Baby Dove Found

[Trae254]

I didn't actually find the baby dove, my cat did. He raided a nest and one of the babies was injured and died, but I have been feeding the second bird he brought to me for 2 weeks now. I couldn't find the nest so I didn't put it back and I was afraid to make one because the cat would be able to get it again, I figured.

The wing feathers appear to be mostly completely grown out and his head and chest feathers are filling in. His tail feather is about an inch long now. He eats regularly, I have been feeding it "eco-trition", a food mixture for soft-bills that had all the ingredients that I read Dove's eat. I fed him through a syringe, watered down the pellets and mashed them up. Now I'm trying to get him to take the tiny pellets and get him to eat on his own.

My question is: How do you know when he's ready to go? I'm a little afraid to put him out in case another cat gets him and I don't know if he can fly yet. Should I build him a little nest and put it in the tree? Any advice is appreciated.

[MissDolittle]

Hi Trae, welcome :).

This one is pretty easy: when the tail feathers are as long as the tails of the
adult doves, when he can fly and eat on his own..then it's time.

I would put a shallow dish of bird seeds and some millet in with him. You can
also offer a piece of apple to pick on, they love it!

Does he have room to practice flying? It's very important that he can
exercise his wings in order to develop the muscles.

What kind of dove is it? Do you know?

[Trae254]

Thank you so much for the advice! I'm not sure what kind of dove it is, but there are many of this type in Texas, it's a grey colored with white feathers on the wing. We called them Texas pigeons because they are as common as pigeons in the Northeast. :)

[MissDolittle]

Does he look like this?

http://www.amazes.us/album/albums/userpics/10001/mourningdove.jpg

If so, it would be a mourning dove. They are so beautil! This would be a
young mourning dove:

http://www.amazes.us/album/albums/userpics/10001/incadove%7E0.jpg

[WingedCat]

One of my favorite birds.

When I was a kid I used to love sitting outside and "talking" with them for hours. I got pretty good at mimicking them, of course I think everyone who heard thought I was nuts. :D

[MissDolittle]

Hehehe, I hear ya..I often stand outside and talk to the squirrels (they got
their names and listen to it too) and birds. But the best bird to mimick is the
mockingbird "pruuuutty prutty prutty, biiiitch biiiitch biiitch" loool. It's sunrise
right now and they are at it, same as the last 3 nights..the entire night, I love it!
My neighbors are not too happy about it though lol.