# Is this bird a fledgling?



## Tach (Jun 26, 2018)

Folks, just wanted to check in for a bit of advice regarding a collared dove in our garden. We would have them as regular visitors however since Sunday morning this one has been walking around the garden as well as lying around. I phoned the animal hospital this morning for advice but having not been able to see it they said it sounded like it could be a fledgling and there were a lot of them on the ground at the minute. I told the lady I have bird seed scattered round the garden as well as bowls of water and she said that that was grand and hopefully it should find flight in a day or two.
There's another one lands on the chimney and gives a call. When this happens the one in the garden becomes more active. Any attempts at flying are fairly poor, nothing more than a flap or two maybe getting a foot or so into the air but both wings seem to spread and as far as I can tell function ok.

I've included a few photos I took as it looks like a bird I would imagine should be able to fly and just thought I'd ask for further advice. I'm in Northern Ireland.




























Any advice appreciated as if I thought the bird was injured I'd rather it wasn't left until a cat found it.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

It does look like a fledgling to me, but I don't know doves all that well. They do come out of the nest before they can fly well and it may take him a few days to catch on. I would just keep an eye on him and try to keep him as safe as possible. I know you worry about predators, but this is what they do when fledging. We just have to hope for the best and try to keep them as safe as possible. We can't always interfere with nature. If you don't see an improvement in a couple of days, or if he looks weaker then maybe something is wrong and then he would need help. But for now, he really is better helped by his parents.


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## Tach (Jun 26, 2018)

Thanks for the reply Jay. This will be day 4 in the garden so fingers crossed he'll take to the air over the next day or two. It usually heads under a bush in the evening and then has re-emerged by morning again. I'll keep observing from a distance see how it gets on.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Have you seen the parents feeding him? Where does he eat? By 4 days I would think he would be flying. Are you sure he is always there? Sometimes they leave and come back.


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## Tach (Jun 26, 2018)

I haven't seen the parents feeding him and the only thing that makes me think he's eating food is he seems to pick around where I've thrown down bird seed although there's always plenty left in the area. My worry is him getting water as although I've bowls down I never see it near them and we're having a bit of hottish spell at the minute (for Ireland anyway.)
When I came home from work today it was sitting in the sun on the patio. It attempts to fly sometimes although it doesn't get great height but it flew maybe around 7 foot in distance earlier which is as most as I've seen it going. 
I'm certain it hasn't left the garden since arriving on Sunday. I've actually no idea how it got into the garden as we are enclosed by a 6 foot fence although there are trees to one side so unless it was nesting up there.


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## Tach (Jun 26, 2018)

Here's a picture of where it was when I came home from work today (middle of pic beside disposable bbq.) When I approached it, it flew about about a foot off the ground towards the back fence. In the evening it goes under the bush in the centre back of the picture. I only seen one other collared dove in the garden this evening and it landed on the bird bath, took a drink and flew off again, it didn't wait around. 










Edit: Well, it's definitely eating bits of seed off the ground and seems to be quite happily wandering about. Still trying to attempt flight and it has certainly improved since it first arrived.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I have had mourning doves nesting in the yard before, and the 2 babies would be in the garden every day. They didn't fly away when I went in either. Don't think they are very predator wise. This went on for quite a time, and eventually they left. I would laugh and think that it was as if the parents had left them there as a day care each morning, and collect them again at the end of the day. Can you leave a small dish of seed and one of water out for him and see if he takes it?


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## Tach (Jun 26, 2018)

When reading through the forums here I came across a link to UK/Ireland Facebook group which helps pigeons/doves. They have advised me to secure it somewhere safe again as they also thought it should be flying by now. I'm hoping today that someone from the group near my location can help out and I can pass it on to them for rehabilitation. I'll let you know how I get on.


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## Tach (Jun 26, 2018)

Jay, just to let you know it took flight up onto the fence today so it has found its feathers at last. Wasn't on the fence too long before another one was down beside it (mum I presume.) Hopefully it won't be a stranger and I get to see it from time to time. Thanks for all your previous time and advice, appreciated.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Oh, I'm so glad! That was good of you to be concerned about him. Sometimes though, we interfere too quickly and it changes the whole course of a little birds life. Some things that seem not right to us, are normal for them. They are much better off to be raised by their parents and have a free life, rather than us catching them and thinking that we are helping. Doves for some reason, at least around here, seem very slow to learn to be wild. I always worry about them getting caught by something. They some out of the nest early, but still have much to learn. Thanks for watching over him. I agree that sometimes it is hard to know if we should do anything or not. I love the outcome. Thanks for letting me know.


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