# Morning Dove



## Wendaline (Jun 28, 2013)

Hi, I'm new to this site and have been looking around but I have a few questions. 

We found a morning dove in our windowsill yesterday. It's an adult but it can't fly (it's tail feathers are kind of shredded...like it escaped a cat or something). So, we decided to put him in a large parrot cage until it's feathers can heal. 

The bird is very healthy looking and it eats and drinks really well...but when I was reading about deciding to release him it said something about the birds eating out of hands and being too friendly with people. We've only had him a day and it eats out of our hands, hopped on the water bowl when I was first putting it in, and comes close when people are near the cage. It seems pretty tame. I also heard it takes a month or two for them to regrow their feathers. How do I make sure he doesn't get too tame?

Also, I have cats (they don't bother the bird any and we make sure to keep his cage up high when indoors). Is there any sort of bug or infestation this little dove can carry? Is it safe to have him indoors? Because I don't feel comfortable keeping him out while we're gone (sun moves) or at night (cats and other predators).

Also, while the cage is very large (for such a little bird, anyways. He can open his wings and fly up or side to side if he wants) how should I go about letting him get more exercise? 

Also, I bought a bag of small bird food, fruit bird treats, one of those little bird protectors - to discourage mites and fleas, a calcium block, and some bird vitamins...are the bird vitamins necessary?

Sorry, I know that's a lot of questions, but I've never cared for a wild dove before...and I'm really curious about if it might be "dirty". Like when we pick up a stray cat or dog...we like to quarantine 'em and make sure they can't spread anything to us or our other crids.


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

First - thank you for caring for this dove. Secondly, welcome to PT. Now on to you questions. 

O - it sounds like the bird may be a tame bird that has escaped, or been turned loose, from it's owner. The fact that it settled in to your cage and is eating and drinking so well point to this. Also the fact that it moves closer to you when you approach. Releasing it may not be a very good idea as it would be easy prey if left on it's own.

o - you have nothing to worry about as far as catching anything from the bird. You said it appears healthy and is in good feather except for it's tail feathers. I am a little concerned that you said it could not fly, but this could be because it is tame, and wanting your attention. 

o - doves can have "bugs" but you should be able to detect them by gently spreading the wing and tail feathers and looking for anything moving, dark spots are not part of the normal color, etc. then brush the neck and body feathers backwards to see if you notice any critters. 

o - bird vitamins never hurt, but are not a necessity. Regular bird feed is acceptable for the short term. .

It sounds like you are doing everything right. If the bird is active, can flap it's wings without any noticeable deformities, is eating and drinking well, I think you have a tame, very friendly bird on your hands. They make great pets and can be very enjoyable to have. Please keep an eye on the cats and never leave them alone with the bird. If you are willing to clean up any messes, you can free fly the bird in your house, making sure to watch any windows and doors to avoid an escape.

As far as long term, if you are not interested in keeping the bird, you could put out signs in your neighborhood, put notices in local papers, etc. to try to find it's owner. Please do not take the bird to any wildlife center, humane shelter without first checking what their policies are towards doves. Many may take them only to euthanize them after you leave.

Again, thank you for caring.


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## Wendaline (Jun 28, 2013)

Thank you for the quick reply and warm welcome 

I don't see any little bugs on the bird...but I haven't yet checked under its feathers. Hehe, this is a little new to me. And we did get one of those bird protectors that hangs on the side of the cage to deter mites.

We were wondering if we were going to end up with another pet. lol After two months someone was bound to get attached to him...my roommate already coos at him. He sometimes coos back. The cats, after an initial sniff of the bottom of the cage (they can't reach any higher) could care less about the bird. Thank goodness.

You said regular bird seed is acceptable short term. What do I need to make sure he's eating for the long term? Don't want the little guy getting all nutrient deficient. 

Yes, and he (I keep calling it he, although I'm not sure what sex it is) flaps and preens his wings easily. He doesn't seem to be injured in any significant way except the ends of the tail feathers. He also jumps from perch to perch and walks easily on the floor. It actually looks like he's strutting around proud when we waddles across the floor. Pretty cute.

I also didn't know that people kept morning doves as pets. Always think of the fat white ones as the pet kind. 

