# At what age are Mourning Doves fully grown?



## Charlie2018 (Mar 5, 2018)

I still have the dove I rescued. She is doing great. I am still unsure of what I'm going to do. She spends most of her time in a portable pet carrier with a little nest I made from paper Easter basket grass, which I keep clean and change often.

I clean her carrier twice a day. It's lined with a doggie pee pad, the grass in the back, and her seeds are in a plastic dish which is on top of another dish that is weighed down with flat, glass stones. That way she doesn't tip the dish over. 

She gets dove food, which she loves. I had been feeding her a wild bird feed that contained black oil sunflower seeds in the shell but she doesn't like those. When I switched her food she got so excited. 

She comes with me almost everywhere. She sleeps in our bed next to us with a small blanket over her carrier. In the morning she comes into the bathroom and flies out while I clean her cage. When I let her fly around the house she gets scared. She doesn't like it. She comes in the car with me and just hangs out all day looking around and eating her seeds.

I won't be able to take her in the car and leave her there when I park and go do my work when it gets hot out. I drive around all day to different places for work. 

I'm trying to figure out at what age she will be fully grown. She's about 9 weeks old now and she weighs 3.25 ounces. I guess that's 92 grams or so. 

I want to get her a bird harness to add stimulation to her life and so I can continue to take her with me when I go to work. That way she won't be lonely while I figure out what to do. I may keep her. Or if she starts acting restless I may take her to a guy I know who has an aviary and could give her a mate. 

Thanks for any info on when she's fully grown and any input.


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## bootface (Jun 29, 2017)

They are fully independent from their parents after about a month. 

Mourning doves are protected by the migratory bird act. It is a federal offense to own one. If someone reports you, the bird will be confiscated and most likely killed. Do you seriously have a friend with an aviary full of them?


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## Charlie2018 (Mar 5, 2018)

He's not my friend. He's a guy I know who has an aviary with pigeons and a separate one for doves. I have no idea how many he has. He may not have any doves actually, but I thought he mentioned that he did. The last time I talked to him it was about pigeons. 

I've tried twice to release her but she just flutters down to the ground. If I leave her there she will get eaten by a predator.

What should I do?


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## Charlie2018 (Mar 5, 2018)

Also, the guy with the aviary said it's open and they can all leave any time they want to.


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## bootface (Jun 29, 2017)

You would have to find out what species of dove they are. She likely wouldn’t get along with a different species, and she definitely can’t be kept with pigeons. It sounds like that setup has most of the disadvantages of the wild as well. 

Does she fly at all in the house? If so she’s probably just scared outside. She would need a soft release. This probably came up in any previous discussions, but is there a rehab center near you?


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## Charlie2018 (Mar 5, 2018)

She flies a little bit in the house, but yes, she's scared. She finds the highest place and perches there, unless we are in the bathroom which is where I clean her carrier a few times a day. She feels safe in there and she likes to come out and drink water.

The wildlife centers I called have told me to release her where I found her but there are so many predators there.

I don't think there is anything wrong with her. She eats and drinks and she can fly at least a little. 

If you scroll up you will see how she looked a few days after I found her. I think she's a Mourning dove. I see a beautiful male out back at my place, which is not where she's from. He makes that owl sound. He's white and pearl gray, really good looking bird, but twice her size. Is he looking for a mate or just defending his territory? 

I'm doing as much research as I can online. Do you know if I release her (which I will only do when I can stay at my friends house to monitor and protect her) if she flies away will she be able to know how to survive? Will she make a friend who will teach her how to live outside? I'm just afraid that at this point she is too tame, but I really don't know so I'm hoping someone here or in my research can enlighten me. It's such a nice yard where she comes from, at least from a human standpoint. It's just that there are cats, dogs, raccoons, possums, skunks, crows, hawks and coyotes - not all the time of course, but all of those have been spotted there and the cats and dogs live there. My place is in a more urban setting but without the abundance of predators, although there is a house cat who is around in the yard sometimes. But there are doves around here like I said.

Thanks for your help bootface.


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## bootface (Jun 29, 2017)

I can’t ID fledgling doves from pictures. Is her tail long and pointed now?

She’ll be at a huge disadvantage in the wild, especially if you do a hard release. She should really be in a flight cage for a few weeks so she can build up her strength, acclimate to the outdoors and learn to forage a little bit at least. I don’t know how tame she is, but they can usually wild up pretty quick when they’re young. That doesn’t help if you don’t have a safe way to release her though.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Would take her to your friends who has the aviary and see how she gets along with his birds. At least she may ave a flock and not be a lone bird at the mercy of predators.


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## Charlie2018 (Mar 5, 2018)

Thanks.

My friend is trying to get in touch with someone he knows who has a lot of bird experience and might know someone who can help release her slowly.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

cwebster said:


> Would take her to your friends who has the aviary and see how she gets along with his birds. At least she may ave a flock and not be a lone bird at the mercy of predators.


That would be no good if the birds are pigeons. You can't mix them.


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