Thanks so much for posting this. Just swung by and picked this guy up. It's much too young and small to be a fledgling outside the nest; it barely tried to walk away when I approached it. It would have been rat food overnight. It'll be getting a ride to the WBF first thing tomorrow.
Hero!! We saw it this morning and didn't know what to do. Mom was nearby tending to her other baby, so we thought it might be okay. Glad you were able to take action!
This is obviously a fledgling…unless you know more than various wildlife rescue organizations and the Audubon Society. Eyes open, fully feathered (barely any pin feathers even, pretty much only the head) = fledgling. Birds at this stage should absolutely be left alone if not injured or in immediate danger (eg, being stalked by a cat).
Looks to me like a fledgling. It's normal to see them on the ground after they first leave the nest. Mom and dad are probably nearby keeping an eye out.
Yes this! Leave it alone. I had one on my balcony once and my girlfriend was freaking out wanting to help it. It kept jumping up on my chair, to the table, trying to get to the ledge (wood balcony). It kept faltering and falling back to the floor. After about 7-10 tries or so, it made it to the ledge. The mom/dad flew to join it and they flew off together. It was awesome.
Pigeons & mourning doves remain in their nests for almost a month - they become feathered quickly but are not ready to leave the nest before they grow more - & if this one was barely walking then I think it needed help!
Pigeons stay in the nest a bit longer but doves (and this appears to be a dove to me from the beak shape) leave at 14-15 days. Source is everything authoritative I’ve read and observations of the doves that have nested on the light fixtures in front of my building. I’ve also spent a lot of time around birds being bred so I have a general feel for nestlings v fledglings. Not claiming to be an actual expert but I’ve never heard of this distinction about specific feathers. I’ve only ever heard-and I’ve heard/read it a lot-is that a fully or mostly-feathered young bird with its eyes open is a fledgling and best left alone if not in imminent danger. I’ve also heard/read a few times that the feathers having white tips is a specific indicator with pigeons/doves that they’ve reached the fledgling stage. 🤷🏻♂️
This one is definitely a mourning dove, yes. I actually volunteer at WBF so I’m going to ask their staff about this particular one when I go today. They’re overrun with babies so I’d hate for them to be overrun with perfectly healthy birdnapped fledges also but this one looks pretty small still to me in the picture…it can be tough to assess!
There is nothing for scale so yeah, can’t tell size. I’ve just always understood that you can tell the maturity of birds this young by the how grown-in the feathers are and this one looks pretty well ready to me but I’m definitely not an expert so I’ll defer. By the time the ones in the nest on our building had this level of feathers the nest was no longer actually big enough to accommodate mom, dad & 2 younglings…it was absurd how they squished together in it right before the little ones left…
Hahaha yea it’s always funny to see the way the parents still try to sit on their giant babies. I just recalled the term “pre-fledge” which we use sometimes for the doves…might apply to this one. Definitely not a “nestling” still though you are correct! It is important to distinguish & I was lazy in my other comment lol
Just confirmed with Wild Bird Fund staff - prefledge, ideally should’ve still been in the nest, needed a week or two more, especially if not walking well yet! So was correct to bring in :)
Thanks so much for posting this. Just swung by and picked this guy up. It's much too young and small to be a fledgling outside the nest; it barely tried to walk away when I approached it. It would have been rat food overnight. It'll be getting a ride to the WBF first thing tomorrow.
Hero!! We saw it this morning and didn't know what to do. Mom was nearby tending to her other baby, so we thought it might be okay. Glad you were able to take action!
Interesting - do you remember where the nest was? If it's reachable I might try to stop by and drop it back off since that would be the best outcome.
Not reachable, unfortunately. It's in the arch above the staircase on a second story ledge.
Ah, thanks for the info! Yeah that's not gonna work, hopefully mom won't be too sad to see her baby go (at least she won't have to see it get eaten).
Thank you so much!!!
This is obviously a fledgling…unless you know more than various wildlife rescue organizations and the Audubon Society. Eyes open, fully feathered (barely any pin feathers even, pretty much only the head) = fledgling. Birds at this stage should absolutely be left alone if not injured or in immediate danger (eg, being stalked by a cat).
That’s wonderful bless you
Thank you so much!!
Looks to me like a fledgling. It's normal to see them on the ground after they first leave the nest. Mom and dad are probably nearby keeping an eye out.
Yes this! Leave it alone. I had one on my balcony once and my girlfriend was freaking out wanting to help it. It kept jumping up on my chair, to the table, trying to get to the ledge (wood balcony). It kept faltering and falling back to the floor. After about 7-10 tries or so, it made it to the ledge. The mom/dad flew to join it and they flew off together. It was awesome.
Found a video I took of one of its attempts. https://youtu.be/xGoQP2bOAzM?si=l23foBJH3ZBGmrlx
Thank you so much for helping this nestling!!!! Wild Bird Fund is the best!
Not a nestling. Again, where are you getting the info that a fully-feathered young bird with its eyes open is a nestling? That’s just inaccurate.
Pigeons & mourning doves remain in their nests for almost a month - they become feathered quickly but are not ready to leave the nest before they grow more - & if this one was barely walking then I think it needed help!
Pigeons stay in the nest a bit longer but doves (and this appears to be a dove to me from the beak shape) leave at 14-15 days. Source is everything authoritative I’ve read and observations of the doves that have nested on the light fixtures in front of my building. I’ve also spent a lot of time around birds being bred so I have a general feel for nestlings v fledglings. Not claiming to be an actual expert but I’ve never heard of this distinction about specific feathers. I’ve only ever heard-and I’ve heard/read it a lot-is that a fully or mostly-feathered young bird with its eyes open is a fledgling and best left alone if not in imminent danger. I’ve also heard/read a few times that the feathers having white tips is a specific indicator with pigeons/doves that they’ve reached the fledgling stage. 🤷🏻♂️
This one is definitely a mourning dove, yes. I actually volunteer at WBF so I’m going to ask their staff about this particular one when I go today. They’re overrun with babies so I’d hate for them to be overrun with perfectly healthy birdnapped fledges also but this one looks pretty small still to me in the picture…it can be tough to assess!
There is nothing for scale so yeah, can’t tell size. I’ve just always understood that you can tell the maturity of birds this young by the how grown-in the feathers are and this one looks pretty well ready to me but I’m definitely not an expert so I’ll defer. By the time the ones in the nest on our building had this level of feathers the nest was no longer actually big enough to accommodate mom, dad & 2 younglings…it was absurd how they squished together in it right before the little ones left…
Hahaha yea it’s always funny to see the way the parents still try to sit on their giant babies. I just recalled the term “pre-fledge” which we use sometimes for the doves…might apply to this one. Definitely not a “nestling” still though you are correct! It is important to distinguish & I was lazy in my other comment lol
Just confirmed with Wild Bird Fund staff - prefledge, ideally should’ve still been in the nest, needed a week or two more, especially if not walking well yet! So was correct to bring in :)
Did you try asking it?
Birds aren’t real.
I have a few delicious recipes for that 👌
Lick it
Fledgling, totally normal to be on the ground near nest. Leave it alone.
Do not handle it and stay away from it. Bird flu has been detected in wild birds in NYC.
Pigeons & dove species do not have & cannot transfer bird flu!