Cascadia Pigeon Rescue

This little squeaker pigeon was found floating helpless in the freezing cold Sound. It was scooped out by an onlooker and was then attacked by crows for quite some time before the same onlooker realized this little guy was just not really going to get it together and gave me a call. It can’t fly yet and is unusually people-friendly. So… now we have Raven.

We received a referral from PAWS Wildlife Center about a domestic Eurasian collared dove yesterday. She’s a cat attack victim with a few puncture wounds on her back, but overall she’s surprisingly functional and in good spirits. She’s now on antibiotics and pain medication.

Cat bites and scratches can lead to serious, sometimes fatal infections in birds if left untreated, so we’ll be keeping a close eye on her. She’ll receive wound care, supportive care, and medication until she’s fully healed. In the meantime, she’s staying with one of our fosters who has several other doves to keep the new little one company.

We’re optimistic about her prognosis and expect her to make a full recovery. ❤️

Sorry, I probably only spent about a split second trying to photograph her because I was focused on getting her situated—you’ll have to take my word for it that she is super cute!

Sticky Pete—one of yesterday’s admits! Scissor beak, pretty skinny, sticky substance all over feet and belly and beak, needed a wash and a beak trim and some food. Sooooo sweet and cuddly—definitely at least partially imprinted. Very easy to handle. Adoptable as soon as we get some testing done and make sure he’s healthy 🙂

Please meet Thighmaster! He is being checked out and treated for any illnesses and parasites and will then be up for adoption.

There is no evidence that the previous owner is trying to locate him. Sometimes when birds don’t meet a breeder’s standards or continually get ill they don’t want to bother with them anymore so they toss them outside. It’s possible that this was the case here.

Thank you to the finder Kim (her mentioning is disabled) who found him, took him in, cared for him and kept him alive, and really put in the footwork to make sure he got somewhere safe!

Thighmaster is a Modena pigeon, historically bred for meat and utility and present-day bred to be fancy show birds. This guy will make a good pet. We insist that he have a pigeon friend if he’s going to be adopted, for the sake of his mental and emotional wellbeing ❤️

Balereon the Dread’s feet before and after destringing—this is a more severe case. Giving a few details in case it’s helpful to anyone learning about stringfoot and treating it.

The “hallux” is the backwards facing toe on a pigeon’s foot.

The “tarsometatarsus” is the long bone in between the ankle or “hock” (backwards bird false knee—where you’d think their knee would be) and the toes, which is commonly referred to as their foot. It’s basically fused bones from the lower part of the ankle and the upper part of the foot but that all happens in the embryo and it functions as a single long bone in an adult pigeon. Anyway I’m making this confusing and this isn’t an anatomy lesson so how do I communicate where the TMT is. Look at a pigeon leg. See the long bone that looks like it maybe should be called a “shin” or a “tibia” on a human, right below the backwards leg joint where a human knee would go forward? That’s the bone I’m talking about!

String was wrapped around the lower tarsometatarsus (TMT) on one leg and around many toes causing deep circumferential strictures and leading to necrosis in one hallux (which had to be removed).

I used surgical scissors and needle nosed tweezers to remove the string from the deep crevices they had sunk into all across her feet and leg. I also removed all dead crust and tissue, which can act as a tourniquet just like the string.

In many areas, hair is even more commonly found wrapped around pigeon feet than string—please throw your hair away in the trash!

After destringing and debriding, I soaked the affected areas in chlorhexidine solution for a bit, patted dry gently with a clean towel and let her air dry completely.

For the bandage, we put plain neosporin (no pain relief or funny business) on the TMT (tarsometatarsus) stricture (actually spread it on the bandage instead of into the crevice), covered with nonstick pad and then a layer of elastikon over that.

We took her to the vet to check everything out and have the necrotic hallux amputated.

She also got a boot on her other foot and we’ve straightened out the hallux. I’ll get into how to make boots another time, or feel free to ask and I’ll explain.

We will put a boot on the foot with the TMT stricture once the wound on the TMT and the amputation site where the hallux was heal and close as they get in the way of making a functional boot and booting the foot in THIS case isn’t an emergency (sometimes it is a little more urgent). We want to boot once healed to try and flatten out nerve-damaged toes (common issue with stringfoot).

We have been changing bandages every few days and changing boots about once a week unless sooner is necessary. When I change bandages I thoroughly check every wound and structure for crusts that can be removed to facilitate healthy blood flow and healing of wound crevices created originally by string.

She was prescribed Meloxicam (for pain), Gabapentin (for pain), and Clavamox (an antibiotic, warranted here for necrosis and bone involvement). We are hoping she gets to where she can walk normally! Things are healing up nicely so far 🕊️✨

Medical Foster Volunteers Needed — No Medical Background Required

Cascadia Pigeon Rescue is looking for compassionate, dependable medical foster volunteers interested in helping pigeons with active rehabilitation or medical needs.

