baby white-winged dove

[kawagumby]

Hi,
I have received a baby white-winged dove which is very young, has wing feathers and stubby tail-feathers but is pretty much naked/pin otherwise. (tree cut down somewhere, nest mate was killed.) I have raised and released gapping-type birds successfully, but a white-winged dove is not normally native to this area (northern cal) and I am concerned about releasing it for safety reasons.

Where I live, ring-necked doves, and mourning doves are common, would it OK to release into those flocks? I am concerned that the white wing feature would make it stand out to predators.

Also, at what point do these birds begin eating seed on their own? I am currently feeding a mixture of cooked wheat cereal and infamil.

Thanks

[FloridaLuv]

If I was you I would try to locate a wildlife rehabber... Here are a few that maybe an idea:

California Rehabbers

Sierra Wildlife Rescue
P.O. Box 2127
Placerville, CA
530-621-4661
Located in the Sacramento Foothills
http://www.sierrawildliferescue.org/photo.htm

Wildlife Care
5211 Patrol Road
McChellan, CA 95652
916-965-9453
http://wildlifecareassociation.net/

Also... It will need to be hand fed at least 3 times daily. With a type of food...like Kaytee baby bird formula. This is found at a pet store. You would mix it to a lotion consistancy and feed through a syringe or other various methods. Im not sure if the infamil- that you mention is for human babies- but if yes- he will need to be switched to the baby bird formula. Keep him warm as well.... he will need help regulating his temp.

If one of the rehabbers could take him ..it would be great. They may be able to raise him with others ...and do a soft release. Which would be ideal.

[altgirl35]

yes no more baby human formula, birds don't have nipples,lol can you take him to a rehabber??

[kawagumby]

This bird is an anomaly for this area - no local flocks to release to. I've lived here sixty plus years and have never seen a white-winged dove before. I plan to contact the local rehabber but am not a fan of how they do things (long story but once the state got involved they began to follow protocols not always in the animals' best interests, including release site locations). I don't know if I will end up using them. BTW, the human baby formula/wheat cereal works well for these birds and is time proven by those who have raised orphan wild doves for years. I don't take an animal's life lightly. This bird was comatose when I got it two days ago, and now it's thriving. I do not administer any antibiotic by rote, nor anti-parasitics until an animal is stablilized. I feed about every two hours using a large diameter syringe with end opened up enough to receive the beak. It needs and gets a heat source. My question is, based on experience here, when do you think the best time would be to introduce seed into the diet, and when the bird should begin take seed on its own. Also, any opinions on survival likelihood releasing in an area where other white-winged doves are not commonly found?
Thanks again,

[dovelove<3]

ok so im not an expert or anything
but since its a baby. wouldnt it be imprinted or something by the time it comes to release it. its only food source has been you. it wouldnt know where or how to find food on its own. or atleast thats what i have come to understand through threads on this forum.
IMO i think it would be best for the babys safety to stay with you. if possible. but thats just me.

[altgirl35]

see if you can find local birders, or a birding message board, put the question out to them.
in the united states many birds are now coming up much farther north than they did 10 years ago, they may now live in your area, well they must or you wouldn't have a baby one, so it means they are living and breeding in your area.
you can try to look up local bird counts and see if they are on the list, when it comes time to release, i would release where he was found or at near it anyways, he will find his own kind.
BUT the big question is whether they are migrating soon and if they migrate, and will he will be ready to go by that time, he may need to be wintered over.
as you know imprinting is a big problem with doves which makes release hard, sometimes they just sit there waiting for you all day, i hate to say it, but maybe you should try to find someone who has other doves to raise him with even if they are mourning doves

[kawagumby]

Yes, I was kind of thinking the same thing. He/she was found in a backyard tree that was recently felled. The only other doves seen in the area (many) are ringnecks.
I have never come across such a seasonally late birth of any bird specie. Even the ringnecks, which are common here now, were rare only 5 years ago. For whatever reason, the mourning doves, which were the only dove common around here, are disappearing from view. It is also common to see previously rare native doves of various species in large flocks around urban areas, that is new within the last two years. Things seem to be brewing a bit, I can only wonder what kind of changes are behind this. In terms of sophisticated design, birds are our oldest, most successful relatives. Maybe when they start moving around, we should pay attention, eh?

I have an older very loud ringneck, among the ever-expanding managerie of my home, that might like a friend (I placed the white-winged baby next to it for stimulation - it worked, btw.)

I just hate to confine a bird if I don't have to, and honestly, taking on more animals is more than I want to deal with anymore. I'm sure I'm not the only one who would like to take a long vacation and not have to worry about so many mouths to feed.

[altgirl35]

Originally Posted by kawagumby

I just hate to confine a bird if I don't have to, and honestly, taking on more animals is more than I want to deal with anymore. I'm sure I'm not the only one who would like to take a long vacation and not have to worry about so many mouths to feed.

NO KIDDING!! I"M POOPED!! been an incredibly busy baby season, at one point i had 50 baby birds in my house, i was losing my flippen mind and had to stop taking anymore in for a long time this summer, and at the same time no one was really donating so i was broke and unable to work along with being exausted.
i went to an audubon talk about the this very thing last winter, could be global warming but of course no one knows for sure.
i have had baby doves as late as october and i actually have a baby goldfinch right now, its also pretty common for me to get cedar waxwings late in the season, and of course baby pigeons can show up anytime of the year.

