INTRODUCTION
I noticed plenty of twigs on my balcony floor 12-April-2023. On looking up I saw two spotted neck doves, Spilopelia chinensis, in the process of building a nest of twigs, on a horizontal metal beam of my upper balcony roof. There was apparent division of labor, one dove concentrated on arranging the twigs into a nest, while the other was responsible for bringing in the twigs.
For spotted neck doves, both male and female look exactly the same. It is impossible to tell them apart in the field. However, I wanted to tell them apart, in order to document the differences in behaviour of both parents in the rearing of their young. After looking through the pictures and videos of the first few days, I realised that there are slight differences in the eye-lines (in the lore region). I am able to use this different eye-line patterns to tell one dove apart from the other. The dove that builds the nest, sits in the nest (to lay and brood the eggs), I call Mother dove, the other is Father dove.
The half-completed nest kept falling to the balcony floor below, since the metal beam is smooth (providing no anchorage) and narrow (only 4 inches wide). After persisting in this fruitless nest building for two days, the two doves were tired out and disappeared. I was not sure whether they were taking a break or had given up the nest site for good. On the chance that they will return, I quickly converted a cardboard carton into an open-top shallow nest box and secured it to the metal beam with three orange colored elastic bands. Then I collected all the twigs on the balcony floor and placed them in the box.
The next day the female dove was seen happily arranging the twigs in the box nest. Soon after she sat in the box everyday. I observed and documented their activities over a one month period whenever I was free.
The photos and videos below capture the timeline and developmental changes of the baby dove. The observations also revealed the changes in the parent birds’ nurturing behaviour as the nestling grew into a fledgling.
THE STORY
Video 1: On 12-4-2023, mother dove was seen trying to build her nest on top of an iron roof beam just below the tiled roof of my upper floor balcony. The iron beam is only 4 inches wide and the surface is smooth. The half-completed nest kept falling to the floor of the balcony as there was no anchorage. Father dove kept bringing twigs so mother dove could build the nest all over again.
DAY 1 (4-5-2023)
Video 2: Father feeds day old baby.
At 10.55 am baby and egg were seen alone in nest. When I was descending the ladder I noticed father dove on the lower roof. It flew up immediately to the nest to feed baby. Father dove stayed with baby for at least 30 mins. This shows that father dove is alert and closely guarding the nest, right from day 1. Baby’s eyes were already open. The length of the baby is also 2.5 times that of the egg. All these means that the baby seen was most probably a 3 day old chick. For a look at a day old chick, please refer to Image 11, of a later post: https://besgroup.org/2023/11/24/spotted-neck-dove-reproductive-history/
DAY 2 (5-5-2023)
Video 3: Father dove was seen feeding baby at 10am and at 1.20pm.
DAY 3 (6-5-2023)
Video 4: Baby alone in nest (3.40 pm), alert, strong and healthy.
Mother dove was seen in nest with baby at 8am. Baby seen alone in nest with unfertilised egg at 3.40pm. Mother was seen in nest at 6.20pm. My observations so far points to mother staying in nest with baby at night and father does the day shift.
DAY 4 (7-5-2023)
Video 5: 7 May 2023 (1.08 pm) baby alone and alert. The feathers are taking on more adult likeness.
DAY 5 (8-5-2023)
Video 6: 8 May 2023 (8.12 am) Baby alone in nest and makes click clack sound when defending its territory.
Video 7: Mother back in nest with baby 8 May 2023 (12.45pm).
DAY 6 (9-5-2023)
Video 8: Father in nest (11.20 am). Louse fly seen moving in short hops on father’s left wing.
Baby was seen alone in nest at 5.10pm. Mother had not returned to nest.
DAY 7 (10.5.2023)
DAY 8 (11-5-2023)
Video 9: Mother feeds baby (8.25am) 11 May 2023
Video 10: Father feeds baby(10.20am) 11 May 2023
Hence, it is likely that both parents took turns to feed their baby in the daytime but mother stays in the nest with baby at night.
DAY 9 (12-5-23)
Video 11: At 8.26 am 12 May 2023 father dove arrived on the roof of ground floor porch. He called out repeatedly to baby to fly down for his breakfast. Baby was restless but did not fly out of nest. After 10mins, father flew up to baby in the nest. Baby was hungry and fed voraciously. Louse flies seen darting around the feathers of father’s belly.
At 8.40am baby is seen alone.
At 12.30pm father returns to feed baby.
At 3pm baby is seen to be alone.
At 3.30pm mother returns to feed baby.
DAY 10 (13-5-2023)
At 7.40 am father feeds baby, then flies off.
Baby left alone in nest (8.00am), gets restless, flaps its wings, sits on cardboard box edge and hops outside nest to stand on metal beam.
Video 12: At 9am father returns and landed on lower level roof, calling out to baby repeatedly. Baby heard the calls and got restless. It flapped its wings, returned calls to father and paced around in the nest, but still could not drum up enough courage to fly down.
Video 13: Next, father dove tries calling again from a nearer spot, on the metal beam, on the other side of the box nest, separated by a large wooden beam. Baby still could not be coaxed to fly out. Father then flew into nest to feed baby.
Video 14: At 11.20am Baby seen alone, outside nest with 4 louse flies.
Video 15: At 11.27am mother dove flew to side of nest and called baby. Baby just hopped back into nest and walked closer in mother’s direction. Mother and baby were separated by a big wooden beam. Mother then flew back into nest and fed baby.
At 11.35am father comes back to feed baby.
At 5.05pm Mother comes back to feed baby.
At 6.45pm Baby is still alone in the nest. It looks Baby is sleeping alone in the nest tonight (? to give Baby more incentive to fly).
DAY 11 (14-5-2023)
Today baby fledges.
Video 16: At 9am Mother was in nest with baby. She was busy repairing her nest (? Getting nest ready for next batch of eggs). After feeding, baby sat outside the nest box.
Video 17: At 1.34pm father called, and baby flew out of nest for a distance of 1m and returned to nest immediately. Father rewards baby by feeding him.
When I opened the balcony grille door to take a better picture, it flew off on an epic journey across my front garden, across the road to the house opposite, and landed at the base of the balcony railing on the first floor.
Video 18: Mother accompanied baby on ledge.
Video 19: At 4.18pm Mother feeds Baby.
At 7pm baby flew to the tree nearest where it was, then to an overhead wire. Instead of flying home to box nest located across the road, it flew sideways to another tree. Mother flew down to baby, calling repeatedly. The nest was empty at night and I think mother and baby spent the night in the tree.
Unfertilised egg removed, measured and candled.
DAY 12 (15-5-2023)
DAY 13 (16-5-2023)
Sadly, I was unable to witness the second nesting cycle, as I had to leave for an overseas trip.
NOTE of thanks to Dr Ang Yuchen for his help in confirming the flying insects on the doves are pigeon louse flies.
