Found Baby Mourning Dove; RIP

[Jessika]

To anyone that may have cared or even noted this thread's existence, the baby has passed away today after many unsuccessful attempts at reuniting it with its mother.

I feel awful, but if we had left it out there overnight it surely would have died a much more cruel death.

RIP, baby birdie.

[moosmom]

Jessika,

You did the best you could for the poor baby. It's not your fault. Nature can and IS very cruel at times.

RIP little birdy.

[Scooter's Mom]

I did email my aunt, but she did not reply. I am sorry.

You did what you could for the little one.

[Freedom]

Just seeing this now; not sure where it has been.

For future reference, you may want to search and find a wildlife rehabilitator near you. I have 2 rehabbers and one wild bird rehabber in my address files.

About a month back, we found a mourning dove in the back yard, no tail feathers! I called and took it down to the wild bird rehabber. She said it looked like 'cat catch,' and explained that mourning doves are 'built' for tail feathers to make a quick release when caught. Unfortunately this bird lost ALL his tail feathers so he wouldn't have been able to fly off and survive while waiting for them to grow back in. She had a place to keep him, with many other doves and a few pigeons (her back yard was amazing, I wanted a tour, lol! house for doves and pigeons, house for this, house for that!). She said it would take about a month for the feathers to grow in so he could fly off and then she would release him.

She said he was lucky, many of the cat catch birds she gets also have bites / puncture wounds and need antibiotics and such.

You can google wildlife rehabilitator and then phone a few. Not all will work with birds, but you get to talk with them, learn who does which, and then you are set for future.

RIP little birdie.

[Argranade]

I'm so sorry I never got to this thread!

I would have told you everything but it's too late!

Thanks so much for helping the dove, yes it probably would have died a more tragic death in natures arms.

I'll be checking PT more often so I don't miss threads like these.