Doves are members of the Pigeon family, distinguished as a doves, mainly by their smaller size. There are two groups of doves, those who eat seeds, and those who eat fruit. Most doves are seed eaters, and as such they tend to spend most of their time on the ground. I will refer mostly to the seed eating doves. Doves make graceful pets but are not a bird that will customarily sit on your shoulder or learn to “talk”. They are often calm but can be easily spooked.
Selection and Purchase
Doves will generally not be selected for bright colors, as they are often more subdued in color than other caged birds. They will not be selected for song, although their soft cooing is soothing and wonderful to listen to. As such you will most likely select your dove for its’ subtleties of color, size, and charm.
Most doves are relatively inexpensive, but should be selected carefully. Most are monogamous, and will choose their own mate, thus if you desire a breeding pair you would be far better to buy directly from a breeder rather than from a store where you may get two opposite sex birds, but not necessarily a breeding couple.
Pet Stores, in general, are not considered the best place to look for any pet. They buy low and sell high, buying from breeders who may have substandard conditions, enabling them to produce massive numbers of birds at a lower cost. You are always better to find a quality breeder and purchase directly.
Never purchase birds from a facility where it does not appear they are cared for, not only are you risking getting unhealthy birds, but you are rewarding them for the poor condition of their facilities.
Look at the aviary conditions, are the birds over crowded? If so, there is a greater likelihood of disease or stress. If you buy an already stressed bird it may not survive the adaption to your home.
Pick a lively, happy looking bird, not one who is listless or dull. When the bird you have chosen is caught, flip it over in your hand, do not buy it if its’ vent feathers are covered in white pastings, or are green, a sure sign of diarrhea. Ruffled or unkempt feathers may be a sign of parasites, such as bird mites.
Always ask for a warranty or health guarantee. The seller should be able to guarantee the health of the bird for at least one week, ideally two, after purchase.
Housing
Doves are often kept as house pets, or in warmer areas, are kept in outdoor aviaries. As they tend to spend much of their time on the floor of their cage, surface space is more important than height. Sadly most cages cater to people, rather than to the birds’ needs, that is to say, that most cages are tall and narrow, rather than long. Make sure your cage also provides some perching areas, with perches of different diameters. If you are keeping your birds in an outdoor aviary it must have places with shelter from the wind, rain, and sun. If you are interested in breeding doves you will require nesting locations, which will need to be well off the ground.
If you are in a cooler climate your birds will need to be caged indoors for the winter.
Feeding and Care
Doves require a variety of seeds, you can usually purchase a dove mix, game bird food, or parakeet seed mix. If you plan on keeping many birds you may find it most economical to purchase your feed in larger bags from livestock feed stores.
Your dove will also need grit and water. The grit should be in its’ own bowl separate from the food. You need to make sure the food bowl is always full, typically birds eat the seeds and leave the husks in their bowl. This gives the illusion that they still have food, so it should be checked regularly.
If kept in an indoor cage it will need to be cleaned weekly, if kept in an outdoor aviary, their aviary can be cleaned out twice a year. The birds themselves should be checked regularly for any sign of health problems or mites.
Other Tips
Moulting will occur in the mid to late summer, the birds will lose their feathers and these shall be replaced with new feathers.
Do not clip your birds wings, if you do not want a pet that can fly, do not get a dove.
Fruit doves are much less common, and I haven’t really talked about their specialized care needs, they are much more difficult to care for than the seed eating doves.
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User Comments
Ashley Singleterry.
On February 28, 2009 at 1:48 pm
i recently got a dove and this page helped me ALOT!
he is a white dove, and his name is Magestic Light.
Thank you, Ashley.
P.S. You might want to tell why not to clip their wings!
Mark Gordon Brown
On February 28, 2009 at 4:40 pm
Thanks Ashley
two reasons,
1 because if you dont know what you are doing you can really hurt the bird
2 birds are built for flight, why get a bird and take that ONE TRAIT that is so important to them away? Just give them a bigger cage/aviary so they can fly.
