Expert: Roger Lederer - 3/9/2009

Question
QUESTION: I have what I thought to be a mourning dove nest in a large potted plant, with
mother/father sitting on about 4 eggs.

After researching some and finding out that it is a ringed neck dove with
darker grey feathers than the ringed turtle dove, I wanted to know what they
sounded like.  I went out to a website that had audio of both types of birds
and the cooing matches neither.
It repeatedly says cuck-coo, coo, coo, coo.  Slowly, not fast like the eursian
collared dove audio that I listened to.  

This doesn't seem to match the mourning dove, ringed turtle dove, or any
other dove in their audio list.

Do you have any suggestions?  The male is sitting in a branch of the oak tree
just off the patio where the female is sitting on the nest in the potted plant.  
It seems he is calling her.  She won't let me close enough to see her markings
up close, but she definatly has a black collar, and is dark grey everywhere
else.  She is hiding under and behind the elephant ear plant on her nest, and
leaves when I go to water it.  




ANSWER: I presume you are asking what species of dove it is. Can you tell me how big it is and where you live? That information would be helpful.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I can't tell you how big it is, but I live in Metairie, La -- the major suberb of
New Orleans.  
Also, I sent the following question to someone else by mistake.  It was an
addendum to the previous question.
As follows:

Hi,

I have a mourning dove nest, with mother/father sitting on their eggs, looks

to be about 4 of them.

I am concerned because the nest is in a quite large potted elephant ear plant,

up on a plant shelf, among other plants that I water daily.

She doesn't seem to mind me getting close to water the other plants, and

doesn't mind me sitting out on the patio, however, I have to water the plant

quite often because it will start to wilt, also, I think she would like the cover

of the plant to hide in.

She flies off onto the roof when I water it and then comes back later.



My major concern is protecting her and the babies after they hatch.

I have no animals, but cats come around often and I'm not sure how to

protect these guys once the eggs hatch.

Do you have a suggestion on this too?  

I have in the past, about 30 years ago, rescued 2 mourning doves from what I
believed was a blue jay attack.  One young bird had a gouge in it's side above
one of it's wings, and the other had a mangled foot.  

I nursed them and straightened out the mangled foot, and managed to get
them healthy and set them loose once they could fly.  

This was done without any real knowledgeable background.  

So I'm really hoping for good success on this batch of babies.

Thanks so much for responding.  There's 1 more week before these hatch if
what I'm reading is correct, about 14 days.

Thanks again so much

Kathy

Answer
Well, if you don't know how big it is, I can't be of much help. I thought you were observing them? From you sketchy information, they could very well be Eurasian Collared Doves. As far as protecting them after they hatch, if you have not seen any predators around, then I wouldn't worry about it. THere is nothing fo ryou to do except enjoy the process.