# Dove making strange sound?



## Lucy5 (Oct 28, 2014)

Hi! A couple of weeks ago, my cat brought in an injured(she caused it) spotted/laceneck dove fledgeling. He had what looked like a sprained wing, and lost a lot of flight feathers, as well as his tail feathers. I took him in and have been looking after him ever since. I brought him to an avian vet three days after he arrived and he said he seems healthy other than the wing (which seems to have healed now), and that he is carrying no diseases or anything like that. 

For now, I am keeping him as a pet as it's illegal here to look after a "feral" bird with the intentions of releasing it. The last couple of days he's been starting to make these little whistle/peeping sounds, and I'm not really sure what it means? I think he's fairly comfortable around me, but he does it at such random times that I don't know if it's because he's scared or just making sounds. Other than those peeps, he's always silent. The vet thought he was around 4 weeks old (this was around two weeks ago).

I took this video this afternoon to explain what he's doing (I know the cage is small, I'm working on getting a larger and nicer one for him )

https://www.dropbox.com/s/drwm3deufpn3fnp/Dovey.mp4?dl=0

So is this normal, is he afraid or calling for help? Sometimes he's very happy to sit on my hand and walks up to me and forages around me on my floor, and he does this peeping at weird times. The time in the video was just because I walked into my room to put something away. Another time was this morning when my mum was leaving the room.


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

I might be wrong, but to me this sounds like an alarm call, they do this when they see predators. Are you sure he's not seeing the cat when he does this?


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## Lucy5 (Oct 28, 2014)

That's what I thought it might be, but I have the door to my room closed at all times and I don't think he's seen any of the pets when I enter or leave the room. Could he be scared of me? That would kind of surprise me considering how he does this sound off and on at strange times, and usually will spend a whole day with me without doing it.


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

If there's a window he can see thru, it might even be something he sees flying in the distance. They usually sit quite still when making that sound.

So no need to worry, he's just acting like a perfect normal bird.


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## Lucy5 (Oct 28, 2014)

That'll be it, then  I have his cage sat in front of my bedroom window so that he can know when it's day and night and see outside - is this maybe a bad idea and teasing him?
Glad to know he's being a normal bird!


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

Will even be better for him to put the cage outside for some sunshine and fresh air. Birds also need Vit D that they get from direct sunshine and not through a window. Just be careful it's not too hot for him and that the cat won't be able to get to him again.


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## CBL (May 13, 2014)

Sounds like an inquiring contact call to me.


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## Lucy5 (Oct 28, 2014)

I'll think about putting the cage outside for a bit, though there are a lot of cats in the neighbourhood so I'd probably be keeping a close eye on him or be out there too.

@CBL - to me or other birds?


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## CBL (May 13, 2014)

To you. That is simply to me a questioning chirp when she probably sees you. I see no fear in the bird to be an alarm call. Body posture seems fine, not upright and alert or scared. Cute. Sounds similar to a baby duck to me. If it were a alarm call, she would be very upright, moving around alot, trying to get away and louder! Her neck would be stretched and she would be looking escape.


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## Lucy5 (Oct 28, 2014)

Ohh, okay - that's good to know! Because he's usually still and looking around slightly when he does it. I was worried maybe he was so frightened for whatever reason that he couldn't even move, he certainly doesn't try to jump around and get away when he does it (though he doesn't come to me either). Thank you!
Also, you said "she" - do you think it might be female? I've just been going with "he" because the vet said the only way to tell would be DNA testing and I can't afford that.


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## CBL (May 13, 2014)

No I dont know just what I typed, if you want to be sure, google pics of dove pairs of the species you think s/he is and compare markings too the one you have


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## Lucy5 (Oct 28, 2014)

It's a young spotted dove and the males and females look the same, haha


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

I always thought my dove was a he, until "he" laid eggs a month ago. That's the only way to be sure. That happened when "he" was about a year old.


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## Lucy5 (Oct 28, 2014)

@Marina B haha, maybe I'll find out that way too 

Also, the dove started up with the peeping when my mum put her hand in the cage today, and he seemed a bit afraid - I feel that he may be doing it when scared as well as just whenever.


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## CBL (May 13, 2014)

They sure will have more than a one peep repertoire lol
Funny bout the egg laying male lol.


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

And then she sat on the eggs only for a day. I handed her little twigs that she tucked in underneath her. It was so sweet actually. Then she must have thought this is too much doing on her own and just left the egg to continue with her daily routine.


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## Lucy5 (Oct 28, 2014)

Aw, that's really cute  I love watching Dovey lay down and snuggle into himself to rest.


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