Strange Dove Experience

[Uabassoon]

Of course I never have my camera around when I need it. Yesterday I was standing outside the music building when a bird almost few into me, I got scared and jumped back. The bird lands right down by my feet, I looked at it and noticed it was a dove. I'm guessing it was young because it was small and seemed kind of fluffy, are baby feathers fluffy? The dove started walking around and under my legs didn't seem to be afraid at all, then he flew up onto the window ledge and started cooing at me. Then he tried to fly onto me! Now I'm scared of birds so I freaked out again and jumped away, then the birds lands on my shoe! Started pecking at my shoelace! People walking by are starting at me and the bird. At first I thought well maybe I'm special and this bird wants to be my friend. Then one of my friends walked up and told me he saw that bird yesterday and someone even picked it up! As soon as my friend got close enough the bird went to go say hello to him. As a few more of my friends gathered the little dove said hello to all of them, every time a person joined the circle the dove would hop to them! He wasn't afraid of people at all! I even got to pet him! I'm usually scared, but I couldn't be scared of a dove. I had to leave for class but my friend AL stayed with him because he was scared the bird would get stepped on since it was so trusting, I'm not sure what happened to the bird since because i didn't see my friend Al after class. But are doves normally this friendly? And has anyone else had an experience like this with a wild bird? He didn't seem sick or anything he just really seemed to enjoy people.

[popcornbird]

That's cool! I've met a lot of pigeons that are that friendly, but not wild doves. I mean, we have a lot of doves in our area, and they're not scared of people.............but they don't go right up to them and let them pet them either.

People very often keep doves as pets and they even sell them at Petco. Do you think this dove may possibly be someone's lost pet? If it is, someone might really be missing this sweet little bird! If not, he must be a very social wild bird! I wish I could have met him!

I'm glad you were brave enough to pet him! Maybe someday, your fear of birds will vanish, and they'll become an animal you enjoy to be around! Its very rewarding to be the friend of a bird. Trust me on that.

[Fox-Gal]

Usually, the white doves are pets, sold at a pet store and they are very friendly, but even a wild one can become a pet. Years ago a friend of mine had 2 wild doves she found and they were very very friendly. She would let them fly free in the day and then ever night just before dark they come to the window and want to be let back in their cage. So I would think he would have to had been a pet at some point in his life. I just can't see a wild dove being that people friendly.

It's a shame for him, that he is that friendly, he's more likely to get hurt. But atleast you got a chance to pet him and maybe get over a little of your fears.

Someone needs to catch him if he is that friendly and give him a good home where he can be safe.

[Uabassoon]

Someone needs to catch him if he is that friendly and give him a good home where he can be safe

I thought about taking him in, but then I realized I would have no place to put him, and even if I did find a place to put him the cats would find a way to eat him.

[Twisterdog]

Sounds like a tame pet that got out, and is trying to find his human friends again. I hope someone saves him, as an imprinted, tame bird will be very, very unlikely to survive in the wild.