I accidentally ran over a pigeon...insane story

I slowed down bc there was a pigeon in the road in my apartment complex. So I slowed down to a a crawl thinking that the pigeon would fly away like most birds. This one didn't! And apparently I ran it over and broke its leg or something! Anyone who knows me knows I am such an animal lover, so I felt horrible!

So I stopped the car and go out to see if the bird was okay. It wasnt but it was still alive. So I called the bird hospital in our town. They said they couldn't take wildlife, and referred me to a Boston area wildlife hospital. I called them and together we figured out it must have been a racing pigeon based on the tags on its feet. People own these pigeons, usually in large numbers, and send them out on adventures. Sometimes they get disoriented and don't return. Idk if this one was sick or what bc it didn't run swat when my car got near.

Anyhow, the bird was in over venous distreess based on its breathing and it passed away while I was on the phone with the hospital. Poor thing. So I got a plastic bag that I had in my car and picked it up and placed I tinder a tree.

Then I went online, like the lady at the wildlife hospital suggested, to type in the numbers on the tags that were on the birds feet. At least I was able to notify the owner.

Such a sad story, right? But who hits nd kills someone's pet pigeon? Only I would-what horrible luck! Poor bird.

now that IS a Seinfeld episode. You and George Costanza. But then his pigeon gets eaten by a hawk in Kramer's apartment. "We have a deal with the pigeons!"

RIP, birdy.
But hey, at least you didn't run over a dog. My mom did that once.

That is a sad story. I was driving once and there were 3 squirrels in the street. I checked traffic and there were no cars in front or to the side but there were cars behind me. I couldn't stop so I did my best to avoid them. I looked back after I'd passed and all three had managed to run directly under my wheels.

Aw that's so sad about the squirrels. An yes! I'm glad it wasn't a dog- idk if I coulda handled that!

Sienfeld episode- for sure! Poor little guy

Doggiedo, I'm sorry. What a kind thing you did by contacting the owner.

Aw doggie these things happen - but good for you for trying to get it the help it needed and calling its owner...if only more people were so conscientious as for squirrels - did anyone hear that story recently where that little girl buried a dead one and contracted Bubonic plague poor thing will probably never go near animals again...

((doggiedo)) - so sorry this happened, but this shows what a responsible and caring person you are. I'm very impressed how you handled this. Birds are so silly sometimes, the way they play chicken with cars. We have a lot of geese in our area and they act like they own the road. They walk across the street whenever they feel like it and have no fear of cars lol. You went above and beyond what others would do and its great to know you're so compassionate.

I don't think pigeons are the smartest birds in the air......they move slowly like the turtle doves in the first place, but are even more STUPID than the turtle doves.

You handled the situation so caringly.....I think it's so important to stop & care for an animal/bird if it's not dead but injured. Can't stand to see any creature suffer without at least our trying to do what ever is possible.

Just a comment on the intelligence of pigeons:
A group of us from where I worked drove to down town Los Angeles for a yummy Mexican burrito lunch. While standing there ordering our lunch, there was a pigeon in the street.....& the bus that was SLOWLY driving along ended up running over the dumb pigeon that didn't move a bit while the bus was slowly coming at it.

But then any bird who gets scared off by a fake owl sitting on a roof can't be all that smart. Pigeons can be very pretty & I think if safely kept as pets & cared for are nice.....but so many have gone wild & just roost where ever they become used to roosting in groups not owned by anyone (unlike the banded one you sadly hit).......

Guess there is that saying.....survival of the fittest. Those pigeons who do survive just do because they don't land someplace where it's not save.

Five years ago when I was driving back to my farm for Christmas & picking up my daughter at the airport on the way, the car in front of us hit a cat that was crossing the street. They didn't stop. The cat was seriously injured but drug itself off as fast as possible with it's front legs into the bushes. I pulled over my truck & horse trailer & my daughter & I took a blanket & went after the cat. I found the local humane society & contacted them to bring in the cat. Knew if possible they would care for it or put it down so it wouldn't be in pain. It's back was broken/fractured & there was nothing they could do for the cat....but at least we cared enough to do what we could & not allow the cat to suffer.

So often I have come to a screeching halt trying to avoid hitting a turtle dove that's soooooo slow in taking off from sitting in the street. One time my little eskie dog who was leisurely laying in the passenger seat ended up on the floor when I stopped for a dang turtle dove......but I do the same thing for squirrels & rabbits & ground hogs.

Will never forget one time driving to Mammoth to go skiing for the weekend, we were driving at night....there was a jack rabbit with it's really LONG ears sitting in the highway......it just kept sitting there luckily as we drove with tires on either side.....he was still sitting there in the tail lights after we drove past....but I'm sure his ears got singed.

