Found it in the patio.. Need help to ID to save him..

[sansub]

Hi,

   I found this bird in my cousin's patio. He couldn't fly well (hitting on the wall and falling down). He looks like a baby bird. I thought if i leave him in the open, he would die in a day or 2. So, I took him to my home. He is in a make shift card board box home now (with opening in the front). I am feeding him uncooked rice and he seems to be eating them. I decided to keep him until he learns to fly correctly. I would like to ID him before buying supplies. Can someone please help me identify him?

http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff21 ... C01171.jpg
http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff21 ... C01170.jpg

[MEGHAN]

Based on other photos I have looked at, like the one on this link
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/46/16824 ... d9bd94.jpg
I might suggest Morning Dove.
Anyone else have any ideas?

Meghan

[sansub]

wow.. didn't expect a response within minutes.. Thank you so much for the response. It looks exactly like what you have posted. Is mine a baby? I will search for "Morning Dove" in the net and see whether I can get some more information. Thank you so much... I appreciate it. Any more information on what they eat, what his age is and how long would it take for him to become adult etc?

[MEGHAN]

"Mourning doves of both sexes feed their hatchlings something called "pigeon milk"--a substance that oozes from the lining of the parent's crop and contains more protein and fat than either human or cow's milk. Hatchlings eat nothing but pigeon milk until they're three days old; after that, they're gradually weaned onto a diet of seeds. The parents continue to feed the hatchlings until they're totally feathered out"

By the looks of your picture your bird is "totally feathered out" So I would think you could possible give it seed. As for what kind. At bird feeders, Mourning Doves are attracted to one of the largest ranges of seed types of any North American bird, with a preference for corn, millet, safflower, and sunflower seeds. Any Wild Bird seed will do.
Hope this helps
Also, Does anyone else have any suggestions?
Meg

[Bird Brain]

Contact Toronto Humane Society or Toronto Wildlife Centre ... or whatever city you're in.

[cloaca]

What's wrong with rice?

[GStuart]

The fear of exploding birds was started by Ann Landers in the mid-nineties.  It seems to be unfounded, according to Snopes.

http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/birdrice.asp

[Misty01]

"What's wrong with rice?"

it isn't a protien; it's a carbohydrate which is a complex sugar this will most likley effect the growth of the bird
if you are planning on releasing the bird then it will not be able to survive as people put seed out at feeders but not rice


"Contact Toronto Humane Society or Toronto Wildlife Centre ... or whatever city you're in."

I agree with this statement one hundred percent as they will know about diseases you need to watch for as well as other information that may be needed for the bird to survive.

Good Luck!
~ Crystal ~

[cloaca]

"[Mourning] Doves also eat waste wheat, sorghum, sunflower and rice after the summer harvest."

Source: http://mdc.mo.gov/nathis/birds/doves/life.htm

[kokanee]

We have a couple of mourning doves that had nested in our backyard, and used to see them feeding the young, but after a few weeks of hopping/flying around in our backyard the young ones left(back in Spring).  The older ones are still around and seem to feed on the fallen nyjer seed from our finch feeder.

HTH,
Mar

[Carl-Adam]

You should have probably left the fledgeling where it was. Fledgelings wonder away from the nest after fledgeing but the parents continue to feed them. Unfortunatley it is probably to late to return the bird. I have seen this before where people have the good intention of saving a fledgling when it was probably still be fed by its parents. Good luck.