Cas - Ringneck Dove (Possibly) Fallen In Love

[Savannah Hayley]

Here are some pictures of my ringneck dove, Cas. He's the one in the cage. For the past couple days there has been another dove that comes and sits on top of his cage.

Here's a little snippet of what's been going on in mine and Cas' lives recently. I moved to Texas about 4 months ago and shipped Cas there through USPS. After about 3 months in Texas it was decided that the time had come to move back to California. There was not enough money for plane tickets for my family and I so we drove from Texas to California. We had a full car; with 5 people, 3 dogs, and Cas, in his shipping box on my lap. As you can see, this bird has traveled quite a bit. He's doing very well, too. Although, I do hate having him stay in a cage of that size. It's the only way for now, though.

What do you guys think about this new dove that's been hanging around Cas' cage? Do you think it's a female dove that's attracted to him because he is a male?
What are the chances of a dove that's been hand-raised, surviving on it's own in the "wild". I'm not saying I'm going to set Cas free and just leave him. But if I let him out sometimes and kept a close eye on him; slowly introducing him to the wild, do you think eventually he could survive on his own? There are many ringneck doves around here, where I am now and it is in the country. Also, California weather doesn't get too cold and there are sunnier days ahead. I've heard that Ringneck doves are very hardy birds and Cas has proved that to me.

The reason I'm asking this question is because I'm looking for a new place to live and most places do not allow pets, so I need to find somewhere for Cas to live.

If it's unlikely that he could survive on his own then I won't introduce him to the wild but if there's a chance that he could survive, I would do everything I can to help him with that change. I feel like he would be very happy if he got the chance to stretch his wings, fly, and be with his own kind.

 

[Savannah Hayley]

Update on the situation: Cas will coo and coo until the dove comes and lands on his cage. This new dove will keep on flying to his cage and then flying away and then coming right back like she's trying to tell him to come with her. But Cas can't because he's in his cage. When the new dove is by Cas' cage, Cas will start bowing and cooing and acting like he wants to mate. Is it possible that they are like a couple now? I know doves mate for life so wouldn't it be cruel to keep him away from her? If I were to open the cage door and let him fly around, would the new dove be able to teach him to forage for seeds and find water and keep away from danger? What do you guys think?

 

[Hokum Coco]

If I were to open the cage door and let him fly around, would the new dove be able to teach him to forage for seeds and find water and keep away from danger? What do you guys think?

In a " PERFECT WORLD" Yes. If your ring neck dove had some homing instinct I might say go for it. I know little about ring neck doves. I would say he would not last long in the wild unless he was smart enough to find home and gain conditioning to his feral state.

 

[BackyardDove]

I'm not sure if you still need help with this, but generally Ring neck doves have a higher chance at making it in the wild than most pet doves. However, you will not be able to catch him once he's released and it is not guaranteed he will live. A few years ago I had to release several doves simply because space was becoming an big issue and nobody wanted them. Out of all the doves I released and the doves who accidentally got out over the years, only a couple of them lived and periodically came back home before finally leaving permanently. The ones who survived were Ring necks. Doves don't have a very strong homing instinct and usually only come back if you have lots of doves to attract them back into the area. Although only a few of my released doves lived, your situation is different. None of my doves were wooed by an outside dove. I'm not sure if doves are able to learn from other doves, but I would assume he would have a greater chance of living if he had a companion to help him. But, like I said, nothing is guaranteed. As for them being a couple, it is possible they may have established a bond without mating. Doves will mate with one partner until he dies or until his partner dies. If his partner dies(or is separated from him), he will look for a new mate. Though, I've found that some of my doves mate with more than one other dove even if their original mate is alive and with them. So, it's not really cruel to keep them apart. Eventually the wild dove will lose interest and will move on.

 

[jak2002003]

What is that wild dove? Is it another ring neck dove?

Many countries have populations of feral / escaped domestic ring neck doves. Is that what it is?

Its wrong release any domesticated animal.. or animal that is not native to your country... as it can do damage to the native birds or eco system.. or even become a pest.

However, if you already have a feral population of doves where you are, then letting just one more free is not going to make any difference.

If there are feral ones doing well.. then you pet one will stands a good chance.. it will also follow the other dove around and learn off it.

If those are true wild doves.. then its wrong to let your out..... better to find a new home for him.

I keep ring neck doves and free fly them in the garden.... they do great... but I always make sure they are back in their cages at night.. otherwise cats kill them.