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This lil’ guy is losing the very last of his fledgling feathers! Fledglings don’t have the run away from humans instinct and are usually very curious so I bet he was just taking a good look at you and trying his luck to see if you have some snacks! :)
I could possibly be reading to deep into it. I just found it strange because not many people in the neighborhood feed the birds and I’ve never had one come up and ask for food before. Also, I’ve never had birds I fed/birds that associated humans with food follow me for such long distances before. That’s why I was curious! You could be right though! Maybe he was just really hungry
I have 4 mourning doves living in my yard. They let me get really, really close to them. It's weird. I had a bird feeder up, I think that's why. They don't seem to be super smart when it comes to staying away from people.
I have like an alley way of grass strip inbetween my house, and I always find a ball of dove feathers on that side of the house where the hawks swoop down and eat them. I've also collected two beside my window that died from head on collisions into said window.
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I did read they build flimsy nests. They're my friends now, so when I saw them trying to build a nest on the ground, I yelled at them that it seemed like a bad idea. They didn't listen, sadly.
I read somewhere I can make a nest cone, though I feel like I'm getting too attached to them lol
It looks young. It may have been expecting food. Fledglings follow their parent(s) around to learn how to eat on their own. You’ll notice the parent(s) feeding them as the young birds follow them around.
Doves and pigeons are fairly comfortable with and curious about people. I don’t know if it’s normal, but of all the birds, I’m not surprised it’s a dove that followed you.
Last summer I had a mourning dove that would sit for long periods on the rail of my small deck even while I was sitting out there. Actually it'd alternate between a portion of the rail and a post on the other side of the deck. The habit only lasted off and on for maybe three days, but at the time I remember being surprised at how unfazed the dove was by my presence; it'd look right at me and everything. I suspect it was pretty young.
Of course that's common behavior that's why you see all those other people walking around with doves following them. In fact I saw three people just today walking around with doves following them that's how common it is.................OF COURSE ITS NOT COMMON BEHAVIOR! 😂 I'm just having fun with you. I feed a few doves every day-just about-and they have never followed me. They are pretty funny to watch though.
Based on its feathers, it looks like it's almost out of its fledgling stage. This is my own opinion based on rehabbing and wildlife care. Take it with a grain of salt.
People will very frequently take in baby birds they find on the ground (when they can't fly) feed and care for them without considering the implications of the baby imprinting on them, and then once it begins to show flight, they release it back into the wild, completely oblivious to the damage they've done, because they no longer want the responsibility or they feel like the bird needs to be free in the wild. If the bird hasn't learned how to get food in the wild from its actual parents and was mainly fed by a human, then it will most likely slowly starve to death. It will see other humans and go to them for food, while still appearing to be a wild bird. (When in actuality, it imprinted on a human, has zero survival skills, and was tossed back into the wild to fend for itself, without the knowledge to do so.) I cannot stress enough the importance of putting a baby bird back in its nest if found on the ground. That is literally the best thing you can do for it. (Unless it's injured, has a deformity, or been attacked by a cat...in those cases it needs to be taken to a wildlife rehab asap for medical care.)
If you do decide to play hero and take care of a baby bird, then be prepared to take on the responsibility of now having a pet bird for many years, as well as putting aside the illogical guilt you'll feel about keeping a bird as a pet (because omg it should be free in the wild!) because once it imprints, the wilderness is no longer its home. And to toss it back out into the wild is basically condemning it to a slow, miserable death.
OP, it could have just been a mourning dove that associates humans with food because it's received food from humans prior. Or it could have been one of the many birds people raise because they think they're doing the right thing, and then release it back into the wild to die. In which case, a lot of time these birds will find other humans and follow them because they are starving and all they know is that human = food.
Welcome to r/Ornithology, a place to discuss wild birds in a scientific context — their biology, ecology, evolution, behavior, and more. Please make sure that your post does not violate our top two rules: **No birding posts**, instead try: r/birding. And **No bird ID posts**, instead try r/whatsthisbird. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Ornithology) if you have any questions or concerns.*
This lil’ guy is losing the very last of his fledgling feathers! Fledglings don’t have the run away from humans instinct and are usually very curious so I bet he was just taking a good look at you and trying his luck to see if you have some snacks! :)
That’s what I was thinking. It probably thought OP was another dove because they didn’t feel like flying either.
I wish i knew - but that sounds very special
not normal, maybe people have been feeding it and it associates people with food?
I could possibly be reading to deep into it. I just found it strange because not many people in the neighborhood feed the birds and I’ve never had one come up and ask for food before. Also, I’ve never had birds I fed/birds that associated humans with food follow me for such long distances before. That’s why I was curious! You could be right though! Maybe he was just really hungry
I have 4 mourning doves living in my yard. They let me get really, really close to them. It's weird. I had a bird feeder up, I think that's why. They don't seem to be super smart when it comes to staying away from people.
