JKH
In the Brooder
- Oct 9, 2020
- 16
- 17
- 37
Hello everyone,
I've written before as a new care-taker of a pair of Ring-necked Doves, Snickerdoodle and Gingersnap (shown below).
Snickerdoodle, the male, was mine alone for 6 months but he became increasingly agitated and loud, so we welcomed the lovely Gingersnap into the house. After a rocky start, the doves bonded, worked together to build a nest, and sat on two eggs for eight days. But then, the eggs fell through the nest (into the bottom of the planter) and the doves abandoned the project.
Since then, they have been mating and frolicking and I suspect more eggs are coming. But this time, they do not seem to be in agreement on the location of the nest. Snickerdoodle keeps returning to the location of the first failed nest. But Gingersnap has her own ideas and is (stubbornly) sitting in a different houseplant. Snickers would not bring her twigs as he did last time, so I began passing her twigs and she has build her own nest (without his help). Meanwhile, Snickers is sitting in the old place, as if he was keeping eggs (but he's not sitting on anything). Both of them are flitting their wings as if to say, "Come here, come here! No, *you* come here!"
I fear that Ginger is going to lay the eggs, but Snickers is not a willing and supportive partner. She keeps making the most soulful coos to try to get his attention and bring him to the nest. He has been quite indifferent and even hostile when I try to bring him near to her.
Has anyone seen this kind of thing before? Maybe I shouldn't worry about it? Is there anything I can do to help bring them back together as a happy family?
Your advice would be much appreciated. Thank you!
Jenna
I've written before as a new care-taker of a pair of Ring-necked Doves, Snickerdoodle and Gingersnap (shown below).
Snickerdoodle, the male, was mine alone for 6 months but he became increasingly agitated and loud, so we welcomed the lovely Gingersnap into the house. After a rocky start, the doves bonded, worked together to build a nest, and sat on two eggs for eight days. But then, the eggs fell through the nest (into the bottom of the planter) and the doves abandoned the project.
Since then, they have been mating and frolicking and I suspect more eggs are coming. But this time, they do not seem to be in agreement on the location of the nest. Snickerdoodle keeps returning to the location of the first failed nest. But Gingersnap has her own ideas and is (stubbornly) sitting in a different houseplant. Snickers would not bring her twigs as he did last time, so I began passing her twigs and she has build her own nest (without his help). Meanwhile, Snickers is sitting in the old place, as if he was keeping eggs (but he's not sitting on anything). Both of them are flitting their wings as if to say, "Come here, come here! No, *you* come here!"
I fear that Ginger is going to lay the eggs, but Snickers is not a willing and supportive partner. She keeps making the most soulful coos to try to get his attention and bring him to the nest. He has been quite indifferent and even hostile when I try to bring him near to her.
Has anyone seen this kind of thing before? Maybe I shouldn't worry about it? Is there anything I can do to help bring them back together as a happy family?
Your advice would be much appreciated. Thank you!
Jenna
Something as simply as a cardboard box could even suffice.