I keep my eyes scanning the sides of the road constantly far in front of me for any movement & slow down if I see any movement at all so I can stop if necessary. Only thing I have ever hit was a chipmunk & a bird flew into the front of my truck. I am sooooooo careful when it comes to animals, birds or anything else in the road.....even dodging already hit animals.

Mind you......I live in the country......however my friend lives in the outskirts of the city.....the other night while driving home from her apartment in my LARGE truck, I caught movement & then waddling across the road in front of my truck went a skunk......I stopped way back so that it wouldn't even think twice that I might be a threat. The smell of skunk is a bad trigger for my migraines even with the pain med I'm on.....so I was definitely NOT about to get my truck sprayed. I don't know what causes the skunks around my farm to decide in the middle of the night to let go with their odor.....but many times around 3am, when I have my windows open, the strong odor of skunk comes wafting into my windows.....enough to make me SICK & like I said....really triggers my migraines

We started calling my husband the bird god a few years ago because birds seemed to like sacrifice themselves to him whenever he is driving. You'd think it would be hard to actually hit a bird with a car, but my husband has managed it quite a few times over the years.

Life---
You hit one 4 years ago, and here I am in 2016, ran over a pigeon. I got home and all along was thinking, that was a bird, birds usually fly off.

When i felt my front right tire run over, i was OMG. hadnt the pigeon flown off.
I stopped and got out. there were two other birds that came onto the road and were trying to lift this dead bird off. a taxi coming my way swerved and kept on rolling. for me, time had stopped. i went and picked up the dead bird and laid it by the side. and drove away.
have hit people when i was drivin high, hav had cops pick me up after i overturnd my car but never in 37 years kill a living being accidentally
shud hav stayed home today as usual, instead i thot to meet up a friend and family for lunch.
that pigeon wud still have been flying now if i hadnt felt like socializing.
Read the posts, idk whether the bird was disoriented, poisoned, or wtever...
but realized again, life is just that, there now, gone next sec... some ahole decided to socialize on a weekend

Pidgeons aren't exactly the brightest birds around & slower than all get out. They are the C130 of the bird world.

When I first graduated from the university I worked at a computer company in Westwood Ca. The UCLA college town. A group of us enjoyed taking a long lunch once in awhile to go to downtown Los Angeles for authentic Mexican food. Pigeons are all over the place there. A bunch landed in the street. Most took off when the bus headed down the street but one was too busy wandering & got hit by the bus. I felt horrible but sometimes there is nothing that can be done.

I have had birds fly right into my truck. No way of avoiding some things that happen.

I always STOP for animals. Squirrels, possums, raccoons, birds, snapping turtles, cattle & deer. One possum I stayed stop for a long time..late at night on a dangerous road, I didn't get out & with my big truck couldn't see the surrounding road well. Somehow it managed to be under my tire when I started slowly to move. Sad..I hate when it happens.

I stopped for a squirrel the other morning in front of my house. I even opened my window & told his to stay out of the street. Later that night, I noticed that he was dead, in the same area I had stopped for him earlier. I hate loosing our native creatures to accidents but some things just can't be avoided no matter how hard we try.

I had birds sit on my old transformer. They would short it out, knock out my electricity & end up killing themselves. My electric company came out & put up a new one that was NOW designed to protect birds & squirrels. I was glad they did that..protect the critters & stop having my house electricity shorted out.

I once saw a homeless person kick a pigeon.

Callie:
My boyfriend (Jamie) and I were on our way home from a night out. Jamie was driving along a narrow country road and suddenly a large rat ran out in front of us. Jamie swerved a bit then stopped the car.
I got out of the car and put my torch on from my phone.I moved the rat with my boot to see if it was ok unfortunately the rat’s back legs were crushed.
The poor rat looked in pain I got back into the car and said to Jamie we be best putting it out of its misery it’s in a bad way. We both love animals but it was for the best. I told Jamie to reverse backwards over the rat which he did it was so sad but felt we did the right thing.

Was it a big rat or a small possum? Many people have mistaken our local possums for rats.

I have a good acquaintance in town that is our wildlife rehab. She takes injured animals & if possible nurses them back to health then soft releases them back into nature.

I am sure the mommy raccoon that came to my farm looking for food while nursing her 5 babies had been a rescue because she is used to humans & gently takes food from my hand. Things like bunches of grapes & bread. I tend to do the rescue thing first then determine how bad off they are.

Pigeon soup for my tea. Yuck! But I'm sure you never meant to run it over, so it's fine.