# need help concerning a mourning dove!!



## Jen74 (Dec 15, 2013)

Hi There,

I am rather new to this site. I have a question and concern about a wild mourning dove. I have been feeding our wild birds for a couple years now. We get a lot of mourning doves. some are very friendly and let us walk right next to them. Well they usually stay here all day hanging out on the garage roof or fence. Then they usually fly away when it starts getting dark to wherever they stay at night. Well earlier this evening I noticed a dove under the porch in the back yard just sitting on the lip of a plastic garbage can we have sitting under the porch right next to the laundry room. I figured he would fly off eventually. Well it is like 10 pm and he is just roosting there. I mean my husband went down to the laundry room to get something and the dove is just resting on top of the lip of the garbage can. The can is about 2 feet tall. When my husband went down there the dove just looked at him but did not fly away. We have not went back out there as I do not want to scare him. Here is my question, is it normal for a dove to do this? I always assumed they liked to perch up higher at night in terms of being safer. Do you think it is hurt and cannot fly and that is why he is staying here? But then if that was the case, and it cannot fly, how would It have gotten on top of the can? I am worried about him. I called one wild bird place and explained to the lady this story. She said not to bother him, to just let him be. She said it would not be good to scare him off this late at night. What are your thoughts? Is it common or safe for a dove to perch so low at night time?? I appreciate any replies...


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## Jass SamOplay (May 29, 2012)

The dove may be a juvenile bird which is struggling to survive in winters or an injured or sick bird.
Well,if cats can reach where she is sitting right now then it aint good for her to spend the night out there... I think you must make an effort to catch her in order to examine her to check on her injury or sickness. If she was fine,she would have flown to a safer place to roost already. If I were in your place I would try to catch her,she is doomed otherwise. No one can tell when a cat could grab her
Its cold out there and if she is sick then she could get frozen and .......
Thnx for caring for that bird


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## LisaNewTumbler (Jun 24, 2013)

I agree. It is not normal behavior. 

She is more at risk from sitting there than the chance that she might fly off. If you have any foxes/stray cats/ racoons/possums or any predators that bird will be very lucky to survive the night.

Try catch her. They don;t see well in the dark. If you can switch off lights from your house you'll have a better chance of sneaking up on her close enough to grab.

You can also try using a sheet or towel to throw over her. I do that to catch birds that accidentily fly into the house


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## Jen74 (Dec 15, 2013)

Thanks for the replies.

I was so worried last night about her. I was afraid to go out there as it was very late and the lady from the bird rescue said it would be a bad idea to startle her at this point because she said the same thing you said, that they do not see to good at night. She said if I scared her off and she could fly, she could end up somewhere that is more dangerous. I was beside myself not knowing what to do. We do have some raccoons that come around, but not lately. I went out early this morning and I saw two mourning doves sitting on the high wires. She was not sitting on the can anymore. I assume that was her sitting with her mate or just another dove. I have like 25 doves that come here to eat when we lay the seed down. I walked up to them and all them flew off so I am guessing she or he does not have an injured wing or they could not fly, right? I just don't know what to think. I know our doves have become very friendly. I have one that I can walk right up next to and talk to and he or she will not fly away. Probably because our yard is like a safe haven, they stay around here all day lounging on our fence and garage roof and the high lines waiting to eat .We do spoil them, that is for sure. I have to keep an eye out today because I do worry as we have a hawk that comes around here from time to time. But from I could see, all the doves can fly. Now maybe she is injured to the point where she can fly up onto something, but not a far distance? I just do not know. But at this point I will have to wait until tonight and see if he or she sticks around again. I cannot pick her out from all the rest, they all look alike and I have like 25 at least. How would I know if something is wrong with her or him of if he or she was sick?? Also, if she happens to stay her again tonight, how should I attempt to get her without hurting her? I mean they are fragile birds. Will she try and peck me? Also do they carry disease at all that I have to be worried about? And lastly, what would I do with her, would have to put her in a cage? Sorry for all the questions, I am just worried about the little guy or gal that is...


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## LisaNewTumbler (Jun 24, 2013)

well if you can't pick identify her then there is no way of knowing if she is flying with the others or was taken by a predator last night.

Generally it is as you said, the doves hang around in high places to be safe from predators, and should be skittish and flighty when low down or on the ground.

