# New member and eggs!



## rascal66 (May 13, 2011)

So if anyone has read one of my last threads, I mentioned how I now have a new Mourning Dove pet.

It all started with a phone call form my best friends, telling me they found a broken nest next to her driveway. There were two baby mourning Doves, one being a young fledgling and another being only a few days old. It was about to storm too so they decided to put everything in a cardboard box and give me a call. Soon I had received the birds and so forth. I decided to keep them due to the fact that the nest was broken and there was a Hurricane (Isaac) on its way.

The next day, the younger bird of the two had died, I didn't know why but I have a feeling that the baby was cold. I wasn't too sure but I feel like I could have possibly saved the baby from dying but sadly it's too late. But the fledgling on the other hand was still very active and was eating well when I gave him the formula.

Now this Fledgling has gotten so big! He's growing very fast, it's been almost 2 weeks now that I have had him so he must be at least 20+ days old  He is the sweetest Mourning Dove I have ever seen, always wanting to sit next to my hand and he adores being petted. He's very tame, flying to me when he wants attention and such. I'm in love with this baby, and I'm pretty sure he's happy too 

I don't know how tame he'll be when he is older, but I'm not sure if releasing it will be the best idea.


On another note, My pair if Diamonds finally started their first clutch of eggs! I'm super excited to see how things go on out from here  The first egg is laid but the second one, I'm pretty sure is on its way.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

rascal66 said:


> So if anyone has read one of my last threads, I mentioned how I now have a new Mourning Dove pet.
> 
> It all started with a phone call form my best friends, telling me they found a broken nest next to her driveway. There were two baby mourning Doves, one being a young fledgling and another being only a few days old. It was about to storm too so they decided to put everything in a cardboard box and give me a call. Soon I had received the birds and so forth. I decided to keep them due to the fact that the nest was broken and there was a Hurricane (Isaac) on its way.
> 
> ...


I'm glad everything is going well for you. You may not want to publicize you have a wild migratory bird in you're care,as it is illegal, with fines. He should of been raised with release in mind.


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## rascal66 (May 13, 2011)

spirit wings said:


> I'm glad everything is going well for you. You may not want to publicize you have a wild migratory bird in you're care,as it is illegal, with fines. He should of been raised with release in mind.


I know it is illegal to have, and release was something i have considered. But what methods should I take to prepare him for the wild? He is starting to peck seeds on his own but I've heard so many stories of having such tame doves that release would be a bad idea. I really don't know what to think of it. He is still under my care and i think he'll be ready for new things soon but what else should i consider?


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

rascal66 said:


> I know it is illegal to have, and release was something i have considered. But what methods should I take to prepare him for the wild? He is starting to peck seeds on his own but I've heard so many stories of having such tame doves that release would be a bad idea. I really don't know what to think of it. He is still under my care and i think he'll be ready for new things soon but what else should i consider?


That is why rehabbers have a license, they learn how to raise with minimal contact and perhaps with other doves. I would contact a wildlife rehabber in you're area for more information and perhaps a release with other young doves. rembember wildlife are not pets, however tame and attached they may be.


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## Siobhan (Dec 21, 2010)

This bird is probably imprinted already and can't be released. If it were me, I'd quit calling him a "mourning" dove.


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## Dima (Jan 15, 2011)

spirit wings said:


> I'm glad everything is going well for you. You may not want to publicize you have a wild migratory bird in you're care,as it is illegal, with fines. He should of been raised with release in mind.


Mourning dove its not a migratory bird.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Dima said:


> Mourning dove its not a migratory bird.


At the national level, the mourning dove is a migratory bird protected under the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act.


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## Lefty07 (Dec 30, 2009)

*Rehabbers may still be able to help*

Wild Bird rehabbers may still be able to help this dove get back in the wild. At Tri-State Bird rescue near me (in Delaware), they have aviaries for fledged birds that they hand-fed - where they transition back them to life in the wild and limit human contact so birds can be released. So there might be a rehabber in your area who could offer the same thing for this Mourning Dove.

Another thing - this Mourning Dove may suddenly become less friendly, on it's own, when it reaches a certain age. I know even with domesticated Diamond Doves, they go through a skittish period after fledging (leaving the nest) but before they have adult coloration - during this time, they are often jumpy and less tame and I think it's all instinctual, preparing them for life on their own with predators. So, a Mourning Dove may do the same thing (become wilder on its own) since it may have wild instincts and doesn't come from many generations in captivity, like Ringneck Doves. Also, keep in mind, not all wild birds imprint the same on people when raised in captivity. When I volunteered at the above bird rescue, I remember that crows and jays were especially vulnerable to imprinting so they could not be released easily if people handled them too much - but many other birds became wild again on their own, once human contact was minimized and these could be released eventually.

I know a Ringneck Dove breeder that had a Mourning Dove that he got as a baby and had his other doves raise it. He wanted to see if it would become comfortable in captivity like Ringnecks but he said it was just became naturally wilder on its own and, even though he planned to try keeping it, he decided to release it because it was just too jumpy in captivity. I saw this Mourning Dove in a large cage with his calm Ringneck Doves and it clearly wanted "out" and was not comfortable with us humans nearby.

A possible way to release this dove might be to feed wild Mourning Doves in your backyard and leave this dove outside in a cage so he can get to know them - then one day, leave the cage door open.


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