Dove Care Guide
Quiet, gentle dispositions, adoring of people, Doves have all the qualities of a wonderful pet for any home and will live up to 15 years. Learn all about Dove care here.
Dove Size:
The Dove grows to be about 8 or 9 inches long with some growing up to12 inches in length and with a wingspan of up to 17 inches.
Dove Care:
Doves are incredibly social birds that do best in pairs or even flocks.
Doves will thrive with lots of attention, but they’re still considered low-maintenance pet birds since if you keep them in pairs or a flock then they’ll amuse and entertain themselves quite well, leaving their human owner to a minimum of needing to cover and uncover their cage at night and in the morning, and providing fresh food and water.
Providing plenty of toys, including those which challenge the Dove like hay balls, ball toys you fill with Timothy hay, will give them fun and replicate their wild foraging behaviors.
Dove Diet:
A diet of two-thirds birdseed and one-third pellets will work well. Add in some dark, leafy greens and veggies every other day and a bit of berries or melon once a week and you should have your Dove’s nutritional needs well met.
A honey stick once in a while makes for an excellent treat for Doves.
And of course, be sure to keep their water bowl clean and full each day.
Dove Habitat:
Doves will need plenty of space to play, hop around, and spread their wings, you will also want to add a few perches within their cage (not above food or water bowls please), and the size of the cage required grows depending on how many Doves you keep.
Dove Behavior:
Doves carry a peaceful reputation, due in part to their soft cooing and beautiful plumage.
Doves tend to be hands-off birds to keep, in fact forcing interaction can result in stressing the bird severely.
That said, however, some Doves, if interactions begin early enough, can be hand-tamed to sit in and even take food from your palm.
On the other hand, Doves are incredibly social with other birds of their own kind and if kept in pairs or a flock will constantly engage and play together, providing hours of entertainment to the humans around them.
Dove Care Synopsis:
Not as cuddly as some would think, in fact, Doves are typically hands-off birds to keep, still, these gentle and playful birds are a real joy to keep, especially in pairs.
They have low maintenance and dietary needs compared to many species of pet birds.
Between cooing and playing, Doves are very calming and pleasing bird companions and make for good first-time birds for beginners, as well as excellent pet birds for seniors.
Soar into what Veterinarians have to say about Doves here.
Aerika Pedersen – Full-time writer, bird owner, and mother.
Aerika spent three years caring for birds at the Antwerp ZOO in Belgium before deciding to start her own family and write from home to share her experience and knowledge with other bird lovers.
