ARGH! I'm so depressed...

[Ravenlock]

Man oh man! I am having a really awful month! So far this month I have lost my female cordon bleu to eggbinding, my female canary to old age(she was 10) and today when I got home from work my female diamond dove was dead on the bottom of the cage! When I picked up her body her head lolled right around in a circle. I remember this morning that she was banging in the cage a bit(they are in a 56" flight) so I guess she broke her neck sometime during the day.

For anyone who doesn't know, diamond doves are the stupidest creatures on the planet. They panic at every little noise and fly at the slightest provocation. However... I love the little dumb dumbs and they are very pretty. I regularly allow them out of the cage to get their exercise in my bedroom. That usually tires them out and they don't fly around the cage as much. However...this week I have been working really long days and have not been around to babysit them. I feel terrible. If I had let them out more then maybe she wouldn't have been so wound up...I'm so depressed!

Well... I guess that I now have to try to find a healthy female. Which is fairly difficult in this city. Most of the doves I've seen are pretty beat up from being kept with aggressive finches and canaries.

Well thanks for listening... *sigh*

[Crystal]

Very sorry for your losses :(

[Rue]

That sucks! It seems like these things always go in phases...hopefully everything will be fine now! I lost a 5 yr. old cockatiel to a broken neck several years ago...very upsetting...

So the diamond doves aren't all that bright? I have little experience with doves...

I LUV pigeons though...but haven't had any experience with them at all...

I used to live in Guelph...can't remember where Binbrook is...

[Ravenlock]

Binbrook is half an hour south of Hamilton.

Deaths always happen in threes...Isn't that what they say?

Diamond doves are one of the smallest species of doves in the world. Roughly the same size as a canary.
Kidding aside, diamond doves really are dim. They regularly fly into walls, miss the cage door and fly into the cage bars, eat until they can't fly, walk right up to my cat, etc... etc....
They will actually sit in one spot and allow finches and canaries to pull out their feathers, peck at them and even mount them. They are very docile with other birds, so can be kept with finches that aren't intimidated by their size. They also get along very well with canaries if you have a friendly canary and a larger cage or flight. My doves were in with my female canary for 3 years until she died. They all slept side by side and preened each other.
They are nice little birds, but they are very flighty and skittish. They enjoy coming out of the cage to fly, and being doves they will always return to the roost of their own accord. They have a lovely coo that sounds as though they are cooing "you whooooo you whoooo". Very cute.

I'm going to miss the little dummy. Well, I guess I'll go looking tomorrow for another pretty little female. Hey... maybe I'll get lucky and find the female cordon bleu I'm looking for as well...

[bluefinch]

Sorry for your losses. I always hate loosing a bird, but I suppose it comes with the hobby.

I keep ring neck doves out side and I have already lost one to a broken neck, it panicked when a hawk was flying around the pen and flew into the aviary wire. They have now gotten used to the occasional hawk visit and just hide in the shelter instead of panicking.

[StevePax]

When it rains, it pours. Very sorry for your loss.

[Thalia]

that's too bad about your losses
It's also too bad you're so far away from K-W, I'm sure the aviary north of town could get you diamond doves. You could try calling to see if they know a supplier, the store is called Exotic Wings and Pet Things, it's in St. Clements, they have a website too that lists their stock.
I've been to Binbrook, I used to do research on hog farms and we went to one near there to collect samples

[tammieb]

Sorry to hear about your dove. Hope you can find another.

[jave*finch*]

losing a bird is really bad! how do you sex diamond doves? im puzzled what is the difference between the males and females?

[readingfc]

sorry to hear of your loss. I have 2 Diamond Doves in my aviary also. They are really entertaining - like you say they let any bird side up to them - one of my zeb babies was sat next to one yesterday - so sweet!

The only way to tell them apart is the coloured ring around their eye! I've been sold 2 males because there is absolutely no difference in their eyes whatsoever! I should have taken one of the males back as soon as I realised but I've got attached to them now and they do make the sweetest little call. Good luck with your search for a female!

[Ravenlock]

Thanks guys. I was talking to a pet store that usually has them and they just sold out! Of course... Oh well I can wait a week.

Your right, the only way to tell the difference is the eye ring. However, it is a marked difference. The males eye ring(in normal colour) is bright orange and quite large, about an 1/8 of an inch around the eye. The females is a pale orange and does not extend beyond the eye lid. It is more difficult to tell them apart if they are different colour morphs. For instance in the silver or fawns, eye rings are often not orange nor very large. These are harder to sex. These guys are also much harder to find. The silvers are particularly pretty, being pied in silver and cream.

My poor male is constantly calling today "woo woo woo" which means "where are you?" in there language. They used to call that way when one was in the cage and one out.

He shall love again though...soon I hope! Thanks for the help and support guys!

[Rue]

Oh! It's so sad when they call! My 24 year old cockatiel is on his 3rd wife...

...I couldn't take the calling...so each time I caved...