Dead Dove In Garden

[Tilly2]

I went out earlier to pick up a dead dove which was lying on the lawn with wings outspread.

Its eyes were still open. I would have felt better about putting it in the bin if its eyes had been closed. Why did its eyes not close?

[hc4361]

Eyes don't close automatically on death. If they're open at the point of death they stay open

[jno]

people's eyes don't close, do they? That's why relatives in films are always closing the eyes themselves, or weighting them down with old pennies. But I can't think of any physiological reason why they'd be self-closing if the owner didn't choose to shut them while still alive.

[Tilly2]

I didn't realise that, hc. Thank you.

[Tilly2]

You'd think that when everything shuts down, the muscles in the eyelids would shut down too and the eyes would close.

[jno]

I hope it didn't fall out of a cartoon - is there a label saying "Middle East Peace" attached to it?

[jno]

Tilly, I think that's the point: if the muscles close down while your eyes are open, then they can't close them.

[Tilly2]

Nothing on it, Jno. Not a mark or label of any kind. :-(

[Tilly2]

Got it now, Jno.

It's the second one in a week. There's some lurgy affecting them. The previous one had its eyes closed.

[jno]

has someone near you been putting down poison, perhaps?

[Baldric]

//previous one had its eyes closed//

Must have died peacefully in it's sleep.

[andy-hughes]

It may simply have died instantly in flight, from old age or disease - impossible to tell.

[Tilly2]

It's strange that you don't actually see that many dead birds around, considering that they must die in large numbers an a daily basis.

I don't know if anyone's trying to poison them, Jno. I suspect there would be a many more ailing pigeons and doves, if that was the case.

[gness]

Bird flu's been confirmed in wild birds in Leics, Tilly....and turkeys in Lincs....from what I've read on the Gov site......you may want to look at that......x

[andy-hughes]

I think they are 'dealt with' by predators such as cats and foxes - urban populations probably get picked up by street cleaners.

Where I work, we have a kestrel nest on the roof of the telephone exchange which is one of the tallest buildings in the city. They have been there for about ten years now, and unsurprisingly, I haven't seen a dead pigeon or any other bird on the streets here.

[melv16]

It might have contracted an STD... Chirpees..:-)

[Tilly2]

Thanks, Gness. I'll have a look.

[melv16]

Nature is very good at disposing of dead wildlife. Carrion crows, beetles and blow flies do most of the clearing up.

[jno]

I wasn't thinking of trying to poison the doves themselves, Tilly - it might have been intended for rats or something. But bird flu is a possibility, especially man bird flu, which leaves them too weak to flap their wings and they can only sit around watching telly.

[Tilly2]

:-)

Mr T has man flu at the moment.

[melv16]

Bird man flu only allows you enough strength to operate the remote :-)