain or closed fracture. Less responsive doves with bloody, dangling wings likely have more severe fractures or additional trauma. Understanding the extent of injury will guide next steps. Keep an eye out for any head trauma as well.
Contain the Dove Safely
You’ll need to contain the dove in a way that restricts movement of the broken wing, while avoiding further injury. For larger doves, use a pet carrier or ventilated box lined with a soft towel. Smaller doves can be safely held in two cupped hands or a makeshift “sling” from a t-shirt. Always support the body fully and never restrict breathing. Avoid putting pressure directly on the injured wing. If needed, gently fold the wing against the body to prevent dragging. The dove may struggle at first but should calm down once contained. Keep it in a quiet space away from pets, noise and commotion.
Hydration and Nutrition
An injured dove needs access to hydration and nutrition right away. Provide a shallow dish of fresh water inside the cage or carrier. Tap water is fine. Doves eat a mix of seeds, grains, greens and fruit. Offer a bowl of wild bird seed mix, available at most pet stores. Scatter some on the floor as well. Adding diced fruit and greens provides needed vitamins and minerals. Dove-friendly options include apples, melon, kale, spinach and broccoli florets. Feed a high quality wild bird diet until the dove can forage again.
Warmth and Safety
Doves should be kept at warm, stable temperatures during rehabilitation. Ideal ambient temperature is 75-85° F. Place a heating pad or hot water bottle underneath half of the enclosure, allowing the dove to move on and off. Monitor to ensure the space doesn’t overheat. Keep the cage in a quiet room sheltered from drafts and direct sunlight. Make sure other pets can’t disturb the dove while its wing heals. Check on it frequently the first 48 hours to ensure it’s eating, drinking and resting. Contact a vet immediately if you see any decline.
Veterinary Care
While first aid can be given at home, a dove with a broken wing requires veterinary care as soon as possible. Contact a vet familiar with avian rehabilitation. They will x-ray the wing to determine type of fracture, prescribe pain medication if needed, and properly splint or wrap the wing in place. Expert wing bandaging is extremely important to allow fractures to align and heal correctly. Inquiries can be made to wildlife rehabilitators as well, since they often work closely with avian vets. Don’t try to splint the wing yourself. Transport the dove carefully in a secured box or carrier.
Fracture Healing
A dove’s wing fracture takes 2-6 weeks to fully heal, depending on severity. The avian vet will advise on next steps for monitoring recovery. This often involves cage rest, with little flight activity or use of the injured wing. Some fractures heal in a natural position without much intervention. More unstable breaks require a vet visit every 1-2 weeks to replace wrapping and check alignment. If the fracture doesn’t heal straight initially, the wing bone may need to be re-broken and set. Physical therapy exercises will help strengthen the wing once the fracture has closed and stabilized. Signs of healing include new feather growth and the dove becoming more mobile.
Potential Complications
Some fractures carry a higher risk for complications. A break high on the humerus bone near the shoulder risks restricted blood flow. This type of injury may require pins or implants. Open compound fractures have the greatest chance of infection and healing disruption. Punctures to the chest cavity can result in dangerous air sac or lung injuries. Head trauma brings concussion risks. Young, growing doves with fractures may develop deformities. Nerve damage can sometimes prevent the wing from functioning normally again. Seeing an avian vet promptly gives the best chance for recovery.
Releasing the Dove Back to the Wild
The goal is to return a rehabilitated dove back to the wild once it can fly securely and feed itself again. Assess flight skills in a large enclosed space. The dove should be able to take off, maneuver and land smoothly without struggle. Test its ability to spot, grasp and hull seeds, retaining its foraging skills. Release at the original site you found the dove once it passes these checks. If the location is unknown, pick a suitable habitat. Set the carrier down outdoors and allow the dove to fly out on its own when ready. This is a touching moment, watching the dove spread its healed wings and fly off fully recovered back to freedom.
Provide Ongoing Care if Needed
Some doves sustain severe enough injuries that they can’t be returned to the wild. This may involve permanent disability or wing amputation. In these cases, the dove can still lead a fulfilling life as an education or companion animal. Work closely with your avian vet on next steps. They can help identify facilities equipped for special needs doves. With proper permitting, some rehabilitators or individuals are able to provide permanent homes after this type of intensive care and rehabilitation.
Preventing Window Collisions
Birds frequently fracture wings by flying into windows. This often occurs near bird feeders or reflective buildings. To prevent collisions, hang silhouettes or strips of reglective tape spaced closely on glass. Keep feeders less than 3 feet or over 30 feet from windows. Drawing non-reflective lines or dots on glass can also deter birds. Install external screens or lightweight netting if possible. Closing curtains helps but doesn’t eliminate reflections. Reduce strikes by making windows more visible to birds with these inexpensive, do-it-yourself deterrents.
Conclusion
Discovering an injured dove can be upsetting, but you have the power to help it recover. With emergency containment, veterinary care, appropriate rehabilitation and patience, many doves can fly again after a broken wing. Even severe injuries may still allow the dove to lead a full life through rescue and sanctuary placement. Have compassion, gain expertise and work diligently, and you can successfully transition a wounded dove back to health and freedom. The fortunate dove you aided serves as inspiration to care for all vulnerable creatures.
Key Steps If You Find a Dove with a Broken Wing:
Step | Action |
---|---|
1 | Gently contain the dove in a ventilated box or pet carrier. Don’t put pressure on the injured wing. |
2 | Provide water and wild bird seed mix for nutrition. |
3 | Keep the dove warm and sheltered in a safe, quiet space. |
4 | Contact a wildlife rehabilitator or avian vet immediately. |
5 | Transport the dove carefully for professional veterinary care. |
6 | Follow guidance for properly splinting or wrapping the broken wing. |
7 | Support the dove’s recovery with cage rest and a nutrient-rich diet. |
8 | Monitor healing progress each week with vet check-ups. |
9 | Assess flight skills before returning the dove to the wild. |
10 | Provide lifelong sanctuary care if the dove remains disabled. |
Items Needed for Temporary Dove Care:
Supply | Purpose |
---|---|
Pet carrier or ventilated box | Safe containment |
Heating pad or bottle | Maintain proper temperature |
Wild bird seed mix | Nutrition and hydration |
Water dish | Access to water |
Towels | Line enclosure for comfort |
Hotline numbers | Contact rehabilitator and vet |
Quiet room | Reduce stress |
Daily calendar | Track healing progress |
Large flight space | Test flying ability before release |