Ivan
On March 5, 2009 at 9:21 pm
Hello–
Thanks for this great article. I’ve just built an outdoor aviary where my new pair of doves are protected from the elements, but I have read that the threat of mice & rats as predators is something to worry about. Is this true, in your experience? Rats are pretty crafty (I hate them) and I fear that my aviary is not rat proof…
Also, the coldest it will get where I live is the high 40s, and that is unusual. Would a temperature of 47º two nights a year be detrimental?
Thank you,
Ivan
Mark Gordon Brown
On March 5, 2009 at 11:55 pm
Ivan, if you fear the threat of small rodents make sure the wire mesh is small enough that they can not get in and surround the botton of the aviary with either brick work embedded into the ground or plastic flashing such as used for bamboo barriers. Rocks and plants placed around the aviary also deter such pests.
The temp are fine for many species of doves. I would love to have temps like yours. Drafts can be a problem for some species. Heat is a bigger problem make sure they have shade and a place to cool off on very hot days. I would have to know what type of doves to tell you the temp ranges they can and can not take.
Ivan
On March 6, 2009 at 7:58 am
Hi Mark–
Greetings, and thanks for your response. They are a pair of Ringnecks. I have their aviary inside a section of my yard that is surrounded by 16-foot concrete walls, though over the past 6 years I have seen 2 rats inside this area. Though the aviary is pretty well-constructed, I have not inserted chicken wire 18″ into the ground as I have read as being necessary. The thought of going out one morning & finding the doves having been attacked by rats is horrible. Is this a realistic concern? Have you heard of attacks by rats?
susie
On April 12, 2009 at 9:28 pm
Is it a sign of good luck when a pair of dove build a nest on your house?
Ivan
On May 12, 2009 at 10:47 pm
Hello Mark–
I wrote you back in March regarding a pair of Ringnecks that I’d built a little outdoor aviary for. About 5 weeks ago we discovered 2 eggs; one hatched. The baby had one deformed foot, and it seemed to spend most of its time on the floor of the cage. The pair had another 2 eggs just recently, and again, one hatched just a week or so ago. The baby looks to be healthy.
We noticed right around when the last set of eggs was laid that the male was picking on the baby with the deformed foot for a few days (pecking at him) but then seemed to stop. This morning we discovered however that the dove with the deformed foot had been violently killed; I’ll leave out the details. The newborn chick is fine.
In your experience, have you ever seen a dove kill his offspring…? What we’d like to determine is if this was done by one of the parents, or if it was done by a small predator that managed to gain entry into the cage. I see no signs of a “tunnel” dug down around the bottom of the cage. We’ve taken the 3 doves out of the cage & they’re inside now, but we’re not quite sure how to proceed. I’d appreciate any insight you may have into this.
Regards,
Ivan
Mark Gordon Brown
On May 13, 2009 at 5:04 pm
to Ivan
Although it has not happened to me, it is common enough in the animal kingdom that parent animals will kill a deformed, or sickly, one. I would suspect that this is what happened in your case. Hope all is well for the rest of them.
PennyPA
On May 18, 2009 at 9:35 am
We are in Texas now (we live and travel in our RV) and there are tiny doves down here that are half the size of the doves we had in Pennsylvania. What type of dove are they? These are wild doves I’m speaking of.
Mark Gordon Brown
On May 19, 2009 at 7:50 pm
Could they be ground doves? I am not really sure myself as I am in Canada.
Ty
On May 24, 2009 at 11:57 am
i had a dove fly into the window, neck seems ok, he can move both wings but not enough to fly. i presently have him resting in a box. if he in unable to fly in a couple days, but otherwise healthy should i consider a ‘wild’ dove as a pet- will they do well if they have been wild?
ty
Mark Gordon Brown
On May 24, 2009 at 9:38 pm
to Ty.
