completely new to this....can someone help (1 Viewer)

Hi all...
I'm not only new to the world of birds, but this is the first time i've joined a forum! with that said, there has been two birds nesting in my balcony and i've been watching them closely and taking pictures and filming since 5/21/05. the mom just left the nest and i got a peek...one of the eggs hatched! except she/he isn't moving. so i'm dying to id the birds so i can get more info on them. is this behavior normal? don't newly hatched birds make a lot of noise? i'm really worried. ahhh this is so nerve wracking...i feel like they are my own little kids!
can someone suggest a site that can help me identify the birds (i attached a pic of the dad back when they were building the nest). any help would be greatly appreciated!
much thanks!

Hi NewToThis,

On behalf of Admin and the Moderators welcome to Bird Forum :t:

Looks to me like you have Mourning Doves nesting, though I could be wrong about which Dove it is.

I'd be inclined to stay away from the nest now you know where it is as some parents will simply abandon a nest if they feel threatened. If the egg had just hatched thent he chick may have been resting. They do a fair bit f sleeping in the first few days. If it was a bit older then it may have been a defence mechanism as some birds and will just go rigid if they are disturbed, trying to pretend they aren't really there. I know our young Collared Doves do this. However if they hear a parent with food, then yes, they are very noisy in their haste for food.

Our Gallery here has thousands of photos in it and even a Gallery Forum for birds of North America whiich is a very good resouce when checking out the ID of a bird you have seen. Likewise the Bird Database, though that's easier to use if you already have an idea of the name of the bird and want to check what it looks like.

If you have a photo or a good description then the Bird Identification Forum is the place to post your query as it's pretty active.

See you around.

Hi, New! Another warm welcome to you from BirdForum!

Ian is right about the ID of your bird and has offered the best advice -- to just watch from a distance and see what happens. And then let us know, too! :t:

Nice photo! Look forward to seeing more (but not of the nest or chicks, please).

Thanks you guys sooo much for your recommendations and posts! And you are right...I looked up mourning doves and it's them! Their behavior and nest building is exactly as described! This is so exciting. I'm relieved to hear that the little guy is okay. I'll keep my eyes and ears open at another chance to get a peek....from afar..don't worry...won't go near the nest
Will post more pics if I get better shots.
Thanks again for your help IDing the bird!

hello, welcome to bird forum!

Hi,welcome to Birdforum.

Ni hao New To This,

Greetings from another new guy to the Forum.
This site is really great,isn't it!
Cheers

Mark

Hello New