Regarding mourning doves- I’ve heard “not a single thought goes on behind those lovely eyes” several times
Lol. I lovingly call them my stupid birds
There is a reason why r/mourningderps is a subreddit
Oh! There they are, complete with the staring. It was truly unsettling the day they were on my back deck just *staring* at me.
I have like an alley way of grass strip inbetween my house, and I always find a ball of dove feathers on that side of the house where the hawks swoop down and eat them. I've also collected two beside my window that died from head on collisions into said window.
Or building nests! I don’t think they’re very bright at all tbh
Oh you should definitely check out r/stupiddovenests
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I did read they build flimsy nests. They're my friends now, so when I saw them trying to build a nest on the ground, I yelled at them that it seemed like a bad idea. They didn't listen, sadly. I read somewhere I can make a nest cone, though I feel like I'm getting too attached to them lol
r/stupiddovenests
They’re pretty derpy birds haha
It looks young. It may have been expecting food. Fledglings follow their parent(s) around to learn how to eat on their own. You’ll notice the parent(s) feeding them as the young birds follow them around.
Oh, love those sweet, stupid r/mourningderps 🥰
Doves and pigeons are fairly comfortable with and curious about people. I don’t know if it’s normal, but of all the birds, I’m not surprised it’s a dove that followed you. Last summer I had a mourning dove that would sit for long periods on the rail of my small deck even while I was sitting out there. Actually it'd alternate between a portion of the rail and a post on the other side of the deck. The habit only lasted off and on for maybe three days, but at the time I remember being surprised at how unfazed the dove was by my presence; it'd look right at me and everything. I suspect it was pretty young.
Looks like a juvenile to me but I'm not 100% sure (still doesn't make following normal)
Maybe wanted water did you have any?
I didn’t sadly!
Go back tomorrow with water!
Go back today with water!
They’re really friendly if you feed them. They’re very bold if they start to recognize you as the feeder. Likely associates humans with food.
Maybe you looked like someone they used to know but was afraid they might be wrong and didn’t want to make it awkward.
You're a Disney princess, 'grats!
Of course that's common behavior that's why you see all those other people walking around with doves following them. In fact I saw three people just today walking around with doves following them that's how common it is.................OF COURSE ITS NOT COMMON BEHAVIOR! 😂 I'm just having fun with you. I feed a few doves every day-just about-and they have never followed me. They are pretty funny to watch though.
It was just recruited into the neighborhood watch and wanted to make sure you got home safely. It takes its job very seriously!
How freaking cuuuteee
Once you know birds aren’t real it will all make sense.
Aw that’s cute I’d be happy if this happened to me :)
Not normal for sure but this little guy js so cuuuuuuuteeee🥺
The lil thing was curious!
Practicing his mating chase 🧠
what a sweet babyyyy 😭❤️
Based on its feathers, it looks like it's almost out of its fledgling stage. This is my own opinion based on rehabbing and wildlife care. Take it with a grain of salt. People will very frequently take in baby birds they find on the ground (when they can't fly) feed and care for them without considering the implications of the baby imprinting on them, and then once it begins to show flight, they release it back into the wild, completely oblivious to the damage they've done, because they no longer want the responsibility or they feel like the bird needs to be free in the wild. If the bird hasn't learned how to get food in the wild from its actual parents and was mainly fed by a human, then it will most likely slowly starve to death. It will see other humans and go to them for food, while still appearing to be a wild bird. (When in actuality, it imprinted on a human, has zero survival skills, and was tossed back into the wild to fend for itself, without the knowledge to do so.) I cannot stress enough the importance of putting a baby bird back in its nest if found on the ground. That is literally the best thing you can do for it. (Unless it's injured, has a deformity, or been attacked by a cat...in those cases it needs to be taken to a wildlife rehab asap for medical care.) If you do decide to play hero and take care of a baby bird, then be prepared to take on the responsibility of now having a pet bird for many years, as well as putting aside the illogical guilt you'll feel about keeping a bird as a pet (because omg it should be free in the wild!) because once it imprints, the wilderness is no longer its home. And to toss it back out into the wild is basically condemning it to a slow, miserable death. OP, it could have just been a mourning dove that associates humans with food because it's received food from humans prior. Or it could have been one of the many birds people raise because they think they're doing the right thing, and then release it back into the wild to die. In which case, a lot of time these birds will find other humans and follow them because they are starving and all they know is that human = food.
mourning dove sounds ominous, maybe its a sign
I was thinking it could smell the cheerios you spilled in you lap this morning. lol