Wild Mourning Dove Turned Pet

by Karylynn Mott
(Sutton West, Ontario)

My New Friend

In May of this year (2009), I was sitting in my garage with the door open and in flies a Mourning Dove. I sat on the top step to watch it for awhile.

It walked over to me and hopped up all the steps until it was at my feet. I went inside and a few hours later it had curled up on the landing and it fluffed itself up.

That night I went back into the garage to shut the door and the bird was still there. I tried to get it to fly out of the garage but it wouldn't.

I got a dish of water and of food and let it sleep in my garage for the night. The next morning I went out to open the door so the bird could leave and I went to work. 8 hours later the bird was still there, he would not leave. I even tried to chase it out but it came right back.

The bird stayed in my garage for 5 months. Even when I went to go up the driveway to take out my recycling it flew after me. It started to follow me everywhere.

I was washing my van one day and it stayed around my feet the whole time. Even with the noise of the power washer.

We had a party of about 56 people and it started to rain, so we moved into the garage and the mourning dove sat on the back of my chair the whole time. Didn't even try to fly away from all the people.

If the bird was out in the lawn and I could not see it. I called, come on pretty boy, come on pretty boy and it would fly to me and land on my head.

As the fall arrived the bird was still here. It was getting pretty cold out and the bird would tap at the door with his peak. If we did not answer, he would fly around to the back of the house on the deck and tap on my glass sliding door. This bird lets me pat him and sits on my shoulder as I walk around.

I put a cockatiel cage out and in he went and that is where he is today. He now lives inside in a cage and he seems very content. He is always cooing and loves to coo to music. I open the door and he just sits in the door way. So weird.