Dove question is it male or female

[little brown hen]

I have a ring neck dove that coo's but not bow and does the wing twitching on the perch and now has moved to the nest and does alot more cooing and wing twitching is it male or female? Or do both sexes do this.

 

[Mary Of Exeter]

It is probably male. But single pet doves can be confusing. If it lays an egg, you'll know!

 

[17roses]

With cooing and wing twitching, I would say male. Bowing is after the wing twitching in the ritual used for breeding, if it is a single it probably just doesnt get to the bowing part as he gets no attention for the wing flutters. My girls never wing twitch and they make a very distinct laughing noise. I have heard of gender confusion in singles as Mary stated but I think it is a male.

 

[little brown hen]

Well guess what the dove that was doing the nest cooing and twitching slept in the nest all night next morning no egg, well this afternoon one I think is female get's in the nest for awhile then leaves and an egg is in the nest now I'm confused as to which one layed it. The dove that sat all night is back in the nest setting on it. I thought female's sat on the egg's Help me understand I just hate waiting games....

 

[95yj]

could be either, its almost impossible to tell when you don't have any other doves around. I've had females that coo and bow at me and males that don't do anything. If it lays an egg you'll know.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Both males and females set on the eggs, they do it in shifts. Normally the male is on the nest during the day (from around 9 a.m. to about 5 p.m.) and the female sets them at night.

 

[deerman]

Quote:

yep male set about 8 hrs hen about 16 hrs(all night)

 

[elmo]

With our pair, it is the female that wing twitches, and the male bow coos. Both do sit on the eggs, though.

 

[little brown hen]

Thank You all for all your answers. I think I have 2 females maybe this spring I can find 2 males.

 

[larrylofts]

if you find four eggs you have two females usually they do not start sitting till the second egg is layed in about 24 to 46 hours two hens will mate but you will find four eggs