Aviary Birds: Introducing the Ring or Collared Dove

Hello Lee, Frank Indiviglio here.

Thanks very much for taking the time to write in with your most interesting observation. I’ve checked around a bit, and the population you mention is the most northerly that I can document. They look gentle, but they certainly are quite hardy (I’d have trouble in Iowa in the winter!). I’m assuming they rely upon bird feeders in the winter?

Best regards and please keep me posted, Frank Indiviglio.

Hello Betty, Frank Indiviglio here.

Thanks for your interest in our blog.

You ring doves a diet comprised of 75% Sun Vita Dove and Pigeon Food and 25% Pretty Bird Canary and Finch Seed, with a bit of Lafeber Parakeet Pellets mixed in. They should also be provided with small amounts of finely chopped yam, carrot and dark greens such as kale, swiss chard and romaine 2-3x each week. A sprout pot can be kept in the cage as well. Hard-boiled egg (ground with the shell) or Cede Egg Food can be given 1-2x weekly, and grit should always be available. Avitron Vitamins should be added to their drinking water.

If you have another species, or if your ring doves nest, please write back as you’ll need to make some adjustments to the diet.

Good luck, enjoy your doves and please keep me posted.

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.

Hello Tanya, Frank Indiviglio here.

Thanks for your interest in our blog.

The situation you describe is quite common. Although most doves mature quite rapidly, females should not be bred until at least 9 months, and preferably 12 months, of age. This is especially important where the male is much older, and in an indoor cage where space is usually somewhat limited. The female may, as you describe, respond somewhat but certain courtship cues are likely missing, which may elicit aggression from the male.

In case you have not done so, although doves are somewhat more forgiving in this regard than other birds, it is usually advisable to house birds to be introduced in separate cages in the same room for a time, and to gradually move the cages closer together before actually letting the birds have contact with one another.

I suggest that you separate the birds for 3-6 months and try again. You can keep them in the same room if this does not appear stressful to either (and if the incessant cooing does not drive you crazy!). Because of the great age difference, please keep an eye on them when they are put together. Male doves can be quite rough…older females can handle this, especially in an outdoor aviary, but young birds may run into trouble.

Good luck and please keep me posted.

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.

Hello Tanya, Frank Indiviglio here.

Thanks for your kind comment. I’m glad to see you are so concerned for your doves’ welfare… I’m sure you’ll have a successful breeding in the future.

In the meantime, please be in touch if I can be of any assistance.

Good luck and please let me know how it turns out.

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.

Hello Kathryn, Frank Indiviglio here.

Thanks for your interest in our blog. I admire your efforts on the bird’s behalf.

The feathers may not grow back if the underlying follicles have been damaged. Unfortunately, the dove would not survive if released with bare skin. Birds keep warm by trapping air among the feathers (which is why they puff up at night) – there it is heated by their high body temperatures (105-110 F), which is why they can survive such temperature extremes. Also, the feathers are also oiled by secretions from the preen gland, and shed water – bare skin would quickly become wet, and the bird would freeze.

As for the wing feathers growing in: feather re-growth is timed to the seasons, and if the feathers were to re-grow it might not be until the bird’s usual molt is due. The change in temperature (indoors) could also throw off the internal control that governs this. So, again, bad news – there really is no way to predict when this will happen. I’m assuming a wing injury has been ruled out as well?

Perhaps it would be worthwhile to contact local birding clubs, if any are available, or parrot-cage bird interest groups. There may be members who are interested in native birds, or who have links to nature centers or similar organizations.

Sorry I could not be of more assistance…please let me know if there is anything further I might be able to do. You certainly have done a good deed, but we pay for those sometimes!

Good luck and please keep me posted.

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.

Hello Kathryn, Frank Indiviglio here.

Thanks for the kind words.

You are doing a great job – birds rarely survive being shot, chilled and surgery – the fact that it is eating is great sign. I’ll keep an eye out for possible placement options as well, and will be in touch if anything turns up.

