Male or female?

[Blisschick]

Several months back I had a stray white ringneck dove show up while I was out feeding the chickens. It had been hit by a hawk and practically scalped, but was okay otherwise. Since then I got it a cage, read up on what to feed it and how to care for it. Now I have a happy, healthy dove, but no idea whether it's male or female, and would like to get it a companion. It's very vocal, cooing on and off all day, so I'm thinking it's possibly male (we call it "he" at this point), but I'm wondering is there's any other way to tell the difference between the two? I'd hate to get another male and have them end up fighting.

 

[95yj]

ringneck doves do not sexually dimorphise, some breeders claim to be able to vent sex them, but thats pretty iffy. The only way to tell is observation of their behavior, the males are generally the ones that coo and bow, but females also often do it, especially when they are alone. It can be almost impossible to sex a lone house dove, even if you've been keeping doves for years. Luckily if you put two male ringneck doves in a cage together they should get along, especially if theres no female around. I'd try to get a female, but it doesn't really matter unless you want to breed.

 

[Blisschick]

I've never seen it bow or heard it make that crazy laughing call, so it kind of makes me wonder. Either way, I feel sort of bad for it and felt I should get it a friend.

 

[95yj]

if it hasn't been bowing or laughing then its probly a confused female. doves kind of adopt humans as their flock when there are no other birds around so males will start trying to attract humans as mates. But as i said in my last post two doves of the same gender will happily live in the same cage, so long as your state doesn't have laws against that sort of thing...

 

[NYboy]

Mickacoo pigeon and dove rescue is always looking for homes for doves. They ship anywhere in the country.