Diamond doves

[hfinney]

Teach me about diamond doves. Do they really need grit? What kind and how often? I’ve never offered grit to any birds before.

Can they be housed with canaries or other finches peacefully in a large enough cage?

Are they super messy or too flighty to enjoy watching them?

Do the females coo and make pleasant sounds too?

Thank you!

[Sheather]

They just need sand, Walmart sells bird grit for $1.00 a box which is unsuitable for parakeets as they sell it for, but just right for diamond doves. They eat a lot of it to grind up seeds in their gizzards. Eggshells crushed up or oystershell grit can be used too, these provide calcium.

They get along with all other little birds, but some may pick on them (like zebra finches love pulling out their feathers.)

Females coo quietly, males coo loudly. They are flighty and not that interesting, but pretty. Males spend all day displaying for their mates. Females mostly sit in one place when not eating. Some males are aggressive. They nest readily but are fickle parents and prone to abandon if disturbed.

[hfinney]

Thank you for all the info!!

[Dave]

They're basically small pigeons, so information on pigeons is transferable to Diamond Doves if you account for their smaller size. (for instance, they can't eat whole corn!)

I don't consider Diamond Doves to be a cage bird, They belong in an aviary where they can fly.

[Sheather]

Pigeons (also ringneck doves) are friendlier and more intelligent in my experience.

[Sally]

hfinney I actually kept a pair of Diamond Doves with a pair of Zebras in a flight cage that was 60x18x35 (I joined 2 30x18x35 cages together). Surprisingly, the Zebras were afraid of the doves, but I think it was because of the much larger wing span of the doves. Every time the doves flew to one end of the cage, the Zebras flew to the other end. This went on all day long, so I finally separated them, and everyone calmed down.