Good luck and please keep me posted…I’m interested to hear how the bird does. I advise many wildlife rehabilitators, and your story will be a good one to inspire them.

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.

Hello Martha, Frank Indiviglio here.

Thanks for your interest in our blog.

Females generally get along well in large quarters; however there is always a chance that first one introduced may become territorial…best to introduce them slowly by keeping the new one next to the other but caged separately for awhile. Be especially careful if the cage is small, as a harassed bird will have no means of escape.

Like other birds, doves may lay eggs even without a male; f this happens, let them brood, they will usually give up after the normal incubation period is over. Pulling the eggs early will usually just cause them to lay a replacement clutch.

Good luck, enjoy and please keep me posted.

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.

Hello Kathryn, Frank Indiviglio here.

Sorry for the news but you did a very good thing, and did so in exactly the right manner. There’s an old saying among zookeepers, that I learned on my first day at the Bronx Zoo; “Birds are either healthy, or they are dead” – alluding to the fact that they are so delicate, and, even with the attentions of zoo vets, rarely recover from serious illness/injury. I’ve had barely injured birds die in my hand, from shock.

Often medications and kind attention such as yours keep the birds going for a time, but internal injuries that are difficult to diagnose eventually prove to much..this is commonly seen in chicks that fall from the nest – they feed well for a few days, and then expire.

Good luck and please keep me posted; any notes on the wild birds you see in your area would be most appreciated, when time permits.

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.

Thanks for your interest in our blog.

I checked around a bit and found that breeding populations of collared doves are well-established in several locales in Australia (the Alice Springs population is well-studied) and Tasmania. I could not find a record of its earliest appearance in Australia, but it most likely arrived via the pet trade. Australia does a better job of monitoring the movements of animals across her borders than most countries, but collared doves have been in captivity for aver 3 centuries, so there were plenty of opportunities for them to find their way in. Feral birds living in Australia have either escaped or were released (here in the USA, collared doves were often released at weddings – a flock of white ones inhabiting NYC’s Central Park is right now the subject of a “rescue effort” as they seem to be easy prey for the resident hawks!). This dove’s ancestor, the African collared dove, and the Eurasian collared dove, are also established in Australia.

Good luck and please keep me posted…any native bird observations would be most appreciated.

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.

Hello Cindy, Frank Indiviglio here.

Thanks for your interest in our blog. Good thinking…there is some evidence that birds lose their resistance to the cold when kept indoors. In zoo collections, we always leave a window cracked in the indoor aviaries of birds that will be outdoors at times when it may be cold.

All feathers should be replaced before the bird is released, and its ability to fly should be tested (a bone fracture or misalignment may not be obvious, but can impair flight). So I would advise waiting until spring if possible, and perhaps having a veterinarian or a wildlife rehabilitator check the bird before release. A rehabilitator may be able to take the bird now as well, and hold it until spring…please let me know if you need help in locating a facility.

You’re doing a very kind service…Good luck and please keep me posted.

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.

Hello Eileen, Frank Indiviglio here.

Thanks for your interest in our blog.

Doves do not usually fight…however, without a female present, 1 male may continually “court” the other and harass him in that manner. They may call a great deal more as well – unfortunately, no real way to predict what will happen between 2 males, aggression, although rare, is a possibility as well. Doves don’t need companionship in the way parrots do – a pair will usually nest throughout the year, which can be a drain on the female.

Good luck and please keep me posted.

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.

Hello Eileen, Frank Indiviglio here.

Thanks for the feedback; a good decision I believe. Indoors, a pair can be quite a hand-full!

Good luck and please keep me posted.

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.

Hello Tara, Frank Indiviglio here.

Thanks for your note.

