Hi, every Feb- summer I have a pair of mourning doves that will make a nest on my flower pot. Each year there is about 3-4 rounds of successful babies. This Feb, the parents dove came back for the first time in 2024 and made a nest. I have a camera pointing straight at the nest, so I’m always watching them. 3 days after the babies are hatched, the mom bird did not come back for her night shift. I assume something tragic must have happened. The dad bird eventually abandon the babies and I took them in. One was extremely weak and passed away after a few days. Long story short I raised the other baby bird and named him/her Trooper. Trooper is now one month and 2 weeks. Trooper grows extremely slow, and I let troop fly freely in my apartment. Troop is still on bird formula and started learning how to peak on seeds and would swallow some every now and then. I now mix the bird formula with a pinch of seeds and he eats it all up. I place troop outside on my patio daily since there are doves that come by to eat daily. He watches them everyday. Unfortunately when I placed Troop outside today, another dove came and attacked him and he got spooked and flew away. I’m extremely worried since he is not fully on seeds and I was still feeding him formula mixed with seeds. He only knows how to peak for seeds but I’m so afraid that he will not be able to find food. He is 2 weeks shy of being 2 months and half the size of a regular adult mourning dove. My question is, is it possible for him to survive and search for food on his own when he gets hungry? Would he be considered as a “domestic” dove? I need caged him and always let him watch other birds. He would copy them and peak at the seeds I place outside. Do birds have a natural instinct and will know how to scavenge for food/water on their own?
-
Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.
Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
Can a mourning dove survive in the wild if it’s still on bird formula? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Taraha858
- Start date
He never really ate seeds on his own. Maybe one or two small ones ONLY. I’ve been worried sick all day and the thought of him starving makes me so sad. His flying is pretty solid, but just the part where I still gave him bird formula with bird seeds mixed and him depending on that… I pray he will have a birds natural instinct and go forge for food when he gets hungry. Without the formula he will be thirsty and he also never really drank water. I only introduced him to water 3 days before he took off and he would sip very little water. The formula had all the water he needed. This is killing me!!
