Nest fell out of tree 7 hours ago

[plamenh]

They eat wild bird seed mix. Just place a dish with seeds in the cahe and another with water. Baby will start playing first, and if not on the week 3~4 you can show him by pecking with your finger.
If nothing helps, take him outside with the cage and spill some seeds arround. Other birds will teach him what to do.

[simoneg]

Here are 2 photos. One of the approx size now of the bird. Anyone with an age guess? Anyone with a sex guess? In the 2nd photo can you see the mother in her new nest outside looking at her baby in my kitchen (baby sitting on straw hat on top of an old sock)? I feel so sorry for her, I feel like putting the baby out there or something....they talk to each other.

[plamenh]

I would say 2~3 weeks old (compared to Senegal doves). Cute birdy. No need to be sorry, she is fed, safe and she's got you.

[altgirl35]

awww! what a cutie pie

[altgirl35]

i wish she could come over to my house!

[simoneg]

It has been 7 days now since I have been caring for this little bird. I can't believe that he has made it this far. I am so pleased. He is eating more food now, wanting 2 feeds in the morning not 1, and then wanting food pretty much every 2 hours until about 3/4pm and then he wants nothing until the next morning. Is flapping and jump/flying around the place. Mum is sitting in new nest, staying put. I am trying to teach him to pick up seeds but he is not doing it. Will keep trying.....and trying.

[plamenh]

That's great news. Baby is growing and it is natural that it want's more food. Do not worry, seeds pecking will come by itself when ready. Just leave seeds and dish of water arround.

[simoneg]

It has now been 11 days since we have rescued and cared for this little bird. I would say he has doubled in size, maybe more. He is doing a small amount of flying around the house from place to place. So his wings are working well. Learning to pickup seeds, but still wanting the baby formula 3-4 times a day. My next question is when do I release him? Mum is sitting on 2 new eggs right out my kitchen window - so I dont wish to bother her. Should I wait another week??? 2 weeks?? When will I know it is time? Here is the latest picture of him/her.....still dont know the sex. Thanks in advance.

[Jay3]

Hellllooooooooooooo! If you release him at this young age, and during the cold weather, and alone,YOU ARE GIVING HIM A DEATH SENTENCE!
You might just as well take him to a vet and have him put to sleep. It would be kinder than freezing or starving to death. Or even better........................being eaten ALIVE by a predator, most likely a hawk. I just have to ask you...............Do you even read the answers you have been given to this question, over and over. If you release him now, and alone, HE WILL DIE. We are not telling you this just to ruin your day. That's just the way it is. So if you are going to do it anyway, then why the heck did you bother to keep him alive this long. It may be an inconvenience, but sometimes we are inconvenienced to help someone or something else. I saved 6 little pigeons a year and a half ago. I had planned to release them eventually. Then I found P.T. and learned of the dangers of releasing orphaned babies that had never learned how to find food or shelter. Or how to avoid being lunch to a hawk or feral cat. I didn't get the much needed shed that we had planned on building that summer. No, instead, we spent 10 times more on a loft and aviary for the babies that we had raised. Since then we have added several more rescues who would have died if we had not taken them in. We now love each and every one of them. I wish you were closer to me. If you were, I would take the poor little thing. Because, his fate will be the same if you just turn him out in a hard world that he is not prepared for. You will kill him. I'm sorry, but that is just the way it is. Yet you keep asking if you can release him yet. I GIVE UP!

[Jay3]

I apologize for thinking it to be cold there. I must have gotten your post mixed up with another. I'm sorry for that. But all the rest of what I said is true. You cannnot just release him. He will die by himself. Isn't there a rehabber or something there where you could bring him? He doesn't know anything. He's just a baby. He can't survive all alone in the wild. You put all that work into him. And it will be for nothing if you just turn him out. Pigeons learn from their parents. He didn't have that opportunity.

[simoneg]

Hi Everyone, I still have the little bird. He is almost fully grown now. I have him in a long wide cage as you guys suggested and he sits still on my kitchen bench. Mum comes by everyday and sits near him/her. It is picking up and eating seeds and now only has 2 feeds per day via the tube. I let him out of the cage twice a day for a flying lesson (inside). He seems to fly quite well around the place and returning to my head when he is done. I will continue looking after this bird until I decide what to do next. Sorry for the delay in posting but I was really upset with the last comment from Jay. I am just trying to do the best I can with no knowledge of these birds. Thanks for all the private emails. I will post a photo of the little man this week. Simone xx

[Jay3]

He's a month old now, and should be on seed by now. You should be able to stop tubing him. If you feed him the defrosted peas and corn by putting it back in his mouth, he'll swallow it. Then soon he would start to pick them up himself. Makes feeding a whole lot easier.

[altgirl35]

your doing great sim, and i have the belief that wild birds should be free, it's thier birthright, and if we help them we need to do all we can to get them back in the wild where they belong.
but i also limit exposure to all humans and domestic animals and do my very best to avoid imprinting because it does handicap them, humans raising them handicaps them and yes they are more at risk once released, but many do survive, i know they visit my yard for food everyday.
most importantly i make sure they are not friendly when they are released for their own safety, if they land on someone they may be misunderstood and killed, this happened to a friend of mine, she raised a single crow and released him when he was clearly imprinted and loved people, she exposed him to all her friends and let them play with him and touch him.
anyways, he saw her neighbor and went to go beg for food from him he thought he was being attacked and killed him with a pitchfork.
soooo, if you do plan to release your baby, please limit exposure to just feeding and only you feed him, don't talk to him and snuggle, go feed him quickly and get out of the room.
when he starts to avoid you and stops begging keep him outside for most of the day in his cage so he can see the other doves, but bring him in at night unless you have a predator proof aviary.
once weaned really leave him alone
listen to your gut, don't release if he is just going to sit outside and wait for you, something will kill him.
if your going to keep him, that is your decision, then you can disregard my advice and have hopefully a wonderful loving relationship with him.
not sure what your local laws are regarding keeping these doves or how strict they are, but if it's illegal don't forget that if he gets sick or injured you may not be able to bring him to the vet.

[Pawbla]

Do you have any new photos? I've been following the thread for a while, lol, but just lurking :P.

[altgirl35]

i know right pawbla!! i bet he is getting soo pretty, frankly i'm really fascinated with these doves, they are so unusual and pretty being here in the usa.
i keep going to websites and wondering about getting a couple, but my bird room is packed with rescued parrots, it's more wishful thinking that anything