Oh!! And I didn't know that about wildlife centers. How terrible! I always heard they wouldn't take them, and would tell you to just leave it be. If it lives it lives, if it dies it dies sort of thing. So, we didn't want to call them anyways, but I didn't know they euthanized them as well.  I guess doves aren't as lucrative as hawks and eagles.

Oh, and do you think he'll get lonely? Do birds do okay solo?


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## Wendaline (Jun 28, 2013)

This is a picture of him...sorry it's not very clear. I didn't know if the flash would scare him so I turned it off.


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

Let me clarify about the wildlife Rehabbers and Humane Society's. not all will euthanize doves, but it's best to check them out. Just in case.

And I will have to defer to other, more experienced, dove people concerning the nutritional needs. I'm not sure. I have heard that some owners put a small mirror in the cage to keep single birds company. Of course, there's nothing better than having a mate. lol. Depends on how long you plan on keeping him.  Several people keep only one dove but then they become the mate. Some very interesting stories about the one on one relationships. If you have the time to interact with him on a daily basis he should be okay.


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

You can go back to the main page and look under the Pet Pigeons and Dove section to get answers to a lot of your questions. I will move your thread there


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## Wendaline (Jun 28, 2013)

Thank you, I'll check that out.  

And we found a little bird mirror to put in with him. Hopefully he'll like it!


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## Herp Lover (May 14, 2013)

I don't know much about doves but I wanted to let you know that the cage protectors (round cans that hang on the cage) are toxic to birds.


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## Wendaline (Jun 28, 2013)

Oh, no, really? That's not good. Why would they sell them for birds? I guess I better go take that off. Thanks for the warning.


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## Wendaline (Jun 28, 2013)

That mirror was a great idea! Our little bird loves it.  I wonder what other toys they like...


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

That is not a Mourning Dove. It's a ringneck dove. That's good as there will be no worries about it being a protected species of bird that you should not have. Thank you for helping it and good luck with nursing it back to complete health.

Terry


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

I was going to say that also......It looks like a Ringneck Dove. Probably someone's escaped pet. Thank you for caring and taking him in....he wouldn't have lasted long in the wild!


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## Wendaline (Jun 28, 2013)

Oh, thank you! Ringneck  I'll remember that.


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## Majd (Apr 6, 2013)

Yeah it's a ringneck dove.... he's so cute and thank you for taking him in.... you can keep it as a pet.... he should have escaped from his owner..... besides the tail feathers ar not "injured" they're a bit damaged because of a small cage he's been into... and they won't heal.... new ones will grow back when he is molting (a period of time when birds slowly loose their feathers and grow new ones... and that's one time every year)... if you wish him to have new one fast... you can gently pull them off and after two weeks new ones will grow completely.... as for food you can give him a pigeon/dove seed mix or offer your own mix of millet, popcorn, wheat, pellets...etc. 
Hope you can keep him and in your place I would get him a mate... he will be much more happy and he might raise some babies for you  but first you should make sure what sex is he...


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## Wendaline (Jun 28, 2013)

Thank you  I'll keep my eyes open for some dove feed.

You think a small cage did that?  That wouldn't be any fun. Cage too small and your feathers get beat up. Kind of like they do with bettas. Poor fish.

Our cage is 2 1/2 feet long, 1 1/2 feet deep, and 3 feet tall. Is that a good sized cage?

Hehe, I'm not sure what sex it is and I'm not comfortable enough to hold him and find out. All I know is he's a pretty noisy bird.  Whenever someone walks in the room he gets all excited and talkative and whenever someone leaves. Coo, coo, coo... He's in our living room so he gets a fair amount of attention since that's where we hang out when we're home.

My sister is good with birds, though, so when she comes to visit maybe she'll be able to help...or even leave with a new pet. If not, we don't mind keeping him either. Actually he's got a long list of people interested. My dad likes him too. 

And I would like to get him a friend, but I heard if he's a male he'd be territorial with another male...and although I want him to be happy I really don't think I'm up for raising babies...although I bet they're CUTE! Do girls get along? Maybe he'll turn out to be a she and we can get her a sister.


