# Mourning Dove Found



## Ninja8370 (Jul 27, 2013)

I found a mourning dove, it is a Fledgling, I believe. It was in our yard, near pine tree. First it wouldn't eat, but of course, Ilooked on the internet, and we found out we were trying to feed it the wrong things for a baby. We don't have real baby bird food, but I found a list on the internet of things to feed it and not to feed it.

tried food
*eaten food*

Acceptable foods for baby birds:
Moist dog food
Raw liver
*Hard boiled eggs*
Dog biscuits
Dog or cat kibble

What NOT to feed baby birds:
Water
Bread
Whole birdseed

(notice of course we were trying all the wrong food before we found this list, oops)

But now it's not eating again, nothing! it also seems kind of sleepy or somthing, and it seems to keep one eye closed a lot of the time, is he sick?

I've been reading around on how to take care of it, and I noticed some articles, is it possible the dove got bitten by a cat?


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## Ninja8370 (Jul 27, 2013)

I read an article about what to do if it's dehydrated. I mixed salt/sugar water, but I didn't have a dropper, I took the needle off a syringe and filled that up with the mixture. I dropped water onto the dove's beak, and it appeared to be swallowing, am i doing the right thing here? It's at least keeping it's eyes open now, and I feed it water about every 15 minutes, as that seems to be what it likes best. It may be every 20 minutes, I'm not measuring.

EDIT/UPDATE: He still won't eat anything though, but he seems to like the water.


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

That is good that he is at least drinking. Hydration and warmth will help. You can probably cut back the water to maybe every 30 minutes. 

Is tehre a wildlife rehab facility anwhere near you....if a Dove, and not a Pigeon, they will usually treat Doves, as long as there is no sgnificant injury such as a broken wing, broken leg, or injured eye (in which case they would just take it in and kill it).

Search around your area for one. Wildlife rehab, wildlife rescue, something like that. if you find one, ask if they treat doves.

In the meantime, if he is cool with taking liquid from a syringe, go buy a jar or human baby food...something which contains sweet potato, rice, lentil, peas, corn, something like that (no meat).

Mix a little food up with warm water so it becomes a real thin soup-like mixture. Try giving that to the Dove using a syringe.

It is hard to say what may be wrong. Is he/she apparently injured anywhere (blood, scabs, lesions, scrabes, abrasions, missing feathers exposing bare skin) ? If so, he was probably attacked by something and needs antibiotics and furtehr treatment ASAP.

If not, he may have just fallen from the nest and is doing poorly because of exposure/dehydration/starvation.

Where he was found, are there any trees or bushes directly nearby where a Dove nest could be ?

Thanks for caring. I apologize nobody else hear replied sooner...I am a bit surprised nobody has before me, actually.....Keep it up, keep us posted.


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## Ninja8370 (Jul 27, 2013)

Okay, thanks for replying, I need the help! 
I havn't seen any apparent injury on him.
this bird was right in the open, my brother ALMOST ran over it with a lawn mower, but he saw it in time.

It was near a pine tree, and there were other trees nearby, I don't know too much about their nesting habits, so I don't really know where to look for it's nest, I also havn't seen or heard any mourning doves in the area, so I'm not sure where it's parents or nests might be.

There are no rehab centers nearby that we know of, I need to go, I might be able to talk tommorrow afternoon, and I'll be on Monday.

Thanks!


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

*This baby should not eat the things on the acceptable list you found. * You must get some food into the baby.
Where are you located? We may be able to find a rehab near by.
A picture would be helpful too

You can hand feed defrosted peas. Get the petite kind if possible. Run some hot water over them until they are defrosted and slightly warmed. Put the bird on your lap and hold it next to your body. If it helps because you are having a hard time handling the pigeon, you can wrap a towel around it or put it in the sleeve of a tee shirt, with the head out the wrist. This method confines the pigeon without hurting him and makes it easier to handle. Gently open the beak and pop a pea at the back of the mouth and over the throat. It gets easier and faster, with practice, for both you and the bird.
You will need to feed 10-15 per feeding [depending on the size of the dove and every time the crop empties until you know the baby is eating on his own. After a couple of feedings, most squeakers get the hang of it, pick up the peas on their own and naturally transition into a seed diet.
The crop is located below the throat and above the keel bone, which is in the center of the bird. When full, it fills like a little balloon and feels lumpy from the peas.


