# Can wild pigeons and doves crossbreed?



## julhale (Sep 12, 2005)

Hi,

I just registered on this board because I have an odd situation. I am a wildlife rehabber and I also have an aviary of white doves. I raised a baby rock dove (standard blue wild pigeon) and put it in the aviary to get it ready for release. He was so happy with its new family that I did not let him go. (I let him loose for a couple of days, but he would not leave - he sat by the door and injured himself trying to get back in!)

This summer, he wooed a dove. He had tried to "help" several doves with their nests, then he found a hen that appreciated his attention. She laid an egg, and it just hatched. The baby is well cared for and growing. It is either a crossbreed or a very ugly, deformed dove. It's beak is flat and duck-bill like. The down is mottled yellow and grey. It has HUGE feet! I moved the proud parents and nest to a separate cage so the baby would not be picked at for being different.

Does anyone have any experience with this? I really feel like I screwed up by letting them cross! Can anyone offer any advice? It looks like I will have a "mule" baby to take care of now... but I will be separating them as soon as the baby is self suficient...

Basically, I feel like an idiot and am looking for some advice from the pigeon and dove experts.

thanks,
Julie


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Hello Julie, and Welcome to Pigeons.com

Thank you for hand raising and caring for the baby pigeon.That is the first time I have heard of an actual pairing AND breeding. Would love to see a picture of the baby if you could post it.

I'm only a pigeon fancier, but I have heard of pigeons being raised by doves, and doves being raised by pigeons, but never actually breeding a pigeon with a dove. I think it is wise to keep the birds from breeding, but accidents happen and I have had some pairings I didn't want. 

I think it is wonderful that the pigeon adjusted so nicely and loves living with them and has a mate that is a dove. Instead of separating the birds, and making them both unhappy, why don't you just replace the eggs with dummy eggs after they are laid. That is what I had to do with a couple of babies, that were brother and sisters (hand raised) that mated. I didn't have the heart to break them up as they lost their mom when they were babies. They are well adjusted but developed a close bond after their trauma.

Now I myself wouldn't make a habit of keeping pigeons and doves together, but since the pigeon has bonded to the doves so well, I would make an acception. Let's wait and hear from the experts here, who have both pigeons & doves. They should be along shortly.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Here is a link to Dr. Wilmer Miller's site with some info on hybrid doves/pigeons:

http://tinyurl.com/cqqcq

Terry


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Interesting!

Are you actually speaking of doves as in the domestic Indian Ringneck white varieties, or fantails/pure white pigeons?

John


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## julhale (Sep 12, 2005)

John D,

I have white, champaigne, and mottled white/champaigne varieties of ringneck doves - real doves... not pigeons... 'cept for the wild pigeon named Snorkel.

thanks,
Julie


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Julie,

Amazing stuff!

We got a sweet Eurasian Collared Dove (male). Heck, maybe he could woo one of our feral rescue hens - he is certainly well integrated into our pigeon aviary.

Do let us see pics if you can, as this most unusual cross develops 

John


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## julhale (Sep 12, 2005)

Having found kindred hearts in the matters of pigeons, I think I should indulge you all with Snorkel's story. All my rescue babies have unique stories that speak of their enduring will to live, and Snorkel is no different. 

My husband has been a life long city dweller, I'm a farm girl. We live on a hobby farm that has enough of an acreage to allow me to have my little critter hobbies. When I brought home a baby pigeon, he was flabbergasted. He couldn't believe that ANYONE needed to save a sky rat... But it was a baby and he didn't stay weird about it for too long.

An older couple had gone camping. Their RV was parked behind the camp ground store near the A/C unit. Their was a pigeon nest above the A/C unit. Every time the A/c kicked on, the nest vibrated. They spent their 2 weeks of vacation scooping the babies up as they shook out of the nest and replacing them. They were worried that somebody would break their neck, so they put a bunch of wadded up newspaper on the ground under the nest. The babies were getting so big that they were flipping out of the nest all the time.

When it came time to go home, the husband took a plastic trash bag and stuffed all the newspaper in it. He tied up the bag and stuck it in the RV and drove toward home. Enroute, he stopped for TWO DAYS at his daughter's house. When he got home and started to unload the trash, he heard a sighing sound coming from the bag.

Snorkel had survived three days in the bag. He was fairly emaciated when I got him. I didn't have any gavage gear, so I mixed my rescue formula in a nyquil cup and let him suck it up. After he got the hang of things, I fed him from a 1/4 cup measuring cup. He got his name because he would go in with his entire head and suck from the bottom up. I thought he needed a snorkel 

He turned out to be the most loving little twit. He climbs all over me and talks to me when I enter the aviary. He is beautiful and healthy and very affectionate. Even the old crass hubby has a hard time not smiling when I have him out on the shoulder.

I'll get some pictures of the little mulie....

julie


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## Lin Hansen (Jan 9, 2004)

Julie,

Thanks for sharing Snorkel's story....it's a real good one!

Good luck with your "mule" baby.

Linda


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## julhale (Sep 12, 2005)

*re: the link Terry sent*

From reading the info on hybrids that Terry sent on link, it seems that I have a rarity on my hands. Probably only happened because Snorkel was raised and accepted among the doves. With Snorkel being male, it is likely that Mulie is male and would be a willing foster parent. That's actually kind of cool for me as a rehabber - I get lots of baby doves in each year. Being able to pawn them off on a foster parent is prime conditions! 

Thanks for all the input! I don't have pictures yet, but will send them as soon as I can.

julie


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Julie, 

Post a picture so we may see the new little one...!

Too, I have seen more than one baby who most would have said was ugly or 'off' looking, which turned out to be quite beautiful as they grew, and once grown..!

 

Phil
Las Vegas


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

Thank you for sharing Snorkel's story. Quite an amazing story. He is a lucky little guy to have found you.

Reti


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