# Found an adolescent dove on the ground...HELP



## Beatnikbettie (Aug 12, 2011)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/sacagowea/utf-8BSU1HLTIwMTEwODExLTAwMDkxLmpwZw.jpg

Found this baby hopping around a having cat populated apartment complex in Phoenix, AZ. Not making a sound and pretty docile for a baby. I've rescued mocking birds and owned doves and pigeons but never rescued a baby so I have no real idea what to do. Bird (I named it Shiloh) is hanging out in a cat carrier, with a hand towel, rodent nesting material, a small plastic ladder/perch( which it's not using) some yogurt covered millet and a small dish of water. I did what we do for mocking birds, whole grain bread with milk in a syringe.. Not a peep so far out of the little guy, didn't want to take food from me but will perch on my finger or shoulder (seems to prefer shoulder) croop was empty so gave about 1/2 tsp-1tsp of breast mixture. Croop wasn't filled at all but something to tide it over. Anyhow, I know now they don't tolerate milk so I won't be doing that again. He/she is calm, likes to hop. Won't fly. Pecked me twice but only during feeding and what worries me is he's still not making any noise. Soooo umm help? I don't want to put it out if it's not flying, don't know if it's injured (looks fine just a little scragly but has some pin feathers so I expect that) I don't live here in AZ and I don't think it could survive a 6 hour drive in the heat back to California in a box.


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

Beatnikbettie said:


> http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/sacagowea/utf-8BSU1HLTIwMTEwODExLTAwMDkxLmpwZw.jpg
> 
> Found this baby hopping around a having cat populated apartment complex in Phoenix, AZ. Not making a sound and pretty docile for a baby. I've rescued mocking birds and owned doves and pigeons but never rescued a baby so I have no real idea what to do. Bird (I named it Shiloh) is hanging out in a cat carrier, with a hand towel, rodent nesting material, a small plastic ladder/perch( which it's not using) some yogurt covered millet and a small dish of water. I did what we do for mocking birds, whole grain bread with milk in a syringe.. Not a peep so far out of the little guy, didn't want to take food from me but will perch on my finger or shoulder (seems to prefer shoulder) croop was empty so gave about 1/2 tsp-1tsp of breast mixture. Croop wasn't filled at all but something to tide it over. Anyhow, I know now they don't tolerate milk so I won't be doing that again. He/she is calm, likes to hop. Won't fly. Pecked me twice but only during feeding and what worries me is he's still not making any noise. Soooo umm help? I don't want to put it out if it's not flying, don't know if it's injured (looks fine just a little scragly but has some pin feathers so I expect that) I don't live here in AZ and I don't think it could survive a 6 hour drive in the heat back to California in a box.


Have you tried giving him wild bird seed? He looks like he might be old enough since the feathers are filled in around his beak. 

If he is not weaned, you should feed him Kaytee Exact. 

Some of my doves don't make much noise either. This might just be a quiet little hen. I have one who only makes noise if her brother does.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Looks like an adolescent European Collared Dove. He might or might not know how to eat seeds at this point, I don't have any experience with them. I'd work on getting him to eat regular seeds, though. I also wouldn't worry too much about bringing him back with you in a box as long as you put holes in it and don't leave it in a parked car in the sun with the windows closed.

Pidgey


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

Looks like a baby White-Winged Dove to me.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Yeah, you're right... I was looking at it on my iPhone in crappy lighting, sorry.

That said, any suggestions on feeding it?

Pidgey


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## Bird Crazy (Aug 9, 2011)

I taught my baby mourning dove to feed itself by showing it how to eat seed from a flat surface - plate or pan, shallow dish, by poking at the seed (with determination) with one finger and at the same time giving the food call - continuous short whistle sounds - like it's mom would make to get it to follow suit. She immediately came over to see what I was doing and watched intently. After a few seconds of watching me, she caught on pretty quickly and started pecking around in the seed with her beak. It took a few tries but she was eventually able to pick up the seeds swallow them. I repeated this at every feeding until she was eating consistently on her own. 

This baby is obviously much older than my dove was but the technique to wean it onto solid food - with supplemental hand feeding of formula as necessary so it doesn't loose weight and condition - is the same. You need to show the bird how to eat because birds learn by example. 

Additionally I think you are right to be concerned about the baby not making any noise. While doves are generally quiet by nature, come feeding time babies will beg for food if they are not weaned by fluttering their wings to attract the parent bird's attention, making noise and opening their beak to accept food when it is gently tapped. Does this happen when you feed the peas/mash? and Do you have the baby on a heat source? It might be that it's cold (even though it seems fully feathered) and warming it up may help to get it more vocal. Good job so far and just keep showing it what it needs to do. It'll catch on. If not, I'd recommend a visit to an avian vet.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

I was kinda' more meaning the "what to feed it" rather than the "how", the reason being that it's a true wild dove species that would technically require a federally licensed rehabber to take care of it (I think). An ECD (European Collared Dove) is considered a non-native (and probably invasive) species that isn't protected (rather like standard pigeons) and, as such, wouldn't be "protected", but these guys are methinks.

"Protected", by the way, doesn't exactly mean what you'd think it meant when dealing with wild animals...

Anyhow, if one was to try and rehab it to assume its place in the wild, one would need to teach it to eat what that particular species eats in the real (and wild) world.

Pidgey


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