I adopted a feral pigeon from the vet a while ago.
Nimbus (that’s his name) is still afraid of being picked up, although he doesn’t go into full panic and usually just walks or hops out of the way.
I try to hand-feed him by placing a small dish with food on my hand and letting him eat from it. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.
Because I find it sad to leave him in his cage all the time, I let him free-fly at least once a week, but I feel like catching him afterward breaks his trust again and resets my training process.
The day after free flight, he often doesn’t eat from my hand anymore until he gets really hungry and I sit there for at least 10 minutes.
Any advice? Should I keep him in the cage until he is completely comfortable with touch? I have no idea what to do—the progression is so slow right now.