Trees are a natural solution for over populated areas.

The best of both worlds.
Trees offer life for some animals and birds out of the reach of predators.

sick dove care

Caring for sick doves

A while back, during the last algae outbreak, (2006-7) at Rietvlei Cape, we had quite a lot of lame doves.

Poison from the algae that was blooming at Rietvlei may have been affecting the doves. They appeared very tame and could not fly.

I tried to get information from the conservation department regarding the algae situation at Rietvlei, Cape, at the time, but was met with no response to my email. So I had to draw my own conclusions.

After noticing a number of lame birds that eventually die or be caught by cats, I did some Internet research about the symptoms.

The articles suggested that these birds might recover. The articles also suggested keeping the bird feeders and water baths very clean and free from algae.

I have a birdcage on ground level near my main bird feeders.

I devised the method of catching the birds and put them into the cage, until they are strong enough to get out of the way of cats or have the sense to remain around the feeder.

Then I would let them out during the day. Not all birds respond to this treatment. Some birds are so sick that they just have to remain caged for a while. The overnight protection stops when they can climb to the branches of a tree at night. I found that the birds released during the day have more chance of survival. Birds who are stressed develop secondary diseases.

Baby birds that fell from a nest prematurely are placed in a manmade nest out of the reach of cats, hoping the parents would find them. I saved a few birds this way, lost a few also.

To protect my bird feeder from cats, I put a fence around it. The fence consists of that wire mesh they put in concrete. It is just the right height and quite rigid. The mesh allows smaller birds through but stop the cats from getting to them. The fence is also rigid and can be placed loose on the ground which makes it easy to move if needs be. The cats do not seem to jump or climb over it unless it is next to a tree or a wall. I have one area, which I have to protect with a spiny plant because it is to close to the wall. My birds got quite used to their safe space.

The birdcage needs to be covered at night. Caged birds can die from shock if startled at night.

Birds do much better when they are among their own kind.

I started caring for sick lame birds after I took a dove with an injured wing to SANCCOB. They do a very good job there but sometimes they are severely short staffed, possibly.

Birds also have family ties

I once caged a dove overnight because it was injured and could not fly. I noticed two other doves near the cage. The dove would desperately try to get out. The cage was at ground level and I would put birdseed on the outside of the cage for the other two to come and eat and then the one on the inside will feed simultaneously.

On the third day I let the dove out during the day. The other two would remain around her.

The dove got so used to returning to her cage for the night, that it became unnecessary to catch her. She would hop into the cage to retire for the night while the “male and chick” settled in a nearby tree.

I did not know for how long this would be necessary. Unfortunately I adopted a young dog from the nearby squatter camp and he killed the dove as it entered the cage to settle for the night. One cannot domesticate nature without pain.

After this experience I moved the cage within a fenced area. Dogs and cats could not get to it but the doves were free to come and go as they please.

I saved many doves, by locking them up in a safe place for the night if they cannot climb to a branch of a tree for the night.

Later I created low climbers for injured doves to get to the trees. They would hop from one low object to another until they get to the branches of the trees, then it is just a matter of hopping from one branch to another.

We also built an open nest on a pole where we would put nestlings that prematurely fell from a nest. It is always wonderful to see the parents feeding their chick after finding it, then coaxing it into the nearby tree. People so often remove fully feathered nestlings from where the parents can feed them.

It is my belief that birds have a better chance it they are left out in an environment that is natural to them.

When it comes to any bird or animal, stress remains the biggest killer.

Few people have the ability to create such an environment for birds.

Dove Chicks

1 August 2007
The dove who is nesting in my palm tree has two chicks. fluffy featherless things . I hope they survive the coming rainy spell.