cruel or kind?
May 13, 2023 7:11 AM Subscribe
Am I destroying a happy home?
I was taking down the gutters on my barn, came the end of the run, looked up and saw a mourning dove nesting in the space just beyond the downspout drop. I stopped, with some misgivings, but thought I'd let it finish its work. Since then, it's been raining pretty steadily, and the bird gets not only what falls directly on it, but what flows down the barn roof as well. I'm wondering whether it would be a kindness to finish my de-guttering and give it no choice. Even if eggs were to hatch, the chicks would be exposed to the elements, as well as in plain view of predators. You can tell which way I'm leaning, but would be interested in others' takes.
I was taking down the gutters on my barn, came the end of the run, looked up and saw a mourning dove nesting in the space just beyond the downspout drop. I stopped, with some misgivings, but thought I'd let it finish its work. Since then, it's been raining pretty steadily, and the bird gets not only what falls directly on it, but what flows down the barn roof as well. I'm wondering whether it would be a kindness to finish my de-guttering and give it no choice. Even if eggs were to hatch, the chicks would be exposed to the elements, as well as in plain view of predators. You can tell which way I'm leaning, but would be interested in others' takes.
Yep, Rock Doves (aka pigeons) and some other dove species are excluded but not Mourning Doves.
posted by hydrobatidae at 7:38 AM on May 13, 2023
posted by hydrobatidae at 7:38 AM on May 13, 2023
Best answer: I’ve seen mourning doves raise a chick in terrible locations. Exposed to the elements, exposed to predators, constantly surrounded by humans and construction equipment, and yet somehow they pull it off. I’ve also seen a lot of nest fail, but couldn’t tell you what went wrong.
I’d leave it, either the doves will get fed up and move and you can finish or they’ll try to raise a chick. They incubate for 14 days, the chick leaves the nest 14 days later, and about a week after that it’s gone. There’s a chance they’ll try for another clutch, but it will be pretty obvious it that happens.
posted by lepus at 8:25 AM on May 13, 2023 [6 favorites]
I’d leave it, either the doves will get fed up and move and you can finish or they’ll try to raise a chick. They incubate for 14 days, the chick leaves the nest 14 days later, and about a week after that it’s gone. There’s a chance they’ll try for another clutch, but it will be pretty obvious it that happens.
posted by lepus at 8:25 AM on May 13, 2023 [6 favorites]
Can't imagine mourning doves being an issue. But they are THICK at my place. Silly things, they love the floor of the woods, but, can't stay there, quietly, when I walk by! I'd never know they were there if they would chill. They are likely the most common at my bird feeder.
posted by Goofyy at 12:53 PM on May 13, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by Goofyy at 12:53 PM on May 13, 2023 [2 favorites]
...they are THICK at my place. Silly things, they love the floor of the woods, but, can't stay there, quietly, when I walk by! I'd never know they were there if they would chill.
All right I guess, if that's the way you want to go around thinking about our shy woodland friends the mourning doves, but I would just like to point out that "everything will be copacetic if we just continue to chill" was the exact line of reasoning that did in the dodo.
posted by Don Pepino at 6:57 PM on May 14, 2023 [2 favorites]
All right I guess, if that's the way you want to go around thinking about our shy woodland friends the mourning doves, but I would just like to point out that "everything will be copacetic if we just continue to chill" was the exact line of reasoning that did in the dodo.
posted by Don Pepino at 6:57 PM on May 14, 2023 [2 favorites]
There's a whole big subreddit about this: r/stupiddovenests. Based on what I can see there, your dove isn't even in the top 10 percent of bad nest makers. So maybe that's a vote for Wait.
posted by hungrytiger at 12:37 AM on May 16, 2023
posted by hungrytiger at 12:37 AM on May 16, 2023
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by hydrobatidae at 7:35 AM on May 13, 2023 [3 favorites]