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Can you post a photo of the Dove, please ? Let's try to figure out how old he/she may be.


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## Ninja8370 (Jul 27, 2013)

I will try to post a picture, when I got back home from church this afternoon, the birds head was lolling to the side, and ot ;ppled very weak, it's breathing though. I will try to post a picture, it dosn't appear to be swallowing when I give it drink, and I already tried feeding it peas and corn, but I can't et his beak open, I might be able to now, but I'm woried he might not swallow.


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

That is not a good sign at all....He is very ill, you have 2 choices at this point: get to a Wildlife care facility IMMEDIATELY, or try feeding the peas and corn if the baby food slurry in the syringe for some reason did not work..

Wrap his body ina towel so the wings do not flap, hold him in your lap, and hold the head between 2 fingers of one hand, then gently open the beak with the other, and pop a pea in the middle of the mouth, then close the beak.

if you can get him to take even 4 peas, that is a start. Let him rest afterward. Remember to keep him warm (talking around 75-80 degrees ambient.


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## Ninja8370 (Jul 27, 2013)

I'm trying to upload images from my camera, butthe first oen failed, I tried the second one, and I'll go back to the first.

They both failed, I will try uploading them onto the computer and then uploading onto here.

The stupid photos won't upload, but I'm afraid the bird is gone, it's not moving now... and dosn't appear to be breathing.


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## Ninja8370 (Jul 27, 2013)

It's eyes look a bit glazed, and i don't think there are any rehab centers around here, we're kinda in the middle of no where, norht eastern pennsylvania, but I'm afraid it's too late.


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## Ninja8370 (Jul 27, 2013)

I've been researching enough about it to think it might've been around 14 days old, maybe. it had most of it's feathers, just not fully grown, and it could fly about 4 or 5 feet. (when we first found it)


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## Ninja8370 (Jul 27, 2013)

I think I know why it died, I was reading a post, and it said that you need to put the dropper to the back of the throught, so it can swallow it, I was just dropping it on the beak, it looked like it was sucking it in and swallowing, at least it definitely looked like it was swallowing.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

It would never get enough that way. Sorry.


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## Ninja8370 (Jul 27, 2013)

At least I would know for next time, if I ever find another stranded bird, although I think I'd rather find an injured adult bird rather than an abandoned baby bird.

I still haven't heard any adult mourning doves around where the bird was found, so I'm afraid the bird possibly was abandoned.
Was the reason it's head was lolling to the side like that because it wasn't getting enough food? 
I'm going to read more posts on here, so I might be more prepared for next time, I've had people tell me that wild birds rarely survive with humans, and that it's basically impossible, this is a little discouraging.
Also, I wasn't able to post my pictures, they were .JPG I think, so I'm not sure why they wouldn't upload.

Thank you for replying to my posts.


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Ninja8370 said:


> I think I know why it died, I was reading a post, and it said that you need to put the dropper to the back of the throat, so it can swallow it, I was just dropping it on the beak, it looked like it was sucking it in and swallowing, at least it definitely looked like it was swallowing.


No, a novice should never attempt to insert a feeding syringe toward the back of the mouth...too dangerous. The chance of choking or aspirating is very high. It was safer to allow the bird to feel the stuff on his/her tongue and then swallow. 

I am sorry to hear it died. It is hard to say why. Mourning Dove Parents generally will not abandon their babies, although it isn't unusual for a baby to fall out of the nest before it can actually fly. This might be what happened. You have no idea how long it was on the ground either.

It could have been due to exposure, or he/she could have been ill with an infection or virus....in which case feeding and water would not have done much.

Mourning Doves are tricky...they are not as robust as Rock Doves (aka Pigeons) and they tend to stress out much more from being handled by humans than Pigeons do. It is always more touch-and-go with Mourning Doves.

Really, his/her best chance was a facility which treats them. But as you said there weren't any available or nearby, you did the best you could.

Thanks for caring.


