As @TwoCrows has said, building trust is a big step. Getting them to recognize you as the source of the good things in their life (food) is a key step. We have a large group (anywhere from 12-30 depending on the day/time of day/season) that visit daily for food, a drink/bath or just to hang out. Several of them nest nearby too. We always have their ground tray of food out (nuts, seeds, etc....a mix of large and small as the doves also feed there), and when they come in and want something else they will sit in one of our trees or on the wire on the other side of the street and call until I pop out and give them a nice treat. They can be very insistent... and loud, lol. They also recognize me and when they see me from one of their viewpoints down the street or over the park across the way they will fly over and start demanding treats. They know that even if I'm headed to the car to go somewhere I will stop, turn around, go back into the house, and get them something good to eat. I have quite a few now that can see me from over a block away and will come straight to me for their handouts. It's kind of cool to stand out there like The Beastmaster and see them come swooping across the neighborhood because they have seen me. We are still working towards gifting, so, honestly, I prefer the gift of protection for my flock that they offer as they have just in the last four or five weeks chased off hawks on three different occasions and one very disgruntled bald eagle on another.... in reality, yes they are just chasing the birds of prey from their own territory, but because I have gotten them to see our yards as part of that territory it pays off