These birds are recovering from injuries or illness and need attentive, structured care while they heal. Medical foster volunteers provide supportive daily care and administer prescribed treatments as directed by avian veterinarians and rescue coordinators—they are not expected to diagnose conditions or practice veterinary medicine (unless you are, in fact, an avian veterinarian).

No prior medical or bird experience is required. We teach you everything you need to know and provide guidance and support throughout the process.

Medical fostering is one of the most meaningful ways to directly change an animal’s life, but it does require consistency, communication, and attention to detail.

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What medical fostering may involve

Some birds require daily medications, scheduled observation, or multiple check-ins throughout the day while recovering. Reliability and communication are essential, as these birds depend on consistent care while they heal.

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Location and transport considerations

Cascadia Pigeon Rescue is centered in Seattle, and for birds with active medical or rehabilitation needs we generally prefer medical foster volunteers located:

• No further north than Everett
• No further east than Redmond
• No further south than Olympia

If you are located west of Seattle, you must be able to drive or take a ferry to the mainland to meet for transfers or appointments.

Being outside this range does not automatically rule you out. We simply need to talk together about logistics and what will work best.

Because the veterinarians we work with most frequently are located in Bothell, Maple Valley, and Tacoma, volunteers who live farther away may be matched with birds who have lower-maintenance medical needs or birds needing temporary or permanent homes that do not require frequent vet visits. Being able to assist with transportation can make placement much easier if you are located farther from Seattle.

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What we’re looking for

Medical foster volunteers should have:

• Excellent attention to detail
• Enthusiasm and a genuine drive to learn
• Comfort asking questions when unsure
• The ability to carefully follow care instructions
• Time to clean cages daily and monitor bird health
• Space for a 42–48 inch cage or crate
• Either no dogs/cats/parrots, or enough space to give foster pigeons their own separate room (a spare room, laundry room, or bathroom works perfectly)

Bonus (not required):

• A car and valid driver’s license
• Ability and availability to transport birds to veterinary appointments when needed (sometimes weekly, sometimes only every several weeks depending on the bird)

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A very important reassurance

You will never be placed with a bird beyond your comfort level or experience.

We carefully match medical foster volunteers with birds appropriate to their skills, experience, and availability. You will not be left in an overwhelming or overly complex situation.

If fostering ever becomes too much, we will always take the bird back. There is no guilt or pressure — the goal is a sustainable, positive experience for both you and the bird.

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Experience

A background in animal rescue, wildlife rehabilitation, veterinary medicine, or human healthcare is a welcome bonus but absolutely not required. It may simply provide a little more initial comfort with rehabilitation work.

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What we provide

• The opportunity to directly help injured pigeons heal and recover, with guidance from experienced rescuers and veterinary professionals
• Hands-on rehabilitation skills you can build on over time
• The satisfaction of doing something tangible and meaningful to help an animal heal
• A welcoming community of kind, supportive people involved in bird rescue and rehabilitation, including a Signal group chat and optional social gatherings
• All necessary supplies provided if needed. If you are able to contribute materials it is appreciated, but dedication to the birds is all that is required.

Many of our medical foster volunteers begin with one bird and discover a lasting passion for pigeon rescue.

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If you are interested in becoming a medical foster volunteer or would like to learn more, please comment or send us a message at Cascadia Pigeon Rescue or Christina Gravalis (sometimes people aren’t able to message the rescue directly for some reason but Christina Gravalis is the executive director and will be happy to talk to you) and tell us a little about yourself!

The images are of Woo Woo Magoo on intake and a few days ago feeling much better!

Meet Clementine! Like many of us, Clementine prefers to spend 10-12 hours in front of the tv and the rest of her time eating. When asked what she was looking for in a forever home, Clem said, “I’ve been feeling unfulfilled. It’s like watching tv all day is making me miserable. So, I guess I’d like to find somewhere with a bigger tv.”

Clementine is blind in one eye, making her a great candidate for anyone self conscious about the left side of their face. Please reach out if you would like to know more!

Meet Tuppence (four year old female) and Shoshana (five year old male). The pair met early on in their careers and have grown to depend on each other. Tuppence's (Tuppy) distinct black and white coloration and youthful naivete have made her a Hollywood darling.

Shoshana, on the other hand, is over 600 grams of raw power. Junior, a friend of Shoshana, stated, "Man, he's a king pigeon. We were all worried he wouldn't settle down. All he did was eat nuts and watch tv. But now look at him! He finally found a wife--and a famous one at that--who loves him for his ornery self."

Tuppence is looking for a penthouse suite with room for her to stretch her wings and a Pilates studio if possible. Shoshana prefers somewhere he can stream the game while still being able to hear Tuppy if she calls.

Please reach out to us if you have any leads! These two are truly a special pair.

This is Jenny Sonâmbula Yang’s first bird with string foot that she helped!

If you are in the Seattle area, one of our volunteers can get you set up with a string foot kit. Helping a bird with string foot can take as little as ten minutes and can save pigeons from infection and toe loss.