# Mourning Doves



## PeterNYC (Jun 10, 2011)

I moved into a new apartment a little over two months ago. It has a balcony and I was excited to be able to feed birds. I put seed and water trays out on a table and for the first two months the food and water weren’t touched. This week, I’ve had up to 13 mourning doves on the balcony at a time, eating, drinking and basking. They come first thing in the morning and throughout the day up until just before sunset, to get their dinner. I hope they will become very regular, and maybe even comfortable with my presence eventually! 
Any tips/recommendations? What other than seed mix can I give them?
Does anyone use something to keep their water warm/from freezing during colder months? 
Should I provide them a shelter of some sort?


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

You can put down a wild bird seed mixture for them. Fresh drinking water every day. Apple cider vinegar is very good for pigeons and doves, helps to keep them healthy. You can add 5 ml acv to 1 litre of their drinking water. Do this 2 or 3 times a week.

Hopefully your neighbours won't object to you feeding the birds. Just remember, their numbers will only grow from now on. Just feed them once a day, and stick to the same amount of food. It will be best for them if they don't become too dependant upon you.

No need to supply them with shelter, they will know where to sleep. You can put up a small reed basket in the one corner of the balcony, high up and close to the ceiling. Maybe a couple will start a nest in there.


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## Ladygrey (Dec 10, 2016)

Very nice, they really can use the extra food in cold months. They group up like this when they are not breeding. They are a protected species so most people are accepting in seeing them, unlike feral pigeons who are not native. 


The water I would dump it in the late evening and put it out in the morning.. it may freeze a bit when cold enough.. so you could use a chicken drinker warmer at those times, but those heaters are for galvanized metal, not plastic. So be careful. There could be some new things available in a wild bird store for waterers for the bird enthusiast. Just have to go look, or look online.. wildbirds unlimited is one.


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## PeterNYC (Jun 10, 2011)

Great! Thanks for the info. I put an outdoor reptile heat pad under the food bowl and it should keep it from freezing. 
We had about 20 or so this morning I’d say. I guess bird word is spreading.


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## MesaAZGuy (May 17, 2019)

I never knew Mourning Doves were in NYC. We left NYC 20 years ago and I never seen one there. We have millions of them out here in AZ. More so than pigeons.


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## PeterNYC (Jun 10, 2011)

When it’s as cold as it is now, or colder, should I be placing water outside for them? I’m afraid they’ll step in it, or worse, bathe, then go off and land on something like the metal handrail and get stuck to it. Could this happen?


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## Ladygrey (Dec 10, 2016)

They especially need water in winter. Their body temp won’t let it freeze on them. An easy to get to source is much needed.


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

If you are worried about that, try to get one of those waterbowls that they use for young chicks (don't know what it's called). Has a huge plastic container in the centre and around that only a few centimetres that is filled with water.


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## Ladygrey (Dec 10, 2016)

Marina B said:


> If you are worried about that, try to get one of those waterbowls that they use for young chicks (don't know what it's called). Has a huge plastic container in the centre and around that only a few centimetres that is filled with water.


 Those are too shallow for them to suck water from.


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