How to catch a pigeon...

[Insomniak]

My garden has birdfeeders and consequently lots of pigeons to hoover up the spilled seeds.
On of them has an ongoing inability to perch and I can see that one of his feet has thread tied around the toes, I can't see clearly if the other foot is ok or just less entangled.
I've tried unsuccessfully over the last 8 or 10 days to trap him to clip the thread.
I've put food in a container and every pigeon and bird in the locality has visited and had a feast except the one I want to catch.
He seems very aware of the fact that he's vulnerable, and added to that he does have some difficulty taking flight, pushing off from the ground is not so easy when your toes are tied up.

I need some good suggestions on what I should do or what type of trap would be better.

I can't get close enough to him to throw a net or a sheet over him, he's too wary.

Help, please!

[rossy]

what do you mean by container ? the old method of a cardboard box propped up with a stick should work with seeds , hopefully the pigeon will be drawn in, good luck, rossy. forgot to put , string attached to the stick .

[Insomniak]

Hi,
It's a plastic storage-type box on its side, with a mat ready to be let fall to cover the entrance by pulling a string.
With your idea of the cardboard box, the pigeon can still peck the seeds from the grass. Ok, that might make a big difference.
I'll give it a go.
Thanks!

[shenk1]

Dastardly and Muttley used to struggle too

[werdnal]

Good luck. It does work but you often only get one chance as if you miss, they will be wary of going near the box again. Perhaps let him get used to the box being there without trying to trap him at first, then when he's more relaxed about the whole idea of eating under the box, go for it. My hubby used to catch rats on his parent's farm this way when he was a boy.

[Cowgirl]

Originally Posted by rossy

what do you mean by container ? the old method of a cardboard box propped up with a stick should work with seeds , hopefully the pigeon will be drawn in, good luck, rossy. forgot to put , string attached to the stick .

I used to try that when I was about 5 years old, never figured out that I had to be further than 4ft from the box & hidden tho

[Insomniak]

Success at last!
Just this morning I rigged up a cardboard box with seed under it and my cat (who oddly enough is not interested in birds at all, only mice) promptly turned it over and slept in it.
Then at 6pm, pigeon walked into the original trap, we pulled the cord and caught him!
It took nearly 20 mins of picking and clipping with a tiny sewing scissors and a tweezers to release all the GARDEN NETTING tied so tightly around his toes.
So tightly that he had already lost one toe, and another was hanging by a piece of the green netting.
I got it all removed, I just hope the blood circulation will return to normal now, I saw no sign of infection and he even took food from my hand half way through the procedure, then had another feast before he flew away.
He actually sat on my husband's lap without being held for about 8 mins after we finished untying him. Slightly shocked, I'd guess.

He'll be back in the morning for breakfast, I'm sure.
What are the chances of him regaining the ability to perch, do you think?
Some of the remaining toes are curled under.