# I Found a Mourning Dove in the Snow... what do I do?



## Rainy4est (Nov 24, 2010)

I live in Bozeman, MT and right now the average high temperature for the whole week is below 10 degrees Fahrenheit. I found a mourning dove earlier this evening struggling to cross a very busy road on foot. I watched as it attempted to fly several times but it couldn't. My guess is that because it was very windy out and the temperature was -3 degrees Fahrenheit and dropping the poor bird was too cold and tired to fly. After it crossed the street, the poor thing just sat in a snow bank with its wings sprawled. The bird barely reacted when I walked up to it and picked it up.

Right now I have the bird in a box with some bird seed and water. What should I do? I don't want to release it into the wild when the weather is this bad. Is it ok to keep the bird indoors all winter and release it when things warm up or will it no longer be able to fend for itself after spending so much time in captivity? I'd rather not force it to spend any more time in that box than is necessary.


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Rainy,



Provide definite supplimental warmth, such as a Heating Pad under half of the Box, so while inside, he can be on or off the warm half.


If no Electric Heating Pad, then fill a Pop- Bottle with Hot water, and set it against the inside of the Box, and re-do fairly often ( no microwave, just hottest tap water ).


Have him on white Paper Towels ( so you can see and count the poops).


Post some images of him, and, some images, good, well litl close up, in focus images, of some fresh poops.


Probably he is sick, or been shot, or is hurt, or young and was not savvy enough yet to find forage-enough, and starving, and dehydrated, or whatever combinations of the above.


Images will help us figure things out.


Cut some look-out holes along the front of the Box at his eye level...have the top of the Box open, and drape a sheer cloth over that so light can filter in for him to see his Seeds and Water by.



Phil
Las Vegas


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

it must be sick if you could catch it..... do you know of any wildlife rehabbers near you?


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## Rainy4est (Nov 24, 2010)

I'll take some pictures today. I searched online for wildlife rehabilitation centers, but all I could find was a local vet. I was planning on heading into Petsmart today to ask those people if they knew of a place or could at least recommend a cheap cage so the bird will be more comfortable.


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## Rainy4est (Nov 24, 2010)

After getting a better look, I'm thinking this dove is a ring-necked dove and not a mourning dove. I got the best picture of his/her poo that I could. I have others if this picture isn't enough. Also, the dove is carrying its left wing kind of low. I'm worried it may be broken at the very worst, or have a strained muscle at the very least.


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## Rainy4est (Nov 24, 2010)

In this picture you can see how the bird only has one long tail feather left. The rest seem to have been pulled out by something. This explains why the bird couldn't fly.


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi rainy4est,




They can fly alright without a Tail...that is not his problem.


He is pretty young still and his Primary Wing Feathers are still short and not fully grown out.

It kinda looks like he may have lost most of his Tail some time ago abnd it has been growing back out, thus showing the 'short' Tail mostly, if with an older bent long Feather still there.


Is he eating on is own?


Drinking on his own?


Do you have small, whole Seeds like Finch or Canary Mix for him?


I would treat this Dove for Canker, if I had him.


Where are you located?



Phil
Las Vegas


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

He's not that young and should have fully grown feathers. I don't know why his flights are so short. Perhaps someone intentionally did that to him? No telling.


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Flights should be a lot longer, that's for sure!


Like it is, it'd be tough to fly.


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## Rainy4est (Nov 24, 2010)

I took him to the vet. They said there's nothing wrong with him, except for the fact that he's a little traumatized. His right wing may have a fracture, but it's almost definitely not broken. His right eyelid is a little swollen, but we don't think his eye is scratched. The vet gave him a couple of drops that should help the swelling go down.

He's got a lot of feathers that have been pulled out just below his throat. To me, it appears that something messed him up on his right side. He may have already started the process of healing, but he's certainly not all better.

I got a large-ish bird cage for him. I will be keeping him in my house at least until he's fully healed, if not until the end of winter. The vet said he should be able to make it just fine after spending some time in captivity.

I'm located in Bozeman, MT. For now he's eating a LOT on his own. I bought "ultimate" small bird feed from walmart which has whole small seeds along with other things, and the vet gave me some pellets that are specifically designed for birds under stress, so he has access to both, although he seems to prefer the seeds over the pellets.

