About a month ago, a pair of ring-necked doves (also known as Barbary doves) showed up at my house. Yesterday I realized that one of them is now gone, we have hawks and owls here. I am sad that this one is alone especially since they were likely domesticated doves which were released or escaped. Can I tell which sex the remaining dove is? Can I buy more domesticated doves like this one to release in my yard?
I don't know if they are actually domesticated, rather I think they are just very docile birds.
I nursed an injured dove back to health. During the dove's healing period, his lady friend showed up, too, and would sit beside his cage all day and go elsewhere to roost at night. The injured one was the male. He was very pale cream colored and his ring was very black, and very distinct. His lady companion was darker in color, very golden colored, but her ring was very pale, not as distinct, like she had a thin layer of light colored feathers over the ring. Once the male had exercised his wings sufficiently, I just opened the cage door. He and the female stayed in the cage with the door open for another three days and nights and on the fourth day they finally left, but stayed in the neighborhood cooing to everyone and making every day a little brighter for everyone.
About a year later, the female showed up on my porch rail, injured. She let me pick her up, wash and clean her wound and put a dressing on it. I cleaned and put ointment on the wound every day for about a week and a half. She stayed right here in the open cage (in case the male came back to keep her company). Once the wound started scabbing over enough and I knew it would not become infected, I sat her on top of the cage after I removed the bandage and she flew off.
I feed wild birds here, and the doves always come arround to eat. I even have a flock of about 16 mourning doves around all the time as well as hundreds of quail. The dove and quail enjoy each other's company.
And yes, we have hawks and owls, and eagles, an many other predators around. But I also have a lot of natural shelter very nearby for my smaller friends to hide in. Of course, as is nature's way, once in a while the big guys eat too.
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