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Birding/hatching mourning dove egg

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Expert: - 5/26/2009


Question
my son found a freshly laid mourning dove egg and is trying to incubate it_ we have set it under a lamp and turning it regularly - 1. will it hatch? 2. what do we feed it if it hatches? 3, can we release it to the wild if it lives?

Answer
I presume you know it is a Mourning Dove egg because you know of a nest. If he found it in a nest, return it to the nest. If he found it on the ground, try to find the nest it came from. If you cannot find the nest, call your local wildlife rehab center. It is VERY DIFFICULT to hatch a wild bird egg and raise the young unless you have the experience. The best thing to do is contact your local wildlfie rehab center for advice and help. Putting the egg under a lamp will not provide sufficient heat. Thanks for your concern.

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Roger Lederer

Expertise

Any and all about WILD birds - the science of ornithology. Information about birdwatching, ecology, conservation, migration, behavior, banding, rehabilitation, feeding, songs, binoculars, identification, and careers in ornithology. No questions about pet or caged birds, please.

Experience

Have a PhD and over forty years as a professional ornithologist - research, teaching, author, speaker, webmaster of Ornithology.com . Have written thirty scientific papers, three bird field guides, a textbook in ecology and two recent books entitled "Amazing Birds" and "Birds of New England". Have traveled to over 90 countries watching birds.

Education/Credentials
PhD in Zoology/Ornithology; Emeritus Professor of Biological Sciences; former Dean of the College of Natural Sciences at California State University, Chico

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