Doves are not social in the same way that parrots are, and so he can get along on their own, especially if you let him out on a regular basis. They do get along well together also, as you’ve seen, but there can be problems in introducing a female to a male. There is a chance that they might not get along, and you’ll need a good-sized cage for them to live in. The ideal situation would be for you to be able to try a female in with him before actually buying her, but I’m sure this is difficult to arrange. Sorry, but there are no definite rules when it comes to introducing birds – you have a better chance of doves co-existing than other species, however.

Good luck, enjoy and please keep me posted.

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.

Hello Leonard, Frank Indiviglio here.

Thanks for your interest in our blog.

Interesting question….separating a pair works well in encouraging canaries and many other birds to sing. Doves tend to vocalize quite a bit even when kept in pairs, and the male’s call is not all that much different when he is seeking to attract a female. It may work, but please keep in mind that doves tend to form close pair-bonds – separating them could be stressful, and might also cause them to rub up against the cage/aviary bars in an attempt to reach one another.

Good luck and please keep me posted.

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.

Hello Eleanore, Frank Indiviglio here.

Thanks for your interest in our blog.

You can follow the feeding guidelines described in this article on Diamond Doves. One dove drawback is that they do tend to call very early, sometimes when it is still dark. People often describe bird and insect calls with words – i.e. “katy-did”, “Bob-o-link”, but I’ve not heard the one your husband refers to!

Good luck and please keep me posted.

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.

Hello Sammy, Frank Indiviglio here.

Thanks for your interest in our blog.

The calls of most dove species are a soft “cooing”, I don’t think you could confuse it with a crow. It sounds somewhat like the call of certain owls, but softer. Some people consider it a “sad” sound, hence the name “Mourning Dove” for one species here in the USA.

Good luck and please keep me posted.

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.

Hello Sammy, Frank Indiviglio here.

My pleasure, Thanks for the feedback.

Interesting that ring doves have become established there, thanks for the info. Grackles are pretty good at imitating various sounds, so that might explain…

Good luck, enjoy and please keep me posted.

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.

Hello Lana, Frank Indiviglio here.

Thanks for your interest in our blog; I hope you are well.

It is likely that the eggs are not hatching because the pair are siblings; its fine to keep them together, as long as she does not become drained from laying too often. Chicks that do hatch may be weak or prone to health problems. Please see this article for more info on infertility in birds.

The sexes of Diamond Doves are not easy to determine by eye; in naturally colored birds, the males tens towards silver-grey and females appear brownish-grey. The male’s orange eye ring is 2-3 mm in width, the female’s is 1 mm. When they sit together you can see the difference (easier than measuring it!!). Pet trade color strains of doves are very difficult to distinguish, other than by behavior. Please check out my 2 part article on Diamond Doves for more info.

The 2 species will likely not get along; it’s sometimes possible if neither has a mate, but paired birds will attack others. It’s best to get a separate enclosure, as the proximity of the birds will be stressful to both species; you may not notice this, but internally the “fight and flight” hormones will be flowing. Sometimes even keeping the birds in the same room is stressful.

Good luck, enjoy and please keep me posted.

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.

Hello Lana, Frank Indiviglio here.

Thanks for the feedback.

They would not get along – paired doves of both sexes will attack others of either sex. Multiple pairs sometimes work in huge outdoor aviaries, but even then it takes constant monitoring and problems are common (another bird with a “peaceful” reputation, the lovebird, is even worse!). Usually its best to introduce potential groups when they are young and have not paired up yet …established pairs of almost any species rarely accept newcomers (I’ve seen tiny Lovebirds try to attack antelopes that shared their exhibit!)

Good luck and please keep me posted.

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.

Hello Lana, Frank Indiviglio here.

Thanks for the feedback and happy to hear all is going well. The parents will continue to feed the chick for awhile after it leaves the nest; however, they will usually attack it once they start to court and nest again. Hard to predict the timing, however, as if they do not nest right away all will be fine. Best to keep a close eye on them, or, to be safe, remove the chick once they stop feeding it.

Good luck and please keep me posted.

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.