I still have yet to see him drink on his own, but the vet gave me a syringe so I can put a drop or two on his beak at a time and he'll drink that up.

Once I got him out of the box he seemed really happy. I set him out while I put his cage together and he seemed content to just hang out in one place and stretch and preen himself. He's very curious and is currently walking around his cage looking at me while I type.

I think he'll be ok!


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

No 'drops' of Water into the Beak please.

Just guide his little Beak gently into a low Coffee Cup of Tepid Water, set rght in front of him, and he will drink.


Poops ( or Urates, actually ) suggest early or mild Trichomona illness or Liver/Kidney infection...so please keep posting daily poop images so we can see where those are going.

He might have been clipped by a passing Car or has some sort of flying mis-hap.


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

Thank you so much for helping this poor dove! Sounds to me like something grabbed it but it managed to escape. It's definitely a ringneck, not a native mourning dove. In this country they're a non-native, domestic species. Is it fairly calm around you? Ringneck doves make great pets; I have 20 of them, mostly rescues. They have established wild populations in the U.S. but are considered domestic birds so there's no legal issue with you keeping it as a pet. 

My doves' favorite food is "Bird's Delight" cockatiel mix but I don't know if you can find it there. He may start eating the pellets after awhile. Are they Harrison's pellets? A mix of those and good quality finch or cockatiel mix is good. Doves also enjoy millet sprays and safflower seed. Don't worry about water. Just show him where it is and he'll drink when he's thirsty.


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

I'm glad it's nothing serious  I agree, they do make wonderful pets!


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

That is definitely NOT a Mourning Dove .. I think you are correct in that it is a Ringneck Dove. Assuming that is the case, this bird needs a home .. should NOT be released. Bless you for helping this bird!

Terry


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## Rainy4est (Nov 24, 2010)

Here's another poo picture from yesterday. I just cleaned his cage so there aren't any poos from today yet.


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## Rainy4est (Nov 24, 2010)

As you can see, there's a lot more urine now. I have seen Martin both eat and drink now.

He has yet to make any cooing noises, which makes me think that Martin may actually be a "Martina." Is there any way besides looking into the bird's cloaca to determine whether it's a male or female?

Martin is surprisingly tame. He'll perch on my hand or shoulder, although he seems more interested in getting to a place where he can look out the window than anything else. I'm working on finding a good spot to put his cage so he can look out the window all the time, but for right now I place him on the windowsill when I let him out. Martin hasn't tried to bite or scratch anyone, even when the vet was examining him.

He's preening a bunch now, especially his tail, which I'm taking to mean that his tail feathers are growing back in. He also spends a lot of time in his cage with all his feathers puffed up. He likes to peek at me when I'm watching TV or something near his cage. When I look over at him, he'll duck his head down, but as soon as I look away, he'll pop his head back up again. He's a pretty charismatic little bird.


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## Birdbabe (Jan 24, 2006)

Thanks for helping him/her. The bird has a "young" face....may be one of this last springs babies. They do make wonderful pets. Personally I wouldnt release back out into the cold. You may have a neat new friend there.


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Rainy4est,



Most Doves will not 'coo' till they are more or less adults, and I do think this is a younger Bird.


No real way to tell gender even if looking at or into their Coaca.



I do think your Dove is at least slightly ill...the colors 
bleeding into the Paper Towel form the poops, the 'puffing up' of Feathers.


Just not clear to me what sort of illness it is, and, he may well get over it on his own with good chow, warmth and easy surrounds, so, lets just keep an Eye on how things go, every couple days do some poop images, and reports.

What is he or she eating?


This may have been someone's Pet or House Bid who escaped and had not enjoyed enoug hlead-in to the Wild conditions, as well as those odd, short Primary Feathers and mysteriously 'short' Tail.


There are a lot of WILD Ring Neck or Eurasian Collared Doves here in Las Vegas now, grazing in vacant Lots with Pigeons, and or appearing to do well anyway.


If your youngster was Wild, I would expect them to be a little less 'tame' acting, but, some Wild youngsters size up a situation, decide it is alright, and, are comfortable and easy right from the get go, also, if maybe not quite THAT comfortable and easy, but, never the less...so, who knows.



Best wishes!


Phil
Las Vegas


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