# Baby Dove With Only One Parent



## otis5169 (Jul 15, 2014)

Hi all. This is my first post. I have a nest on my kitchen window sill. A pair of doves successfully reared two babies about six weeks ago. Another two doves were born fives days ago. One of the babies died on the second day. I have not seen the female dove since then. The male dove is the only one caring for the remaining baby. He sits on the nest in the day, but leaves at night. Our weather has turned very cool - High 60's to low 70's during the day and the mid 50's at night. Last night I put the nest in a 2 inch high, flat bottom, plastic container and placed two hand warmers (the kind that you activate by shaking and then put in gloves or shoes) under the nest. I also covered the baby with three, two-ply, 4 inch gauze squares. He survived the night, but when the male dove came to the nest in the morning, he couldn't figure out what to do with the gauze, so he just sat next to the nest for about 30 minutes. He didn't try to feed the baby, so I became concerned. I really don't know how much he does feed the baby, because it doesn't look like it's growing very fast. I figured he must be getting some nutrition because I think he would've died by now if he wasn't. My husband took a small step-ladder and a long stick and pulled the gauze off so the male could see that the baby was still in the nest, but in the process he scared him away. He finally returned about two hours later and stayed with the baby for about an hour. After he left, the baby looked a little more active, so I think he may have fed him. He's left and came back several times this afternoon. We also put food and water on the ledge for the father in hopes that he wouldn't leave looking for food and the baby wouldn't get cold. I want to warm the baby the same way tonight, but will try to remove the gauze early in the morning before the father comes back. My husband said we will not get involved with feeding the bird, so I hope the male will continue to take care of this little sweetie. Any comments on this situation or other ideas to help the papa raise this baby will be very much appreciated. Still wondering what happened to mama. Hope she wasn't hurt or killed. Thanks everyone!


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## Jass SamOplay (May 29, 2012)

Thank you so much for caring for that little cutie. So sorry to hear about the other baby and mother. *Can you differentiate between the mother and the father???*
I know hard to see such tiny creatures suffer. I know you want good for them but please don't touch the nest or make any arrangements on/near the nest. The father will abandon the baby.
Also don't change the nesting materials and their arrangements. The mother's already gone and you wouldn't wanna scare the father away.

You can feed the father but don't feed him near the nest site. Other birds will notice the food and will come in,attracting unnecessary attention of a hawk/BOP and the baby could be exposed. Feed the father away from nest site where you usually spot him sitting/hanging around.

In the daytime let the father do his job and leave them to nature. But you can help the baby at night. When father don't see you,you can bring the baby in, late at night and keep it warm throught night by putting it on heating pad set on low or a small box with articial heat source,the temperature of box should be 37 degrees. Use a thermometer to check it. You can also check his crop if he has been fed satisfactorily by his father, if not, then you can feed him green peas that have frozen,thawed and drained under hot water. After keeping him inside throught the night you can put him back in the nest before day breaks so that father don't see you.
*How old the baby is? Can you post a pic?*


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

otis5169 said:


> Hi all. This is my first post. I have a nest on my kitchen window sill. A pair of doves successfully reared two babies about six weeks ago. Another two doves were born fives days ago. One of the babies died on the second day. I have not seen the female dove since then. The male dove is the only one caring for the remaining baby. He sits on the nest in the day, but leaves at night. Our weather has turned very cool - High 60's to low 70's during the day and the mid 50's at night. Last night I put the nest in a 2 inch high, flat bottom, plastic container and placed two hand warmers (the kind that you activate by shaking and then put in gloves or shoes) under the nest. I also covered the baby with three, two-ply, 4 inch gauze squares. He survived the night, but when the male dove came to the nest in the morning, he couldn't figure out what to do with the gauze, so he just sat next to the nest for about 30 minutes. He didn't try to feed the baby, so I became concerned. I really don't know how much he does feed the baby, because it doesn't look like it's growing very fast. I figured he must be getting some nutrition because I think he would've died by now if he wasn't. My husband took a small step-ladder and a long stick and pulled the gauze off so the male could see that the baby was still in the nest, but in the process he scared him away. He finally returned about two hours later and stayed with the baby for about an hour. After he left, the baby looked a little more active, so I think he may have fed him. He's left and came back several times this afternoon. We also put food and water on the ledge for the father in hopes that he wouldn't leave looking for food and the baby wouldn't get cold. I want to warm the baby the same way tonight, but will try to remove the gauze early in the morning before the father comes back. My husband said we will not get involved with feeding the bird, so I hope the male will continue to take care of this little sweetie. Any comments on this situation or other ideas to help the papa raise this baby will be very much appreciated. Still wondering what happened to mama. Hope she wasn't hurt or killed. Thanks everyone!


if you want to help, stay away. another 10 days he will be ready to leave the nest. once they have some feathering he should be fine and not need heat. 
I know your husband does not want to feed it and that is fine as long as the parent is doing it... but the only good time to get involved is if he is not being fed, so he may want to rethink that. so far so good though. 

as far as why there is only one parent, one could guess a whole host of things.. it probably died, how and why are many that one could choose.


