# Percy - can you tell how old he/she is?



## carolynne (Jul 5, 2006)

many thanks


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## carolynne (Jul 5, 2006)

I'm sorry if i've put this in the wrong "topic bit"?

thanks


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Almost looks like a juvenile Eurasian Collared Dove (ECD). It's kinda' rough but I'd guess a few weeks old. Where is this bird and does it squeak?

Pidgey


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

I think that as the bird ages, little tiny pin feathers will fill in between the already existing feathers on the forehead and the ceres (nostrils) of the beak. That will make the upper beak length appear to shorten. That should happen roughly between (I think--I've never personally had an ECD) one and two months old, I think. Hopefully, someone else will be along who knows them better. 

Just out of curiosity, how did you come by the bird and how is it doing?

Pidgey


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Percy is a lovely little dove. I'd guess the age at about 4 weeks, but that's purely a guess.

Terry


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## carolynne (Jul 5, 2006)

thanks for your replies. I am gutted! I found percy on the floor in the carpark at work - I put him in the shade hoping that mum and dad would come and feed him, but they didn't. This was only a couple of days ago. I took percy home and settled him in a box and fed him water with a little paint brush and also gave him bread soaked in water. The following morning to my delight, percy was still alive. Between myself and my two children, we fed percy throughout the day and then yesterday morning he began to feed himself! In a moment of madness, we took him into the garden yesterday for some fresh air and percy flew onto the garage roof - then onto the next door neighbours roof - and then into a big tree! Thats the last we saw of him 

Do you think he will be ok?


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

carolynne said:


> Do you think he will be ok?



Perhaps if he is actually four weeks old and there is really nothing wrong with him, he was just a fledgling, then perhaps he will be okay. Maybe mom and dad will find him and continue to feed him until he eats on his own

I would go out and see if you can find him though, and leave out some wild bird seed and water.


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## carolynne (Jul 5, 2006)

thanks for your reply! I'm still so sad - I'm stuck at work and wondering where poor percy is and how he is  

you never know, he may be waiting for us


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

carolynne said:


> thanks for your reply! I'm still so sad - I'm stuck at work and wondering where poor percy is and how he is
> 
> you never know, he may be waiting for us



I'm sorry...I'm sure you feel sad about this, I would check and see if you can find him when you get home.


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## carolynne (Jul 5, 2006)

the first thing the kids said when he flew away was "can we get another one"!

I'm seriously considering getting into this pigeon malarky!

My father in law used to breed homing pigeons when he was a teenager - he was telling me yesterday that he sold 8 of them 12 times - they all kept coming back :lol:


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## carolynne (Jul 5, 2006)

Oh my god!

you won't believe this, but someone has just brought me another pigeon that has fallen from the roof! It seems ok and healthy enough - slightly older than percy i think.

Meet Lucy!


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Hi Carolynne,

You've got yourself a young collared dove there.

Does he/she stand up OK? We have seen several doves who did not have proper use of their legs, and needed to be given good food and - quite important - calcium supplement. They had fallen or jumped down from the nest in trees or bushes.

Our experience with doves of around that age is that they can be quite friendly, but when they reach adulthood (or at least, flying juvenile) stage, they normally start to clamour for freedom.

John


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

carolynne said:


> I'm seriously considering getting into this pigeon malarky!



Hi Carolynne, 

Yep, pigeons and doves are such wonderful birds. Once the "bug" bites you, you tend to be hooked for life


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## carolynne (Jul 5, 2006)

He/she can stand up perfectly and actually flew onto my sons head last night. At the moment, I am feeding it bread soaked in water as i'm not too sure what else to do?

Is it true that the mothers push them out of their nest to encourage them to fly?


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Hi,

Sounds to be the age where he should be feeding himself under normal circumstances, but when we take them in sometimes they need to learn to recognize what their food is.

Can you get some dove mix or some wild bird seed from a petshop?

What our rescued doves have is a little pot of seed and one of water. We usually also put down a small pile of seeds on the floor of the cage, by the seed dish. Then we take note of they are recognizing the food and pecking and eating. Sometimes a dove or pigeon can be encouraged by making pecking motions with a finger at the seed.

Soaked bred will fill 'em up, but just isn't nutritious for them. tiny bits of soaked dog biscuit are better in that sense, but I'd try him with seed and give him plenty of time to investigate it. 

John


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Just been reminded that another excellent food which can be popped into a dovey's mouth is pellets made of chick crumbs:

" soak them for half an hour in warm water, roll them into pellets and dip in water before 'popping'"

Also they are a nutritious dry food mixed with seed

John


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