Please check the birds legs for a ban to indicate ownership, if the bird has one you can contact its owner (or a veterinarian who will contact the owner).
in many areas of the world it is illegal to keep a wild caught animal as a pet. Call your local animal shelter and find out what they advise, in some areas they will pay the vet bill for it to be fixed up and released. Other areas have proper bird rehabilitation facilities.
Usually they are just in shock and will recover and fly away in the first 4 hours. Give him a bit of water and mostly leave him alone where cats cannot get him.
thanks for helping our little friend
Jess
On July 5, 2009 at 9:01 am
i’m thinking about getting a ringneck dove But i Have Never Had Any Kind Of Pet Bird Before. Is a Ringneck a Good Pet For A Beginner? and can I Keep one by Itself?
Mark Gordon Brown
On July 9, 2009 at 11:07 pm
Birds in general are not great beginner pets because they are messy and most people are not prepared for that, but as far as birds go they are a lovely first choice. in pairs is better, alone ONLY if you are home alot
Deedra
On December 9, 2009 at 4:21 pm
Mark,
I am considering a dove. I read on one site that they will be lonely if not a pair, but that if you get two of the same sex they will fight and that they pick their own mates so even getting one of the opposite sex may not help. What is your experience? Also, what is their lifespan?
Mark Gordon Brown
On December 12, 2009 at 1:06 am
to Deedra
lifespan varies according to species, on the high end we might see 20 years.
As far as gender goes its best to get a mated pair – male and female.
If you are getting three it is important NOT to get more males than females because that is when you see fighting. but often males can be kept together as long as there are no females.
Barbara Goode
On January 31, 2010 at 4:58 pm
I found a dove in my yard I brought him in the house and put him in a dog cage for now. My question is They say they are better in pairs but I have only one Will it be all right by its self?
Mark Gordon Brown
On February 4, 2010 at 12:29 pm
to Barbara
if its a wild dove living in the cage will stress it out a bit so be careful. They are happier in pairs, but you cannot just keep a wild caught animal as a pet. This bird might belong to an owner who wants it to fly back. Call your local shelter and report finding it. When it returns to health, let it go. Otherwise you may have commited theft.
If you want a dove, you can get them at bird sales, actions, adopt from shelters, buy from breeders or stores.
Lei
On February 19, 2010 at 4:27 am
Hey, my husband is on a night shift so I’m awake in the night more than the day would that efect a dove if I were to get one?
Mark Gordon Brown
On February 19, 2010 at 1:23 pm
Lei, it will depend on your placement of the dove’s home (cage) in the house. A lot of loud noises during the night may effect their well-being. If it is just you watching television or listening to music at a safe level for humans even, then it should not be a problem.
Jayme
On February 24, 2010 at 11:17 am
I have been obssessed with getting a dove for 2 years now. I have done tons of research, but here is my dilema: I cannot find any breeders in the chicagoland area. I really want a hand fed, tamed young dove. I also have two cats and a dog in the home. However, my basement is closed off to them, and it has plenty of natural light, and the family spends plenty of time in there every day, as it is our office and family and laundry room. But that’s not to say that the cats won’t be introduced to the bird at some point. So, should I still pursue a dove, considering my current pets. Or would you recommend a different bird (note: this is my beginner bird)? And, should I get an untamed dove, say by mail, and hope to tame it myself. I don’t expect it to do tricks, just to be calm and finger holding.
Mark Gordon Brown
On February 24, 2010 at 10:19 pm
to Jayme
Pick up a Bird Magazine, they will have breeders listed. Also ask at the Chicago SPCA if they know of a breeder or bird rescue with birds for adoption.
buying from unknown strangers on-line is never safe!
also you might look for odd and unusual exotic pets/ livestock bird auctions.. like where they sell chickens. Where I am doves are often sold at such places.
get a tame one or a younger one.
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