Strange thing happened

[MariusStegmann]

A few hours ago, my son and I were by my aviary and a dove landed on a chair a few feet away from me. First I thought it was very young because sometimes the young doves don't know enough to be scared of humans. I then saw that the tail-feathers were out and that it was not a young dove. At that point the dogs chased it away and I thought that was the end of it. A few seconds later the dove landed a few feet away from me on the lawn. He was pecking at the lawn, trying to eat. He walked right between my legs, while my eyes were popping out of amazement. It was clear that he had no fear of humans and actually followed me. It seemed to me that he thought that food will appear if he stayed close to me. The dogs chased him up into a tree and at that point my son went to get food and water for it. He ate some food and drank a lot of water. In the end I walked up to him and started to scratch his head. I put my fingers around him and he was not scared in the least. I put him in a holding cage, I want to feed him up a bit. Tomorrow I will put him outside in an parrot cage that I have. I will put food and water inside and open the one side that he can freely come and go as he pleases.

[lovezebs]

MariusStegmann

You see, you don't have to buy birds, you lucky man, they just come to you out of the blue

That's sweet though, how he knew to come to the right person for a meal.....

Have you ever kept doves before ?

[Sally]

Obviously, he was domesticated, since he has no fear of humans. He did pick the right person to approach, he knew where to get a free meal!

[MariusStegmann]

I have kept Diamond, Zebra and Pigmy doves before. This one I won't keep, but will feed it.

[Rox]

Clever little dove, it hit jackpot

I spent most of the weekend ushering a young dove around the garden. Just fledged, very dumb and my cat was just waiting for it to get closer... It's actually a miracle so many of them survive.

[monotwine]

Good on you for helping it out. Usually it is well meaning people that rear baby doves, but don't have the interim phase of getting it wild or estranged to humans, so they release it to fend for itself.... and well you see what happens.
Plus some of them just never "go wild". When I was a kid I reared a turtle dove. Never kept it in a cage at all. It lived free.... it had a parrot stand with food and water and kept returning to it on our patio. After school it would dive bomb me and land on my head in greeting (and wanting food). It never went wild. Eventually it went missing one day after a bad storm.... don't worry it ends well.
A few weeks later my gran's friend told her how this incredibly tame dove just appeared at her house (two blocks away from ours) and she took to it. So I left it to be with her. Still "wild" with the choice to go where it pleased, but was keeping a dear lady company.

[MariusStegmann]

monotwine That is a very good story. I left the dove this morning in my braairoom with the sliding door open. My son told me that he eventually flew out of the house, and came after some time and sat on the steps. The dog chased it, and it left for the whole day. This evening it came back. It is sitting in an open parrot cage, happily eating it head off.

[monotwine]

MariusStegmann That's awesome. Clearly it feels safe, even with your dogs. But maybe the dogs are a good thing too. They will help teach it predator and prey behaviour.

Good luck.

[Derk]

monotwine
The dove has you wrapped around his missing tail feathers!

[MariusStegmann]

Derk Agreed. It definitively taking up more of my families time than it deserves. My daughter is writing her finals for grade 12 and my son is writing his 2nd year engineering exams. I have a business to run and I am playing with doves! This morning, he flew away and eventually he flew in by my son's bedroom window. That took him away from his books for an hour or two.

[Derk]

MariusStegmann

flew in by my son's bedroom window

Sounds like the dove is not content to remain 'at large.'

That took him away from his books for an hour or two.

Ew...that's not good.

[monotwine]

naughty dove.... seems like it intends to stay. Clearly its onto a good wicket.

[Babs _Owner]

MariusStegmann

" I have a business to run and I am playing with doves! "

That made me giggle

[MariusStegmann]

This dove story is getting too much. My son was moaning this afternoon that the dove has not came back, and privately I thought - good riddance. A while ago my son came back to me and said that he saw the dove sitting on a telephone cable outside and called it with clucking sounds. The dove smartly flew to my son. He of cause took it inside and fed it. This is the gift that keep on giving.

[Babs _Owner]

MariusStegmann

Its your fault. He had to learn that compassion for birds from someone.......Hmmm I wonder from whom? **stares at Marius**

Hahaha! Good times! Make sure you get a video of him and the dove. Share it with the grandkids one day