A PAIR of wood pigeon chicks are recovering after their nest in Dunfermline was accidentally destroyed by a member of the public. 

The two young birds arrived at the Scottish SPCA wildlife centre earlier this month and are now being cared for by a dedicated team who will nurse them to health. 

Georgina Cook, the assistant manager of the centre, said: "These two pigeons have joined others the same age in a brooder to keep them warm.

“Once their feathers begin to come in and they get a bit bigger, they will be moved to a cage without heat where we will encourage them to become more independent and feed for themselves.

“Right now our bird team are tube feeding them a specialist formula to replicate how their parents would feed them in the wild; wood pigeon adults grind down food into a milky substance which they then feed to their young."

With an increase in baby pigeons needing help, they are encouraging the public to take extra care when gardening.

Georgina continued: “Sadly, we are seeing an increase in baby pigeons being uplifted due to trees being cut back in gardens. Wood pigeons do not make the best nests compared to other bird species so it is very easy for the youngsters to be knocked out of them.

“We’d ask the public to check any bushes or trees carefully before they carry out any gardening to prevent bird nests from being disturbed.

“If anyone finds an animal in distress they should call our confidential animal helpline on 03000 999 999.”

For more advice on birds, visit the Scottish SPCA website.