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## Majd (Apr 6, 2013)

Don't worry your cage is fine... and if he coos that much and he's noisy so he's probably a he.... he can stay solo or you can get him another mate from the same sex and they'll pair up.... because in this case no other sex in available so pigeons and doves from the same sex will pair up and mate... but the introduction should be slow and no direct contact... you can get information from other threads or post your own if you get one.... He has to be famous and has lots of fans... he's a handsome bird and sooo cute


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## Wendaline (Jun 28, 2013)

Oh good  I'll definitely think about getting him a male to bond with once he settles in. It would be nice to know he's got good company while we're at work. 

Thank you for all the helpful information.


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

I don't know where your located, but if you have a Petco nearby, they carry 'Dove Mix' usually in the wild food section. If you can't find any, you can mix wild seed with safflower seed. They love safflower!


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## Wendaline (Jun 28, 2013)

Thank you for the tip  CT (that's what we named him) thanks you too.


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## Wendaline (Jun 28, 2013)

Just a bit of an update. 

Well I've been noticing a TON of ring necks outside my home. Definitely think he was a wild bird. Which is kind of sad because by the time his feathers grow back it will be winter and we won't let him out then. Definitely is going to end up as a pet.

Although, I think he's probably pretty happy. He makes this laughing noise all the time, plus his cooing, and sometimes these weird little heh sounds...kind of like a hiccup. He plays with the parrot toys (two mirrors, dangling balls, and plastic rings) and loooves to splash in his bath and make a mess. He also bows a lot. 

We let him out to fly around...though he's really clumsy at it. But he definitely makes you work to catch him sometimes. Sometimes he's super chill and lets you pick him up. Other times he likes to laugh and run away. "Hehehe...you can't catch me...hehehe." My roomy thinks we've corrupted him. Our cats (which are locked in another room when he is out) are pretty naughty and now the bird is too. 

We plan on getting a bigger cage in the future...like one big enough for a person to stand in and hopefully get another male dove. I just hope he takes to a friend. It would be terrible if he decided to be antisocial. But we figure the new cage will help. That way no one has home field advantage.


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## Wendaline (Jun 28, 2013)

He loves his ladder-mirror...and his pineapple, although he doesn't seem to know it's for pecking.

http://s1155.photobucket.com/user/keirapozzi/media/DSC01672.jpg.html


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## Wendaline (Jun 28, 2013)

*Help*

I need help.

CT (our dove we rescued from the windowsill) has been losing feathers around his beak and other areas...though the beak is the only noticeable area. He still eats, drinks, poops, coos, and plays normally, but he looks like terrible. Is this just molting? Or could he be sick?


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

This time of year is when they go through a heavy molt, to have nice new feathers for winter. I'm guessing you live in the south? These ring neck doves and collard doves have been multiplying from pet escape or releases for some years now, they are pretty prominent in Florida.


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## Jass SamOplay (May 29, 2012)

Yes ur CT could be moulting. The shredded tail feathers could be gone and new pretty ones will make him more charming 
Moulting is stressful for birds. In moulting birds need to handled less because new coming feathers are raw and delicate(especially the flights and tail feathers).
In moulting, extra protein in diet is helpful like legumes,cereal grains etc. Little calcium and vitamins are gonna help.
Letting him Bath once/twice a week is also helpful as it helps shedding the old waste feathers and encourage newly growing feathers to grow by softening them.


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## Wendaline (Jun 28, 2013)

Thank you both.  I figured it might be that, but I wasn't sure...first bird. 

CT has a big bowl for his water so he bathes daily (and makes quite a mess!  ) But I'll make sure to add some extra goodies to his food bowl. 

Thank you for the quick replies!


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Im glad you got the info you asked for, even if you had to hear it twice and then some..


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## Jass SamOplay (May 29, 2012)

Oh he is bathing daily. wow! He loves hygiene, cool! 


If its a open bowl from which he drinks I hope u don't let him poop into it. Does he poop in it sometimes?


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## Wendaline (Jun 28, 2013)

Not usually no. We put it in a corner of the cage away from his perches. And the few times he has pooped in it we change it ASAP because ewww. lol But that's pretty rare.


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