'My fingers touched his beating heart!' Pigeon That Was Born Tiny and Deformed Overcomes All the Odds and Grows into the Most Unique Bird That We Have Ever Seen

Author image for Mariel Ruvinsky
Mariel Ruvinsky • Writer and Editor
Nov 15, 2024 9:00 AM EST

One of the most underrated animal species: birds. That's a fact. Don't even try to argue with it. Every time we write a story about a bird, it's because it's the coolest, funniest, most wholesomest story ever, and we need everyone to know about it. Birds have so much personality and so much fun that it makes them one of the cutest and silliest animals, and definitely one of the most underrated pets. 

We have seen birds fall in love with their caretakers, literally, we mean that literally. We have seen birds pull pranks on dogs without any shame at all, and yes, it's as hilarious as you think it is. We know that birds understand the word 'no' and don't give a heck about it, because they are sassy silly little creatures with a mind of their own. We need people to understand how awesome birds are, and even more, how awesome this person is for going out of their way to help a bird when most people probably wouldn't have. 

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    foster the beeple @fosterthebeeple Hey, does anyone remember the pigeon I hand fed this spring, Rotisserie? He's the minuscule one in this picture. Well, we've had a really interesting development in his saga, and I'm tentatively excited to share with everyone. ... 10:40 PM • Nov 8, 2024 3.2M Views 142 173K 80K 7.7K ↑
    via @fosterthebeeple

    We have seen some interesting medical cases in our time writing for Animal Comedy, but we have to say that this one… is one of the most interesting. To overcome the odds like this, to not only survive but thrive… this bird is a medical miracle. 

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    Cheezburger Image 10426778624
    via @fosterthebeeple

    And even though we are sure that fate had a lot to do with this bird's survival, we have to say the biggest thank you to her owner for not giving up on her after she was born like this. We hope her story inspires people to give other animals who are born a little different a chance. 

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    Cheezburger Image 10426779136
    via @fosterthebeeple
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    foster the beeple @fosterthebeeple ... I caught him to check over before potentially rehoming him and my hand touched something squishy and very gross feeling. His ribcage is completely split, exposing his chest cavity with only a thin layer of skin over his most important organs! My fingers touched his beating heart!
    via @fosterthebeeple
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    Cheezburger Image 10426779904
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    foster the beeple @fosterthebeeple Here is a somewhat shaky video showing the deformity. You can see his heart beating under the skin and can see the edges of his ribcage that SHOULD be together with a Very Important Bone, but it's missing. Gone. Where did it go?
    via @fosterthebeeple
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    Cheezburger Image 10426780416
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    Cheezburger Image 10426780672
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    foster the beeple @fosterthebeeple Rotisserie has what's called a Split Keel, where the keel bone is severely shortened, creating an inverted V between the ribs that exposes the heart and other vital organs. He is missing this entire bone, or at least a large majority of it. 10:40 PM - Nov 8, 2024 • 196.8K Views
    via @fosterthebeeple
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    Cheezburger Image 10426780160
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    Cheezburger Image 10426779648
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    foster the beeple @fosterthebeeple Most birds with this deformity don't survive. Here he is at two weeks old, when I decided to start hand feeding him. If I hadn't pulled him, he likely would have died. Two of his full siblings this year have died in the nest shortly after hatching, possibly bc of split keel. 10:40 PM - Nov 8, 2024 - 192.4K Views
    via @fosterthebeeple
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    foster the beeple @fosterthebeeple Here is where you might be thinking, Maree, how didn't you notice this SIGNIFICANT ISSUE during three weeks of hand feeding and times you've held him for parasite treatments? I don't have a good answer, except I thought, "huh he's kinda flat chested for a bird" 10:40 PM • Nov 8, 2024 178.9K Views
    via @fosterthebeeple
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    foster the beeple + * @fosterthebeeple He eats, drinks, bathes, flies, and scuffles like a totally normal bird, I've never noticed a single weird thing about his behavior. I've brought him inside for now to closely monitor him and assess where to go from here. (Cage extremely temporary, he's in a big kennel now!) 10:40 PM • Nov 8, 2024 169.9K Views
    via @fosterthebeeple
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    foster the beeple @fosterthebeeple ... Now that I'm watching closely, I can tell he has a wide stance and has trouble standing on slippery surfaces. His flight is still pretty normal, but I can tell he struggles just a little bit. Without knowing what to look for he seems totally normal. (Water has vitamins!) 10:40 PM • Nov 8, 2024 159.5K Views . WOLL
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    foster the beeple @fosterthebeeple We see the vet on Thursday to get a better idea of what to do, and if I can afford it, I will be getting an xray. The vets who have responded to me are very curious and surprised he has survived this long. Split keel is so rare that finding anything at all on line is difficult. . ⋅ 10:40 PM ⚫ Nov 8, 2024 151.6K Views
    via @fosterthebeeple
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    foster the beeple * @fosterthebeeple ... I am hoping that the vet finds this as interesting as I do, and I can learn more about it. I am also hoping that he adapts to indoor life because it will be easiest to manage his risks indoors. It would probably also be nice for Boog to have some pigeon shaped company. 0:16
    via @fosterthebeeple
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    foster the beeple @fosterthebeeple I will definitely update with any new info I learn, cos what do you MEAN my bird is missing an entire important part of his anatomy?! Until then, enjoy this classic trex vs spino scene recreation from the iconic film Jurassic Park 3 10:40 PM • Nov 8, 2024 129.9K Views ...
    via @fosterthebeeple

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