Found a pigeon that seemed drunk, then died 10 minutes later. Why?

Joined
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Found this pigeon down a dirt alley that was sat on floor doing nothing. We stopped to not scare it, but after about 30 seconds it started to roll its neck back in such a way I could only describe as a those it was possessed, and then it tried to fly, but into the ground.

After first I thought it looked totally drunk, as though its eaten some old fruit and now can't figure out anything.

It then puffed itself up, sat calm, and after another minute tried to fly away, but again just into the ground.

It's neck didn't seem broken, nor a wing (based on it trying to fly off and both wings flapping seemingly fine).

We decided to try put it in a pot we had, but was too small and the pigeon kept trying to walk off.

Knowing it was vulnerable we ended up picking it up and carrying it home, but again it started to have that possessed neck action going on so put it down and it did the floor flying thing.

Left it for the next 5 minutes. Breathing got heavy and it ended up taking once last breath and then drying.

Hoping someone might recognise this behaviour and the cause? I'm more curious than anything else.
 
Soldato
Joined
17 Jun 2010
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London
Poison, disease. Hard to say really, they’re pretty fragile things at the best of times and I’ve seen a few that look like they just sat down and expired vs your standard ‘cat got bored with it’. Wouldn’t pigeon-pie it.
 
Associate
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4 Jan 2020
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Flying rats, hopefully it's a new deterrent someone has released so more of them expire.
Seagulls should experience the same fate too, I swear those ******** are getting bigger and more brazen by the day.
 
Soldato
OP
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12 Feb 2006
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Surrey
Wow, that brings back memories. I think I remember watching Angry Kid clips on dial up!
I sure hated that show. People thought it was so funny they'd cry. Was terrible.

It probably watched Bidens last press conference and lost the will to live

Don't worry, Harris has already taken over. I have it on good authority.
 
Soldato
Joined
1 Nov 2008
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4,413
I sure hated that show. People thought it was so funny they'd cry. Was terrible.

It's weird to think it was apparently the same animation studio as Wallace and Grommet! I use to love Wallace and Grommet. I don't remember ever watching full episodes of Angry Kid though, maybe it was just the clips I saw? Who knows, I can't really remember that far back when I was in the midst of high school a couple of decades ago.
 
Soldato
Joined
21 Apr 2007
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6,590
I had a pet budgie die like this,

He was ill I woke up one morning booked vet appt but by time it came around he had pretty much has a seizure wasn't well then took last breath. Was all puffed up and
delirious.


Birds often hide illnesses really well until it's too late, it's to do with being a prey species. Most likely bacterial or viral infection or it had eaten poison. That's also possible.
 
Man of Honour
Joined
13 Oct 2006
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90,805
Chances are it either flew into a window, got hit by a car, poison.

Seen birds before take a good knock from a car and no obvious signs other than the loose feathers at the scene that it was hit then die after flapping about a bit.
 
Soldato
Joined
21 Apr 2007
Posts
6,590
Chances are it either flew into a window, got hit by a car, poison.

Seen birds before take a good knock from a car and no obvious signs other than the loose feathers at the scene that it was hit then die after flapping about a bit.

That too, could have flown into a window given itself a brain bleed. Pretty much anything really.
 
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