# Inca dove needs a friend!



## Trish in Dallas (Jun 5, 2012)

I have an Inca dove that I adopted last year from a family in Austin. Mama dove was killed by their outdoor ceiling fan so they incubated the egg she left behind. Turns out this species is protected, so they aren't for sale. And there are no Incas where I live, so even a soft release isn't an option. He's definitely a male, and he's a complete cuddlebug but I can tell he's lonely. I work all day so he's all alone until I get home at 6. He gets a lot of attention at night but I'd love to find him a friend. I have two flight cages so I could keep them separated if needed. Any ideas for a buddy? He can be a bit feisty. I'm willing to drive to get the right bird. I know he gets along with mourning doves, but his mourning dove friend was released last month. He has a mirror but isn't really attached to it. Any suggestions welcome.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

ring neck dove hen? they are domestic and for sale.


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## threasha (Mar 25, 2007)

Incas are tiny (nearly sparrow sized) I would think a diamond dove hen would be okay..not too big. Plus diamonds kinda have the same "spunk" so he won't be able to bully her around as much as some of the more gentle species.

Just a thought.


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## Trish in Dallas (Jun 5, 2012)

*Friends for Necco*



threasha said:


> Incas are tiny (nearly sparrow sized) I would think a diamond dove hen would be okay..not too big. Plus diamonds kinda have the same "spunk" so he won't be able to bully her around as much as some of the more gentle species.
> 
> Just a thought.


Hi Threasha, 

Thank you for your suggestion—It's a good one. I need to close this thread because I finally found a home for Necco at a rehab center down in Houston who has a small flock on Incas. And you're right, they're tiny. But they sure are feisty! We're hoping he'll love being with other Incas. He's only a year old and should have many happy years ahead of him to find a mate and make little Inca babies. If he doesn't integrate into the flock, they'll keep him around as an educational bird since they're licensed to do that. They've got several birds under that umbrella who get lots of love and attention. We're driving Necco down to Houston on Sunday to meet with the director of the rehab center (TWRC) and she's going to take Necco under her wing, so to speak. We're going to miss him like crazy and I've been tearful all week but we think it's in Necco's best interest. He may miss us at first but I think he'll be very happy there. And until I get my aviary built I'll have a very quiet house again. I'll sure miss the little guy. Thanks again!


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

*That is certainly good news, I'm sure he will adjust to his new living situation and no doubt enjoy the other birds, but it will be bittersweet for you to let him go.

Thank you for the update.
*


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## threasha (Mar 25, 2007)

Your welcome 

Glad to hear he will have a flock of his own. These guys really need members of their own species to bond with. PLUS he will be helping the public learn about the importance of conservation! 

Here in AZ all the flocks of incas have moved out of their natural habitats in favor of the city way of life.. This has caused a multitude of problems for them. Many people think of them as pests (like their larger pigeon cousins) and are shot, poisoned, and trapped by our ill-informed populace. And sadly, there is not enough of an effort being made to educate people on these little cuties.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

*That is sad, these creatures are trying to adjust to a human world as the poor feral pigeons are, with consequences of death. Education is the answer, not extermination. In fact, it has already been proved that their numbers come back, after extermination. People need to learn to get along with them, not to overfeed them or leave scraps of food everywhere, that is why the birds move to the city, then they breed full force from being overfed and their population gets noticed and then exterminated. The problem is human intervention. *


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