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Posted by Pat Kiewicz on July 25, 2008, 8:11 am
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>Seems strange that they would be stationary for so long - I thought
>birds needed to keep foraging to find enough to eat. I have a new
>theory that they are young robins, and they either fell or were thrown
>out of their nest (somewhere up the tree where I can't see) and they
>don't know where else to go and don't know how to forage. Maybe
another
>species hijacked the nest?
>
>Here they are - can anyone identify the bird?
>
>http://home.comcast.net/~esionder/temp/birds/birds1.jpg
>
>http://home.comcast.net/~esionder/temp/birds/birds2.jpg
These are young mourning doves. Mourning doves make rather
flimsy nests and the young leave it as soon as they are able to
(barely) fly. They then must rely on camouflage -- their mottled
coloration and complete stillness -- for protection while their
parents feed them at intervals, on crop milk, by regurgitation.
(The parent and baby will lock beaks and there will be some
of what looks like thrashing about during this process.)
Very often the young mourning doves will rest all day right on
the ground, where they blend in quite well with leaf-litter or mulch.
And they will continue to do so for some time (even though they
can fly reasonably well). Eventually they will no longer be fed and
will join the adults in foraging for food.
Adult mourning doves also will spend much of the day resting
on the ground, especially in protected or somewhat sheltered
areas. My fenced vegetable garden is a favorite hang-out. It's
quite startling when a dozen or more doves rocket up when
the garden gate is opened.
--
Pat in Plymouth MI ('someplace.net' is comcast)
After enlightenment, the laundry.
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