# Hi - Can anyone give any advice ?



## ladynat (Jun 22, 2006)

Hi 

I have been surfing the internet looking for a bit of advice and you guys seem my best bet so here goes  

We seem to have a fantail dove that has taken a shine to our house. We assume that he was kept by somebody else and has either been released or escaped and seems to have decided to live on our window sill 

I have been putting wild bird food and water out for him(don't obviously know what sex it is but I call him Dave ) on our front garden and he comes down to feed. Some collared doves and wood pidgeons sometimes join him and he seems o.k. with that but if any small birds come onto the garden, he seems to chase them off  

Anyway, he has been here about 2 months now and while it is summer over here in England that isn't a problem but I am a bit worried about a few things.

Presuming he stops, what is he going to do in winter?

And is he lonely ??

He won't venture onto our back garden where we feed all the regular birds and a few squirrels. He flies off for about 10 minutes- 30 minutes regularly but he always comes back so he seems to have adopted us. He knows my husband and my voices now and will come down onto the garden if we are feeding him and he struts around and seems to fan his tail more and make a cooing/clucking noise. He comes within a couple of feet of us but no closer and he is always keeping an eye on any sudden movements

So, what do we do??

Any help would be appreciated

Thanks

Ladynat


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Sounds like it WAS someone's pet at one time. If it truly is a fantail, it probably won't go far from your house because they are not terrific or even good flyers. They fly just good enough to get around. It's probably just a matter of time before a hawk or a cat or a dog gets it. Do you know where it roosts at night? Are you in a position to take the bird in and keep it as a pet? Pigeons are fairly easy to catch in the dark cause they can't see. All you would have to do is grab it and hold on.  Can you tell us where you are? If you can catch it, but don't want to keep it, someone may be close by that could take it. I think you need to catch it and get it inside where it's safe, then worry about all the other stuff.....
PS: I wouldn't worry about how it will survive the winter..........I don't think it will last that long out in the wild..


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## ladynat (Jun 22, 2006)

Hi

Thanks for replying. We have heard rumours that a loft was broken into about 1/2 mile away and all the pigeons were let out. Apparently the guy had 1 fantail dove so it would fit that he escaped from there. A guy who lives up the road says that he has spoken to him about it and he was going to come and have a look. If he has, he hasn't caught him or maybe he hasn't bothered  

Unfortunately we have nowhere we can keep him inside but would gladly let someone take him to a good home. I am a bit concerned already about the cats as we have quite a few around us but none up to now have managed to get him. We do have a sparrowhawk which has been know to swoop through our back garden after the small birds but as dave seems to be on the front and we have never seen the hawk venture that way I think he is relatively safe.

He is a lovely little bird but have no idea how to get someone who would want him, to get him IYSWIM  

We are in Derbyshire in the UK. I have had a look for a UK site but I don't seem to be able to find anything ?? 

Oh and at night it is roosting on the satellite dish or the window sill about the same height as the dish ??
Natalie


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

You can you reach the windowsill easily, right? A cat could jump up there and get him, then, in the dark of the night. Is there any way that you could find who that person is who might have lost the fantail and get in direct contact with him?

Pidgey


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Hi Natalie,

Sounds very 'coincidental' about the fella with one fantail. If he'd been enclosed, and (as Lovebirds says) not being great fliers, it's quite likely he spotted your food and the woodies and doves and decided to hang out.

Guess you don't have a shed or sinilar he could reside in temporarily?

Can't think offhand of anyone in Derbyshire - nearest I can think of is someone with white pigeons and a dovecote in Lancs (Nelson, I believe). We'll check - Cynthia (Cyro51) may have better memory than I 

John


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