White Dove

[barbarac]

Hi everyone. I have just joined this forum for some advice about a white dove i have found, can anyone help me please?

[valleyforge]

Hi barbarac and welcome to the WAB forum.

I guess it depends what kind of advice you are looking for, as to what type of response you'll get, but please just go ahead and try us ...

[barbarac]

I have only had him a few weeks, he was found on his back in the road but seems to be fine now. I would like to know what sex he is as i would like a mate for him, im saying he as it keeps doing a little dance in front of me, bowing and cooing, pulling my hair and tapping on my head, he is really tame. He has a silver ring on his left leg with a number 7 on it but i dont know what this means. I have him in a shed with a wooden box to sleep in, it has a perch inside the box, the shed is attached to a 12'x6' dog run for him to fly around in. So really i wanted to know what the ring means and a hint to what sex it is.

[Kayleigh]

I think as he don't seem injured you should let him go.
It dont seem fair on him to be kept in a dog run.

[barbarac]

Its more like an aviary, i was told by someone if he was owned before he may not be able to fend for himself, he is very tame i dont think he was a wild bird. I was going to keep him for a few months then release him in the hope he will stay.

[valleyforge]

The type of behaviour you have described, I would say, is more typical of a male than of a female.

If you can perhaps post a photograph of the ring & markings, someone here might be able to help identify what the markings signify, but it may just be a simple numerical code so that the original owner of the bird could tell him apart from others in the flock.

This isn't a wild bird clearly, and as such he still has in law, an owner ... you really need to make some attempt at finding who owns the bird before you can just claim ownership of it ... although that isn't always practical.
To keep within the law however, it may be sensible to just go to your local police station (no need to take the bird) and make a statement that you have found it and are keeping it safe until its owner is traced.

Doves generally don't fly too far away from where they were raised, so it quite probably belongs to someone within a mile or so radius of where you found it.

In the meantime, you need to make sure that the bird is kept in a box/cage that is big enough for it to flap his wings fully outstretched, and has access to water and food at all times.

There are lots of resources on the web for further advice about keeping doves and pigeons. Well done for taking him in and caring for him.

[barbarac]

I have put ads in the local pet shops and shops and as yet nobody has claimed him. Hes a lovely bird whoever had him must be missing him.

[2dogs2000]

I had a similar experience last year with a fantail dove. This had two rings on its leg and after getting in touch with the club where it was originally registered, I was told to dispose of it I eventually rehomed it in a friends aviary where it is still happy now.

[barbarac]

The only thing it has on the ring is a number 7 just wondering if that is just the year it was born. What did they mean by dispose of the bird you found, some uncaring people around.

[barbarac]

Just a quick update on the dove. It now has taken to pecking my fingers then putting its head down for me to scratch while it makes funny noises. Still dont know what sex it is.