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## otis5169 (Jul 15, 2014)

Thank you, Spirit Wings and Jass SamOplay for replying to my post and for the suggestions. I don't know how to upload a picture on here, so I can't show you what he looks like. He's just so tiny and doesn't seem to be growing very fast. I have put out food and water for the father and he has been eating and drinking. I wish he would stay on the nest at night, but that hasn't happened so far. I have to climb up a ladder propped up against the house in order to cover this little one up at night, and then I have to remove the covering in the morning so the father will take care of him during the day. I know he must be getting some food since he's still alive, but it doesn't look like his crop is very full. I'm just sick about the fact that I don't have anything to feed him. My husband still insists to let nature take it's course, but being a mom myself, I have a hard time accepting that. Praying that the father starts feeding him more and sits on the nest more often. Thanks for all your help!


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

really you need to stop covering it.. the bird knows what he is doing. at this age they don't sit on them much , they just come back to feed to not attracked predators. him getting enough food is another issue though so really you should be checking his crop rather than covering it.


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## LeeLu (Sep 23, 2012)

otis5169 said:


> Hi all. This is my first post. I have a nest on my kitchen window sill. A pair of doves successfully reared two babies about six weeks ago. Another two doves were born fives days ago. One of the babies died on the second day. I have not seen the female dove since then. The male dove is the only one caring for the remaining baby. He sits on the nest in the day, but leaves at night. Our weather has turned very cool - High 60's to low 70's during the day and the mid 50's at night. Last night I put the nest in a 2 inch high, flat bottom, plastic container and placed two hand warmers (the kind that you activate by shaking and then put in gloves or shoes) under the nest. I also covered the baby with three, two-ply, 4 inch gauze squares. He survived the night, but when the male dove came to the nest in the morning, he couldn't figure out what to do with the gauze, so he just sat next to the nest for about 30 minutes. He didn't try to feed the baby, so I became concerned. I really don't know how much he does feed the baby, because it doesn't look like it's growing very fast. I figured he must be getting some nutrition because I think he would've died by now if he wasn't. My husband took a small step-ladder and a long stick and pulled the gauze off so the male could see that the baby was still in the nest, but in the process he scared him away. He finally returned about two hours later and stayed with the baby for about an hour. After he left, the baby looked a little more active, so I think he may have fed him. He's left and came back several times this afternoon. We also put food and water on the ledge for the father in hopes that he wouldn't leave looking for food and the baby wouldn't get cold. I want to warm the baby the same way tonight, but will try to remove the gauze early in the morning before the father comes back. My husband said we will not get involved with feeding the bird, so I hope the male will continue to take care of this little sweetie. Any comments on this situation or other ideas to help the papa raise this baby will be very much appreciated. Still wondering what happened to mama. Hope she wasn't hurt or killed. Thanks everyone!


Hi, i just read your post. You say this baby was 5 days old on the 16th...today is the 18th...making it 7 days old....

The way the pair work, is the father sets on the nest during the day and the mother sets on the nest through the night. You can rest assured the father is watching the nest at night and not far away....the baby should be just now losing it's down feathers, which can't keep it warm at night, so it's good your helping with heat, the baby should not get below 80 degrees,, at night... i would use microfiber cloths...you can get them at the dollar store for a $ and they hold heat. If i were you, i'd continue to cover the dove at night and tho inconvenient, uncover the baby in the a.m. but not all the way, leave some of the covering now that the father sees/hears (at night their sight is poor, but any light in the area will give them dimmed sight) what your doing, he just may incorporate your covering around the baby.. my doves like these microfiber dishcloths...(as a matter of fact, the mother helped her son keep his hatched babies warm, by carrying one of these microfiber dishcloths to his nest, and he put it around his just hatched babies! - My doves live inside with me, free to fly..i've dedicated a room to them with indoor/outdoor carpet everywhere for easy cleaning and a large window with their area screened in, so they can go outside.)..so, until the baby gets feathers all over the body, it will need to remain covered at night and kept warm otherwise it will get sick and die. Since you've touched the nest and the father has continued to return, i think you can assume he is accepting your help, keep feeding him...he will continue to return and care for the baby...when it's old enough to walk, that's the time for decision, you can introduce food....dove and quail from PETCO or a local feed store nearby they have open grain bins...dove and quail is about $.89/lb in my area and put a teaspoon in the nest with the baby...it will eat it the father will teach it if you provide the food...he too will put food in the nest. At this time you could probably pick up the dove, if you want to keep it as a pet and bring it in, this is the time, otherwise, just leave the father teach it to fly and it will fly away one day.

You didn't say what food you were using, so, whatever the dad is accepting is good...but dove and quail is small grain the baby can pick up...and the dad will love it! Hope all goes well, the mom, being free to fly during the day probably got hurt or was a meal for a hawk...whatever got the baby, you need to keep an eye out for that predator, to be sure this baby isn't it's meal!

Thanks for caring for this baby!


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