[spirit wings]

I think you need to feed it exact handrearing formula for birds, it has probios and enzymes for digestion and is a complete feed, they start to peck around at seeds when they are about 3 weeks old, you may want to find a rehabber as you can get fined for having a protected species.

[kawagumby]

You can get fined for a lot of things...LOL. I'll do what I think is best, all I know is the animals I do take care of long-term are happy long-lived critters. Believe me tho', I'd rather release it, if I can find a solid way to do it. Simply giving it to a rehabber is not always the answer.

Regulations are generally a good thing, but often-times laws regarding wildlife are nothing more than heavy-handed management and control tools that are less than altruistic.

Here's something to think about; a rehabber friend who started helping animals scores of years ago (she lived in abandoned chicken coops and was the only person in the county helpling wildlife) was forced to become california licensed. Her facility grew and soon a board of directors was formed, includiing some good folk who understood the need of law (sarcasm).
She had a bobcat that was afflicted with epilepsy, and when undergoing a seizure, would be brought into her home for immediate care. It was a friend.

A board member notified the state that she was taking wildlife into her home. (ah, the politics and duplicity of humankind)
The state seized the bobcat, and killed it. Why? Because a wild animal which cannot be returned to the wild and does not serve the "public" in some educational fashion must be destroyed.

I have taken in ground squirrels that were blind, maimed by dogs or whatever - they are illegal to keep because of the potential for the spread of the plague. They too would be destroyed by the state. One became a life-long companion.

I've taken in wild pigs, no rehabber will touch them that is affiliated with the state.

I probably would have harbored Jews in WWII Germany too. (Ok a little drama doesnt hurt to make a point, LOL).

If I have to pay a fine, I can afford it.

PS, while I'm typing this silly post, I have a critter on my lap that is illegal to own in california. She's blind, and completely dependent upon my care... she is of no harm to any living thing, but she is ILLEGAL! She is yet another rescued animal that I was able to cure of a rampant illness. Only one vet in town would even look at her, and he was inept IMHO - his approach was to draw blood for tests. The animal was a living skeleton on the brink of death, now what would drawing blood do to her? He had enough info to make a diagnosis. What a moron. Anyhooo, figured it out myself, had the right antibiotic in stock (bought from mexico, oh my!) and well, here she is years later.
Ya, I guess I have a 'tood when it comes to laws.

[spirit wings]

Originally Posted by kawagumby

You can get fined for a lot of things...LOL. I'll do what I think is best, all I know is the animals I do take care of long-term are happy long-lived critters. Believe me tho', I'd rather release it, if I can find a solid way to do it. Simply giving it to a rehabber is not always the answer.

Regulations are generally a good thing, but often-times laws regarding wildlife are nothing more than heavy-handed management and control tools that are less than altruistic.

Here's something to think about; a rehabber friend who started helping animals scores of years ago (she lived in abandoned chicken coops and was the only person in the county helpling wildlife) was forced to become california licensed. Her facility grew and soon a board of directors was formed, includiing some good folk who understood the need of law (sarcasm).
She had a bobcat that was afflicted with epilepsy, and when undergoing a seizure, would be brought into her home for immediate care. It was a friend.

A board member notified the state that she was taking wildlife into her home. (ah, the politics and duplicity of humankind)
The state seized the bobcat, and killed it. Why? Because a wild animal which cannot be returned to the wild and does not serve the "public" in some educational fashion must be destroyed.

I have taken in ground squirrels that were blind, maimed by dogs or whatever - they are illegal to keep because of the potential for the spread of the plague. They too would be destroyed by the state. One became a life-long companion.

I've taken in wild pigs, no rehabber will touch them that is affiliated with the state.

I probably would have harbored Jews in WWII Germany too. (Ok a little drama doesnt hurt to make a point, LOL).

If I have to pay a fine, I can afford it.

well I guess you knew about that already..
hope all goes well with the release, sounds like you will do things your way anyway, IMO it would be good to at least read up on the right ways to release...I don't have a clue. I just released some young mallards and they came back...lol... homing ducks!

[altgirl35]

i think you should get your permit!! you don't have to make it huge just keep it as an inhome, but then again with all the critters you may not want to bring attention to yourself.
thank you for caring about them

[kawagumby]

Yeah, it seems I would need to find a place where white-winged doves frequent, further, the aspect of "wintering" diminishes my hope of a successful release. And yes, I'm a bull-headed type when it comes to animals - but it is born of an honest deep respect for them that I don't share with humankind. I don't mean to come off like a dufus, I really do appreciate and consider all the input from this forum, whether I presently agree with it or not. Thanks again.

[spirit wings]

here is a link the hand rearing formula, I would not give him any thing with milk product in it, that can cause diarrhea.
http://www.kaytee.com/products/exact...-baby-bird.php

[kawagumby]

Thanks for the info, I bought some kaylee formula this afternoon. For what its worth tho, the infamil (milk-based) and wheat cereal formula seems to work fine for this bird - I don't think I've ever seen a bird grow so much in just a couple of days! But, as noted, I do want to make sure that it gets all the nutrition it needs during such a critical period of growth. BTW, the bird formula isn't any more expensive than the human stuff...which is good.