Juvenile Woodpigeon- Neurological Issue? (1 Viewer)

[maplekong]

Just wanted to share this, we have a woodpigeon nest, and one of the babies hatched- we found a neatly decapitated eggshell under the tree the nest is in. This juvenile is very dumb- nothing else can describe it. I am worried it has neurological issues and am not sure if it will survive- there are cats everywhere on this street. Woodpigeons are rather clumsy, sometimes dim birds, but this one is on a whole new level. It perched on a rubbish bin, and ignored me and my two sisters, who were standing about two metres away and shouting at it (my sisters, not me). Yesterday, I picked up a couple of pieces of tiny gravel, and threw them one by one past the woodpigeon, who was perched above me. I shouted at it, clapped my hands, banged the garden gate, and threw a stick up into the tree, where it hung a few branches away from the woodpigeon. I gradually progressed to larger rocks, one of which fell down and made a loud banging sound on the lid of the bin.

After around 20 more endeavours to see if it was dead and just somehow perched there, I gave up and went home after my mother, who was two floors above me, asked what all the noise was. It did not give a peep. Didn't move, even crane its head to see what was going on, shuffle slightly, or do anything.

Is this normal? I've tried my best to describe how loud I was, and how close the rocks were, but believe me I scared away everything within a ten-mile radius when that large rock dropped onto the bin lid. I was careful not to hit it though, plus my aim is the worst, so the bird was in no danger of being hit.

Edit- it must be more than a week old, I thought it would have some basic instincts by now.