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## Ninja8370 (Jul 27, 2013)

thank you for responding, it's good someone helped me at least. I will look around to find the nearest bird rehab center, so if anything like this comes up again, I will know where to take him.

Also, kinda wondering what to do with him, I've thought about burying him, but not sure if there is something specific you're supposed to do?


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## Ninja8370 (Jul 27, 2013)

gtg now, talk tommorrow.

That was kinda surprising, when I got home from church, I found the dove almost dead, I wish there was more I could do for it. 
See ya tommorrow!


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Find a nice burial place, certainly. He/she deserves it. 

Look, this may be little comfort, but she is in a better place now, no longer struggling. And you gave her a loving place to pass. It would have been much worse had nobody found her.


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## Ninja8370 (Jul 27, 2013)

Yes, thank you for your support!


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## Jimbee (Aug 5, 2013)

I know I'm late to comment and I'm sorry about the baby dove. I want to give you some advice in case you ever come into this situation again. The baby dove you found was a fledgling. A fledgling has most of his feathers and was pushed out of the nest of his mother, or he jumped on his own. At this age the baby is learning how to live on his own but his parents will still keep a close eye on him and feed him. Fledgings should never be touched or moved or taken in by humans. They may look abandoned but they aren't. This is the necessary step for a baby dove. If you come across a dove with no feathers and no parents or nest in sight you may help them. You would want to buy Kaytee Exact baby bird formula at your local pet store. It's a very common item. You mix this with warm water, not hot or cold. WARM. I bring a little water to a boil on the stove and then turn it off and let it cool for a minute. Then mix it with the food. Put your finger in the food for 15-30 seconds. If you can keep your finger in without burning or hurting its the right temperature. Just make sure it's warm because the dove will refuse the food. You then want to put the food into a plastic baggy and cut the tip off the bag. You put the baby on a table with a paper towel so he doesn't slide around. You guide the doves beak to the open corner or the baggy and he should go for it. You do this at least every 5 hours. You want to make sure his crop is full when feeding. To tell this, the baby's chest will just look bigger and puffy. You will see it get bigger as he eats. It sounds complicated but after a while its easy to tell. Once the chest looks smaller again and the crop is empty he's ready for food. The crop empties in about 3-4 hours. You don't want to feed him when he still has a full crop. The baby will get bigger and bigger every day if fed properly. After a week you can feed maybe every 6 or 7 hours. The baby won't need a water bowl or seeds until a couple weeks. When you've had him for maybe 10-20 days you can introduce dove seed into his formula. Only small seeds though, pick out the big ones. You can also leave a dish or bowl of seed in his cage, and also a shallow bowl of water. After feeding you can dip his head into the water so he can learn how to drink.

The squab will need to be very warm. Make sure he is in a room that is 85-90 degrees farenheight. If he's not he will need a heat lamp or a heating pad to lay on. After a week he will be fine in 80-85 degrees. Once he gets more feathers he can endure chillier temperatures. But it's best to keep him warm. I raised my dove in the summer so he was in my bedroom with the thermometer reading 90 degrees. It was painful for me to sleep through the night but he survived so that's all that matters. I would also add some fluff I bought from the pet store to make a nest and put on his back while sleeping.

He will also need to be cleaned up after eating if he has food on him. You can use a warm wet cloth or your fingers to do so. Don't bathe him just clean the food off of him. Make sure he isn't shaking after. If he is he is cold and needs to be warmed immediately. Wrap him up in a warm blanket or towel from the dryer so he stays warm. 

If you plan on releasing him, don't grow attached and don't let him get attached. I made that mistake. I don't regret it, but my dove is now a house pet because he is too attached to humans and to me. If the dove is imprinted he can't be let loose because he won't know how to survive. After you've had him for a month and he is fully feathered he can be slowly released. 

Also never syringe feed a dove and never give him anything but formula until he can eat seeds. He won't survive on frozen peas or dog food.

It's not your fault the dove died. You didn't know how to help him and that's ok. Now you know for next time. Just remember that fledglings are meant to be on the ground learning how to survive and squabs aren't.


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## Ninja8370 (Jul 27, 2013)

okay, I'll remember that. thankyou. srry it took me a while to respond, I've been busy lately and havn't checked my e-mail.


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