Since they have become familiar with you then they may be less skittish but you should know better than anyone what their boundaries are and how close you can get before they spook.

So anytime a bird is acting different, staying too low for too long, sitting on the floor in a corner rather than perches somewhere, or lets you get much too close compared to usual than something is wrong.

Your instincts already told you that, which is why you were concerned about this dove. trust your instincts.

It may be the dove is just tired, had a fight and is feeling weak, just escaped a predator and is feeling weak and in shock. Or it could be the dove is sick and no longer has the strength to fly/perch higher. Generally sick birds look strangely puffy and sorry for themselves. A puffy bird in a warm temperature is a sure sign of sickness.

There are a few illnesses that can be passed on from bird to person but very few. In any case, when handling any animals, but especially feral ones, wash your hands after and don't touch your face etc with dirty hands. 

As for catching it, it depends entirely on the situation. If it is on the floor in a corner I would sneak up on it in the dark and throw a sheet over it and grab it.
I had to catch a hungry and lost racer once and I set a trap of food under an upside down laundry basket, balanced on a wooden spoon to which I tied a string. Sounds insanely comical (and it was) but it worked lol. Bird goes under the basket, I pull the string and the basket comes down trapping the bird 

If perched on something, that is the hardest as you have to make sure that if you throw a sheet over it, it has a safe place to fall. I would even try to drop an open pillow case over it.

But it depends on what you feel comfortable with and the place/condition of the dove. 

If you don't want/have the time to care for the dove yourself, find a local shelter/rescue that will take care of it. As temporary transport a cardboard box with airholes is sufficient.


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## Jen74 (Dec 15, 2013)

Lisanewtumbler,

Thank you so much for all the info, I really appreciate it. I am going to keep an eye out this evening and see if the doves sticks around again. If it does, I may do what you said and try and capture her. I was womdering, if she is sick, is there a place like a vet that would be willing to check her out to see what is wrong? I just would not want to hand her over to just anyone, you know how some places are, they just put animals down if they think something is wrong with them. I would Not want that to happen to this sweet dove. I really appreciate all your help. I will be keeping my eyes out for her or him. Cannot tell if it is a he or she .


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## LisaNewTumbler (Jun 24, 2013)

Its no problem  that's what this place is for

Well I'm not sure about your area. I live on a small island in the middle of the Mediterranean. Things work a little differently here. I certainly don't know any vets who would just put the animal down! On the contrary they are more likely to avoid it because they get to charge you more for repeat visits amd medication.

I don't know about wildlife centres re putting the animals down. Maybe if you stress that there is a tame population in your garden that you feed? I don't know if it is legal for you to take her in. I remember some one once mentioning that in some states it is illegal to have mourning doves as pets. But I don't know about rehabilitation.

The best would be an avian vet if you want to care for her yourself. They might be able to tell you about rehabbers too.

If that fails I would take her to my own vet (though I'm learning that they are sometimes woefully lacking in knowledge about birds :/)

If you take her to a centre/wild life rescuers or such like they'd have their own vets, but I understand your concerns at them putting her down since she is 'wild'

The problem is, if she is sick, she needs a vet. So first I'd find out of mourning doves are protected species, and if the vet is likely to report you or something or confiscate the bird (I might be overexagerating but like I said, your way of doing things is very different from ours so while I could show up with practically any animal legal or not no one would care enough to report it, I don;t want to assume the same for you and then get you in a situation. Maybe someone here who lives closer to you can give you better pointers)

If you want to try take care of her yourself, you'd need a cage and somekind of heating pad. I use a hot water bottle, wrapped in towels and put under the cage, since I do not have a heating pad. Sick birds aren't capable of controlling their own body temperature so get cold easily. Food, water, grit and a quiet place she can rest, preferably cover the cage also. 
But she'd still need medical attention, even just to find out what is wrong with her.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Whenever you see a dove or pigeon acting like that, it's a pretty good sign that they are either sick or injured. Otherwise they would have gone on with the flock. It's not all that hard to capture them at night, as they don't usually want to fly off because they can't see. I'd have tried to grab her at night in the dark. If she flies off, then at least you have tried. Leaving her out there at night is surely not safe for the bird. And she needs help, and by not catching her, you can't help her.
A heating pad set on LOW and with a layer of towel over it , and placed inside the cage for the bird helps to keep her warm.


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