# i dont know what my mourning dove is doing



## imluvnit01 (Apr 16, 2011)

I saved a baby dove about 2 weeks ago. It wasnt even fully feathered. I bought it a cage and nursed it back to health. It is now able to fly short distances but it still will not eat on its own. I have tried every trick, it doesnt even like when i feed it. Now everytime i open the cage it either flies directly to my head, face or upper chest and tries to land. or it lands on the floor and runs to my feet. Sits on my feet or pecks rapidly (but gently) on my feet, hands, fingers or lips. Everytime i let it out it comes directly to me, it never tries to fly away even when i let it outside. He just runs back in the door and onto my feet. But everytime i have to pick him up or feed him he flaps his wings rapidly and bounces kind of, sometimes falls because he seems to be a bit ''off'' .. Which is why i named him (or her, idk which one it is) wilbur. Just like charlottes web. 

Anyways i dont know what my dove is doing.. flapping wings, pecking fast and gently, flying at my upper half, sitting on my feet, i dont know. He tries to run up my arms and sit under my neck but on top of my chest. Is he trying to fight me? or show affection. and how do i tell if it is a female or male. Do both female and males lay eggs? should i be prepared for it to build a nest and lay or what???


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## Luffy (Feb 27, 2011)

lol that is cute behavior I guess.

My pet zoro does what you describe as running up your arms / run up your shirt, get under the neck or sit on shoulder. He will never get near to my feet though, he likes only high places. 

Only female hens lay eggs. If she ( assuming its a she) is not mated then he wont lay eggs, even if she does they wont be fertile. Further, as you say it was 2 weeks ago that you saved him/her, and he wasn't fully feathered, I dont think he is sexually mature. I would age him around 6-8 weeks, that also means he is learning to fly, scared to venture out all alone. Since he was hand reared he wouldn't know the ways of feral / wild. Usually its the cocks job to try and make him fly with him and then slowly he gets confidence to venture out alone. If you want to keep him with you, I am sure he will enjoy your company and have fun time.. However, if you want to release him, you would have to plan what is called a soft release. You may check out the forums for soft release and you will find how to do that.

On feeding, how are you feeding him? what do you mean by pick him up to feed? Are you still feeding him directly in his crop? I can't say exactly until I see some pictures (yes I want pics ) but I guess he is old enough to feed by himself. Just put feed in a container in his nest/cage/room corner with water also by the side. Then slowly show him the location of water and feed. I am sure when he is hungry he will go there and peck some seeds.


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## imluvnit01 (Apr 16, 2011)

i will def. post pictures when i can figure out how too on this site, lol. Sorry im not very computer illiterate. and yes i still feel with the sirynge directly into the crop because he bird wont eat any other way. It starved itself for over a day until i went back to feeding it with the sirynge. The dove seems too be ''off'' a bit so i named him/her wilbur, (just like charlottes web)


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## Luffy (Feb 27, 2011)

hmm, thats okay for 3-4 weeks bird, but anything bigger than that should eat on its own. I am sure Wilbur would have started pecking at things and exploring it with his beak. All you need to do is take few grains put them down and with your finger peck around them. Slowly he might also try curiously and learn to eat. Best of luck.


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## imluvnit01 (Apr 16, 2011)

I tried and he starved himself. He wouldnt eat and became weak.


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## Siobhan (Dec 21, 2010)

Wilbur seems very attached to you and as has been said, having been hand reared, he won't know how to find food on his own, so you shouldn't let him go and expect that he'll survive. He won't. If you don't intend to keep him the rest of his life, you should try to find a wildlife rescue who would know how to teach him to find food before they'd let him go. If you do intend to keep him, you should start introducing foods and keep hand feeding at the same time. Try eating something and offering it to him, something like toast that he can peck at. Get wild bird mix and sprinkle it on the floor of his cage. If nothing else, he might peck at it out of curiosity and figure out it's food. Wild mourning doves are ground feeders and that should seem natural to him. Until he's eating regularly on his own, don't stop feeding him.


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## imluvnit01 (Apr 16, 2011)

very attached seems to be the truth. Everytime i let him out of his cage he flies from spot too spot chasing me around the house. And as of right now, this very second, he is sitting on my shoulder, cuddled up to my ear and cheek trying to sleep. Everytime i move he nibbles my ear and chirps. Its like he is trying to remind me that he is sleeping and not too wake him.


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## cadenthedove (Jun 10, 2011)

hi i have a mourning dove that i have hand reared as well. he is now 4 years old. one way you can tell if he is a male or female is males have a blueish color on their heads. as for behavior, it is normal for him to show affection by cuddling up with you. as of sitting on your shoulder or head, mourning doves feel safer when up high. by him sitting on your head/shoulder he feels safe and is showing affection. and the nibbling is just him grooming you (that means he has bonded with you) you should be slightly worried if he starts pecking you in a way of defense. and for feeding, i just placed seed onto a towel which i set on the bottom of his cage. eventually, he/she will start eating. but for future help, DON'T clip his wings. since the bird is wild he will feel threatened by it and start plucking myself, causing serious damage to himself. and as a heads up, by the age of 3 he/she should start hitting sexual maturity, which you should be extremely careful where and how you pet him. try not to touch his/her stomach for this is how you "turn him on." also, he might become aggressive, so at a young age you should try and socialize him with other birds and/or people. also, try not to leave him alone too long, if you do leave the tv/radio on. it really helps.
p.s. make sure that mourning doves are not illegal where you live.


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