Father teaching Son?

[Luthien]

I have a question about my ringneck turtle doves. Just a little background first I have my breeding pair and then their baby that they abandoned at 5 days old. Their in the same room all the time but the baby is hand tamed so it's out of it's cage most of the time. The male has started bow cooing to the baby who is now 8 months old, I'm not 100% sure if the baby is male or female but from the signs I'm getting I'm thinking it's male.
So my question is, do older males teach younger males?

 

[Mary Of Exeter]

No. You can have a single male dove and it will still instinctively do courtship dances and cooing. The only thing the parents teach them to do is eat and drink on their own, and encourage them to fly by making the babies chase them for food when it comes time to wean.

 

[Luthien]

Oh ok thanks for the reply. So far the baby that I'm trying to sex hasn't done bow cooing or courtship dances but the father has been bow cooing to he/she. The baby will laugh but will also lean down so the beak is close to the ground and the tail is in the air and coo, so far no actual bow cooing has been done though. No eggs have been laid either and he/she is 8 months old.

 

[Mary Of Exeter]

Sounds like a male to me

 

[shelleyd2008]

Yes, that sounds like the baby version of bow-cooing. I believe I've also heard that the males only do the laugh. I don't think they can tell by looking at one another if the other dove is male or female, so they bow to any and all they come in contact with.

 

[Luthien]

shelleyd2008 I think your right in saying they can't tell at first if the other dove is male or female but does mate for life unless one of the mates die. That's why I'm wondering if the male is just trying to teach the baby.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
They will pair with a same-sexed bird if there are none of opposite sex available.