Why Parys WADER does not admit pigeons and doves

A clear boundary helps us protect the birds in our care and direct every rescue to the right place

When someone finds an injured Speckled Pigeon, Laughing Dove, Cape Turtle Dove, or another pigeon or dove, our refusal to admit the bird can feel confusing. After all, Parys WADER is a bird rehabilitation facility. Why would we turn away a bird that needs help?

We do not admit pigeons or doves because they fall outside our wetland focus and because our facility is not equipped to manage the particular health risks this group can bring into mixed-species care. This is not a judgement on their value. It is a boundary that helps us protect the birds already depending on us and direct each rescue to more suitable care.

Why the Speckled Pigeon is not a wetland bird

Parys WADER specialises in indigenous birds that live in, around, or depend on wetlands. We ask three simple questions when deciding whether a species falls within our intake focus:

Does the bird normally live on water?
Does it normally live along the edge of water?
Does it rely on wetlands for important activities such as hunting, nesting, roosting, or moving through the landscape?

Finding a bird near a river, dam, or marsh does not automatically make it a wetland bird. Every bird drinks water, and many land birds bathe or feed on dry ground close to wetlands. We look at how the species normally lives, not only at the place where one injured bird happened to be found.

Speckled Pigeons naturally use rocky cliffs, grasslands, farms, gardens, towns, and cities. Buildings provide high ledges and protected spaces similar to the cliffs they would use in the wild. They mainly eat seeds and grain, and they nest on sheltered ledges or in cavities. They may visit water to drink or bathe, but they do not live on it, feed along its edge, or depend on wetlands for nesting.

For these reasons, the Speckled Pigeon fits none of our three intake categories. Our non-admission policy applies to every pigeon and dove species. A rescue location tells us where an accident happened; it does not necessarily tell us which habitat the species needs.

Why admission can put other birds at risk

Biosecurity means preventing diseases and parasites from moving between birds, people, rooms, equipment, food, and water. It is one of the most important parts of wildlife rehabilitation, although the public rarely sees it.

Pigeons and doves can carry infections such as avian pox, pigeon paramyxovirus, and trichomonosis, as well as lice, pigeon flies, and intestinal worms. Some spread through droppings, dust, shared water, feed, hands, clothing, bowls, towels, carriers, or cleaning equipment. Trichomonosis can also reach birds of prey when they eat infected pigeons or doves.

This does not mean that every pigeon is sick. A bird may look healthy and still carry an infection, or stress may cause signs to appear only after it enters care. South African veterinarians have confirmed avian pox in a young Speckled Pigeon, while current local research shows pigeon paramyxovirus circulating among pigeons and doves. We cannot judge the risk from appearance alone.

Parys WADER is a small and growing facility. We do not have unlimited isolation rooms, separate air systems, diagnostic funds, equipment, or staff. Our sinks, laundry areas, food-preparation spaces, cleaning routines, and volunteers connect different parts of the facility. One infection could move far beyond a single enclosure, while an out-of-scope bird could occupy the isolation space needed for a waterbird within our mandate.

If an infection entered the facility, we might have to stop admissions, delay releases, arrange testing, replace supplies, and spend days on deep cleaning. Good rehabilitation therefore requires us to understand our limits. Trying to care for every species would not make us more compassionate; it would make our existing patients less safe.

The right care is still available

Pigeons and doves still deserve humane care. Speckled Pigeons are native African birds that eat seeds, move nutrients through the landscape, and provide prey for native raptors. Their success around people may make them seem ordinary, but common does not mean worthless.

If you find an injured pigeon or dove, please do not bring it to Parys WADER. We do not admit these species or offer emergency stabilisation for them. Contact our hotline on 0649635386, and we will put you in touch with another rehabilitator who can assist.

Referral is part of responsible rehabilitation. It protects the wetland birds already in our care and gives the rescued pigeon or dove a better chance of reaching someone equipped to help it.

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