Why Young Pigeon Not Flying But Runs Around – 12 Reasons

Flying issues are commonly seen in pigeons. A properly developed pigeon can refuse to fly and run around on the floor. That is not acceptable in any bird.

Come to the question, why young pigeon not flying but runs around? The possible causes of this problem may be an injury in the wings, tongue, or ear or an improper diet. Lack of interest and confidence also increases the tendency not to fly. Other health-related issues like illness, parasite attack, or growth-related problems can be the main cause.

That’s not the end. You can find out other problems and their solutions in this article. Walk through the article to learn more about the topic.

Young Pigeons Not Flying But Runs Around

There are many reasons why young pigeons are not willing to fly. Rather they like to run around while you set them free. If this happens, then your pigeon must fight with some major problem.

The flying issue may arise from the following problems:

Problem 1: Injury in Wing

The most common cause of a young pigeon not flying is an injury in the wing. It can be on both wings or in one wing. Injury on the wings is mostly caused while flying and suddenly bashing with trees, buildings, or other objects.

Or predators may chase. Injury may occur by it while running away. In that case, the young pigeon can not run for some days and only runs around.

Remedy:

Find the injury carefully.

• Take steps according to the severity of the injury.
• If it is not severely injured, contact the vet and seek a solution. The vet will prescribe some antibiotics with other medicine.
• If the injury is very severe, then immediately go to an expert animal doctor.

Finally, feed the injured bird and give it proper rest.

Problem 2: Injury in Tongue Area

This type of case is not commonly seen. But the loss of interest in flying can develop due to injury in the tongue, mouth, or beak area. This type of injury causes a temporary loss of interest in flying.

Remedy: 

Do not force your bird to fly. Rather go to an animal expert for a regular check-up. If any problem is diagnosed quickly, then no serious problem will appear.

Problem 3: Wrong Diet

Many pet owners love to feed their pets frequently. They thought eating a lot would make them healthy. That’s not a solution to staying healthy.

Giving a lot of rice products helps to develop many diseases and obesity. Moreover, they will develop nutritional deficiencies. These physical imbalances cause the pigeon to delay in flying.

Remedy: 

Avoid giving food frequently. Time-to-time feeding will solve this problem. A proper diet for pigeons will help them to fly.

Problem 4: Lack of Interest to Fly

Pigeons get a lot of affection from their owner. They always remain in proper care, timely feeding, and proper drinking water. So, they thought if they did not fly, there would be no problem for them. Besides, they feel secure in the home. So, they may develop a lack of interest in flying.

Remedy: 

Inspire your pet to fly. Flying helps to cut off the extra calories and stay fit. You should take it out from the shelter daily and practice flying.

Problem 5: Less Confidence in Flying

A newly young pigeon has to learn how to fly. While learning, they may get hurt or can not fly properly. Also, slow learners need more time to learn. This sometimes breaks down its confidence. So, the young pigeons try to avoid flying.

Remedy: 

By practicing more, it will get enough confidence to fly and only that can help it.

Problem 6: Fear of Predators

Predators are always ready to hunt their prey. The young pigeon who has got chased by the predator birds fears flying. They do not want to face the situation again. For this reason, young pigeons sometimes do not fly.

Remedy: 

Give it a safe place to fly, like the rooftop. Keep an eye on the bird for a few days and try to use some tricks to make the young bird fly.

Problem 7: Having Less Flying Feathers

Having fewer flying feathers creates problems in flying. Your pigeon may have grown fewer feathers. Fewer feathers do not help to maintain balance, and that discourages it from flying.

Remedy: 

Count the flying feathers. If there is less, wait till it regrows the feathers.

The following video on checking the pigeons’ feathers will help you to understand the issue. 

Problem 8: Lack of Vision

Due to nutrition deficiency, they may develop a lack of vision. Or there might be other problems related to vision that can hamper their flying process.

Remedy: 

A regular check-up can help you to find out that problem easily. If you are not doing that, then you should go to the vet.

Problem 9: Due to Vestibular Disease

There could be problems like vestibular disease or inner ear infection. If it occurs, then the pigeon will not be able to fly. It will keep its head upside down.

Remedy: 

This problem can be solved by an expert animal doctor. Though there are many avian antibiotics present, you should not give them to your pigeon without any consultation. If properly treated, your pigeon will fly quickly after treatment.

Problem 10: Due to Growth Related Problem

Growth can be a retarder for diet or genetics. Both of these problems will hamper its flying habit.

Remedy: 

If the problem is due to diet, then you should follow a good diet chart full of nutrients for your pet. If the problem is due to genetics, then pushing growth hormones can be a way to solve it. But before doing any of these, take advice from the vet.

Problem 11: Due to Parasite

Due to parasite attacks like paramyxovirus in pigeons, the flying tendency decreases. This parasite is easily transmitted to other birds and affects them. People also say that pigeons can transmit disease to humans.

Remedy: 

Specific treatment of paramyxovirus is not found. But some therapies are applied. Contact a vet as early as possible.

Problem 12: Due to Illness

Other health-related diseases also hamper flying. The signs of other illnesses are it will not eat properly, or the poop may be a little watery.

Remedy: 

Give the proper history of your pigeon to the vet and treat it quickly.

You should keep patience if you notice this type of problem. Be gentle with your pets and help them in facing difficult moments. That will help them to overcome problems easily.

If you’re interested in learning more about pigeon nutrition and diet, you might find our articles on do pigeons eat sunflower seeds and do pigeons eat worms helpful. Our article on do pigeons eat sunflower seeds explores the nutritional benefits of sunflower seeds for pigeons and how to incorporate them into their diet, while our article on do pigeons eat worms sheds light on whether worms are a suitable protein source for pigeons. Check them out to deepen your understanding of pigeon nutrition and diet.

FAQs

These are some frequently asked questions by people about problems related to the flying of pigeons.

Conclusion

A lot of causes are responsible for young pigeons not flying but running around. If the diet plan is based on only carbohydrates then this may cause fatigue. Your pigeon will not fly and only run around. Parasite attack is a common cause as it will develop illness and demotivate flying.

Vision problems, injury in the wing or tongue, or growth retardation are barriers to their daily habit. Your pigeon might grow with fewer flying feathers. In that case, you have to wait until they regrow. Only regular check-ups and proper care can fix the problems of the young pigeon.