Baby ringneck pic

[Jiggs]

I was in the garden and got startled by a ring neck popping out of the tree. On closer inspection I saw a baby in a nest. Enjoy

[Pigeonpal2002]

Hi Jiggs,

Thanks for the cute photo That looks like a REALLY good nest for a dove and in the fork of a non coniferous tree no less. Here in Canada, our mourning doves prefer the coniferous trees for their nests but I doubt you have those kinds of trees in S.A. I'm wondering if this baby's parents utilized another species abandoned nest to raise their family...do you know?

[Jiggs]

Its a plum tree. We have pine trees here (not native though, planted), with nests that they build but are a bit high for a photo.

I dont know if they built it but it looks like it, I have about 20 ring and mourning dove nests in my garden, should I tale a couple and post them?

[Poulette]

Yes please, more photos while they are still young!
Suz.

[Jiggs]

OK - hold on, be back soon

http://s50.photobucket.com/albums/f3...20neck%20baby/

here are two more

[Pigeonpal2002]

Hi Jiggs,

That baby has a goodn sturdy looking nest, but it's open and vulnerable to predatory birds since the tree has no leaves on it. I've never seen such a good nest built in that type of tree by a dove is all...very WEIRD, lol

[Jiggs]

Hi Brad

The cause to that would be that we do not have any avain predators that would come from the sky. We only have very small birds of prey here up on the highveld and they only hunt mice and snakes.

[Pigeonpal2002]

Originally Posted by Jiggs

Hi Brad

The cause to that would be that we do not have any avain predators that would come from the sky. We only have very small birds of prey here up on the highveld and they only hunt mice and snakes.

Oh...how interesting and bizarre! I would have thought there would be plenty of predatory birds around your area. I guess we learn something new everyday

The doves are safe then....yay!


Wait...what about crows or ravens?

[Jiggs]

Nope, no crows etc, its all grassland here, the big birds around the dams etc are mostly spoonbills, cranes and geese. I sometimes even have doves building nests in shrubs around the garden only a foot or two off the ground.

Our pigeon losses here are therefore very low

BUT when you go a few hundred km's south or east and go down the escarpment there are plenty of birds of prey. Or go up north to the bushveld then the wildlife starts getting interesting.

Here is mostly grazing animals, nothing tooo exiting...

[Pigeonpal2002]

Wow, isn't that something! No crows or ravens and very little hawks....sheesh. I would never have thought this. Seems like S.A. is a great place to raise and race pigeons then And the wild birds are lucky too to live in such harmony, free from predatory birds......Weird but wonderful