Expert: Roger Lederer - 7/27/2008

Question
A pair of Mourning Doves laid 2 eggs in a nesting "cone" that my husband built (directions from a website) and set it up on a 4" wide beam that the birds had previously tried to build their own flimsy nest on (it's under our roof eave and very safe and private. This is the second clutch in the nest(although I don't know if it's the same parents)but this time one of the babys ended up out on the beam instead of in the nest. It does have feathers and mama bird is nearby and watching from an adjacent fence. I'm concerned the baby will teeter and fall to the ground. I have already put large fluffy pillows and blankets below to save it if it falls. My question is, if it does fall, can I put it back in the nest without the parent rejecting it? Can I move the baby off the beam and back into the nest before it falls? Thank You!

Answer
First, baby doves leave the nest before they can fly and the parents feed them until they can. They normally jump to the ground. Do not put it back in the nest as it will just jump out again. By the way, it is a myth that parents will reject the babies or eggs if a hum touches them - that's just not true.