# Found Scared flightless DOVE-please help



## AnimalsRPeopleToo (Aug 11, 2013)

I do not know anything about birds, but I found a dove walking around and he did not fly away as I approached. I was worried something is wrong so I brought him in. He is in my back patio in a small enclosure I made for my cats to hang out in sometimes. I cannot afford to take him to the vet and it is very late on a Saturday night, am not sure if the two places in town will be open tomorrow CALM and FACT (kern county, California) to take him in. He is not bleeding, looks ok. He seems stressed and is poking his head through the holes trying to get out of the enclosure, not sure if he does that only when I go out there. My cat won't stop looking at him through the window and maybe that is stressing him out too? ( i cannot confine the cat) should I just release him? But he cannot fly or has even attempted. 
I believe he is part of a pair of doves that live around here and just earlier today it seemed like they were fighting, or fluttering about weird but I didn't really pay much attention to them. I looked it up online and he seems to be a mourning dove. I gave him plain, cooked white rice and wheat grass seeds, as I have nothing else, and a little dish of water. I also have flax seeds but from what I have read they won't like those. He hasn't eaten that I have seen. I left a towel on the floor with a water bottle filled with warm water but he didn't like it. I am worried about the lil guy and have no idea what to do. :0(


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

*Do you have a cat carrier you can put the bird in?

Can you post a picture of the dove?

Has it drank any water?

Are there any injuries on the bird?

You can hand feed it frozen (thawed, drained and warmed) peas one at a time. Gently open beak insert pea on top and back of tongue. Allow bird to swallow and repeat.

This may be a youngster and not eating on its own yet. *


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## AnimalsRPeopleToo (Aug 11, 2013)

Yes, I have a cat carrier, but he seems to be ok only tries to escape (put his head thought the holes ) when I go out there. If safer, I could try to put him in there, but this seems less confining. 
I do not have frozen peas and would have to wait until we go to the storelater today. He does not seem very young and looks full grown to me, I am pretty sure I have seen him (only a couple of similar doves in these trees )before around here, but flying. He has not eaten or drank in front of me and all I offered seems untouched, he is pooping a lot though. He does not have any visible injuries and wings look fine, feet look fine and walks just fine.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Can't tell anything from the pic. Too dark. Youngsters do look a lot like adults, and if you have seen a pair around, then more then likely they have had babies. He could be too young to fly, but the parents may be feeding him. If he has been pooping, then he has been fed not long ago. If he was safe where he was, then maybe he should be returned there to see if the parents are taking care of him. If there are cats around, then he probably isn't safe out there. If he isn't flying, and is a young one, then there must be a nest near where you found him. Have you looked for one? They eat wild bird seed from under feeders a lot, but he may not even know how to eat yet. If that be the case, then the frozen peas, which are defrosted and warmed under warm running water, would be a good thing to hand feed him. But if the parents are feeding and it is a safe place, then he is much better off being raised by them.

Can you post a clearer picture of him?


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## AnimalsRPeopleToo (Aug 11, 2013)

Sorry about the quality of the pic, he becomes frantic when I approach him. I found him wandering around on the sidewalk, there are several stray cats around here and people walk their dogs a lot on the complex. The trees next to my apt. are too high to spot a nest, I want him to be home with his family, but I am worried about his safety also. He has not made a sound since we found him, but only just started to chirp kind of only a couple of times. Should I leave him by the trees where I normally see the other doves? (But keep an eye on him)
I will get him the peas when we go to run our errands today and do our shopping. Right now he is alert, sitting down, but then paces around when he sees us. You know, it seems likes he wants to close his eyes and sleep but he is too scared and opens them up to stay awake.... It seems.


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## RockPigeon<3er (Aug 2, 2012)

He looks young.... His beak looks like the pin feathers haven't emerged yet. A baby thing (or moulting, I guess)... If the feathers around his beak are pin, then lift up his wing... Likely those will be pin feathers too... Then most likely he is a baby... Do the wings move? If you pick him up, leaving the wings able to move freely, will he flap? It's possible he's a fledged baby...


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## AnimalsRPeopleToo (Aug 11, 2013)

Yes, I called a place here in town called the California animal living museum, and they said it is a fledgling. They told me to leave him back outside where I found him and his mom would come and find him, she didn't seem concerned and was quick to get off the phone. I left him on the patio ledge (close to where I found him but not on the ground) where I can keep an eye on him, and also where his parents can easily find him, though I have not seen the doves today. He is just hanging out there and has not left.


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## RockPigeon<3er (Aug 2, 2012)

You could pop some peas in his mouth (or corn) and pick up some bird seed.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

That's too bad, as they were most likely caring for him. They are better raised by the parents as they teach them how to find food and all. But if there are many cats around then he could be snatched up. You could try getting him to eat some birdseed, and leave him some water. If he doesn't eat, then get some frozen peas and defrost and warm them under warm running water. Hold him on your lap and against your body. Open his beak and put in a pea and push it to the back of his throat. Let him close his beak to swallow. You need to get some food into him. Maybe you can try again tomorrow putting him outside where his parents would find him?


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## pirab buk (Sep 8, 2011)

any update on this dove?


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