# Where do these Doves keep coming from??



## RingsALLAround (Mar 19, 2012)

Well, today I found a Ringneck dove in my yard. He's absolutely gorgeous; an orange pearly pied. Not to mention very tame, even lovable. He isn't injured, and has been eating and drinking just fine. Besides being a bit shaken up, he's in perfect health. This is the second Ringneck dove i've found outside this year. The first was a male Ringneck also, and was malnourished, gaunt, and missing several feathers. He made no attempt to fly, and even walked towards me when I saw him. Both are healthy, safe, and very loved right now, and will continue to be for the rest of their lives. My point is, where do these poor domestic doves keep coming from? Are people deliberately releasing them into the wild, are they escaping from lofts, or are they flying out windows like crazy? I'm happy to give homes to these weary travelers, but I'm genuinely confused as to why these poor birds are ending up in an urban areas, and so frequently? Any insight would be appreciated, and similar stories, too!!!


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## abluechipstock (Nov 26, 2010)

some people raise these outside, so maybe they got loose from someone close, just a thought


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## Revolution Lofts (Aug 7, 2008)

some might have escaped by accident, and some might be the rest of people thinking the doves are like pigeons and will come back home (but they have a poor homing ability and get lost)


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## Larry Holman (Feb 28, 2010)

Then you have a guy who just turned a whole lofgt full out because there was no market for them anymore. They did keep coming back to his yard until the hawks got the last one.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

What ever the reason...lucky they ended up in your yard.


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## RingsALLAround (Mar 19, 2012)

Thanks, guys. Either way I'm surprised she made it safe with all the hawks we have in town, and even coming to our yard. She's doing well so far!


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## pigiesNdovies (Nov 21, 2011)

yea they are pet pigeons. sometimes they loose track of whre they live cuz when they find out theres a hawk near their home they wont come back till early next day or very late at night. beside advise...dont let them go. usually white pigeons disappear faster because they stand out very far to where hawks will snach them and then end up being eaten alive


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## Lefty07 (Dec 30, 2009)

*Ringeck Doves*

No - those are definitely Ringneck Doves, not Pigeons. They have virtually no homing instinct! I suspect someone just released them.

There is a Ringneck Dove _relative_, the Eurasian Collared Dove, that _looks_ very similar - but it is a wild bird and there is no white colored form. Eurasian Collared Doves are found all over Europe and Asia and recently, have become established in parts of the United States. They first appeared in Florida in the 1970s and have tended to spread west more than north. See link below for comparison.

http://www.internationaldovesociety.com/RNColorPics/RNECDCompare.htm









But these doves, in the photo above, are definitely domesticated Ringnecks.


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## Wodin (Nov 5, 2012)

maybe someone without the knowledge has been releasing these white doves like you do for wedding etc. not knowing they are actually white pigeons that are released? depends where you live?


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Wodin said:


> maybe someone without the knowledge has been releasing these white doves like you do for wedding etc. not knowing they are actually white pigeons that are released? depends where you live?


she said it was an orange perly pied.


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

I have 2 that were brought to me a couple years ago. They were found at someones backyard feeder, very tame and lucky to be alive! I put them in my Fantail loft from spring to fall, then bring them inside for the winter. I know alot of people keep them outside, but mine just don't seem to like the cold


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## Lefty07 (Dec 30, 2009)

A Maine winter (even a _southern_ coastal Maine winter) is probably is kinda cold for a domestic ringneck dove. Nice of you to bring them inside!

The original wild Ringneck Dove comes from Africa so that may explain their lack of cold hardiness. Pigeons, on the other hand, come from European seacoasts.


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