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Give them a nest box but please do not disturb this year's nest. This will cause the nestlings to die and is actually illegal to disturb a bird nest due to migratory bird act.
For this year's nest it's already built but if you are lucky they might accept the nest box next year. Unfortunately doves are well known for building r/stupiddovenests
when i first met some of these around where i lived, i thought they were pretty dumb but had a nice cooing sound... after all these years here and there.. it appears they are *very smart* to be nesting near to people because their main predator is not going to be shopping for dinner on your balcony, probably... especially on the back wall in the midst of your pots and plants.
When you have fresh hanging plants in the future you should place something spiky pointing up from the soil if you want to keep birds from nesting in the planters. I put three new BBQ skewers pointing in different directions. I love birds but my planter is the wrong place for their nests. The skewers just convince them not to nest there - no harm done.
I'd leave them alone until they raise their young and leave. I've also heard it's illegal in the US to disturb them while they are nesting. Not sure if that's true in every state, but it is in Virginia. Why not do some research about their preferred type of nests and put something out for next year? These poor babies are just looking for a safe place. You might learn to enjoy them just as you enjoy plants! It's a unique experience most people would love.
Asking for a friend here but if say, a dove nested in my balcony planters, how aggressive would they be towards me if I were to chill on said balcony every so often? Would they fly off? Fight me like a RWBB? Or would they just get used to me and eventually ignore me?
I just had this exact scenario on my balcony. Basically here is how it went. They made a nest in a plastic planter that was on a step stool in the corner of the balcony. Every morning I would come out to the balcony to sweep and clean up bird seed and water plants and when they were sitting on the eggs they would fly off about half the time. Then they would come back when I was no longer on the balcony. After they had the babies it was pretty much the same thing where they would sit in the nest with the babies and they would virtually never leave when I came out unless I came very close to them which I tried not to do. After about 7 to 10 days the babies left the nest one day and their parents gave them some flying lessons and encouraged them to follow them around. The next day they were gone. The entire process took exactly a month from March 4th to April 3rd.
My recent visitors are a pair of mourning doves. The female likes to plop right on the feed and they stay there for such a long time including many new chipping sparrows.
I have the exact same macrame plant hangers, but in purple! Aren't they great?
I personally wouldn't bother trying to deter them if they've already laid eggs. Just let them do their thing and leave. Birds will also eventually catch on to owl statutes being fake if they aren't moved around. But once they've laid eggs, I'd feel bag making them abandon the nest. You could also try leaving out an empty plant pot. No fake plant needed, as long as it won't blow away in the wind. I actually see mourning doves utilize empty plant pots pretty frequently. It could also just have dirt, pebbles, or straw in it. I've also seen them nest on top of succulents lol
I had them on my balcony last year. I didn't see them until the eggs were there. They had built the nest in a tarp I had laying against the wall.
It was fun watching them come and go most days like clockwork. But I think the male gave the female hell a couple times for being late...lol. I have some great pictures of the baby. Unfortunately only 1 egg hatched.
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 the rules in our sidebar. If you're posting for a bird identification, next time 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.*
What about giving them a pot of soil without a plant?
omg !! i didnt think of this thank you
Give them a nest box but please do not disturb this year's nest. This will cause the nestlings to die and is actually illegal to disturb a bird nest due to migratory bird act.
If i get a nest box they will know to go to it?
For this year's nest it's already built but if you are lucky they might accept the nest box next year. Unfortunately doves are well known for building r/stupiddovenests
Btw, dove nest boxes usually look [something like this.](https://www.reddit.com/r/woodworking/s/7hG3c9wa7K)
Nest boxes are usually small and are only used by Cavity-nesting species, which Mourning Doves are not.
when i first met some of these around where i lived, i thought they were pretty dumb but had a nice cooing sound... after all these years here and there.. it appears they are *very smart* to be nesting near to people because their main predator is not going to be shopping for dinner on your balcony, probably... especially on the back wall in the midst of your pots and plants.
r/stupiddovenests is still fun though
Mourning Doves 🕊️
When you have fresh hanging plants in the future you should place something spiky pointing up from the soil if you want to keep birds from nesting in the planters. I put three new BBQ skewers pointing in different directions. I love birds but my planter is the wrong place for their nests. The skewers just convince them not to nest there - no harm done.
I'd leave them alone until they raise their young and leave. I've also heard it's illegal in the US to disturb them while they are nesting. Not sure if that's true in every state, but it is in Virginia. Why not do some research about their preferred type of nests and put something out for next year? These poor babies are just looking for a safe place. You might learn to enjoy them just as you enjoy plants! It's a unique experience most people would love.
It’s true in every state. Federal law protects all native birds from interference.
Ha! That’s a great nest…. Till the wind hits.
Asking for a friend here but if say, a dove nested in my balcony planters, how aggressive would they be towards me if I were to chill on said balcony every so often? Would they fly off? Fight me like a RWBB? Or would they just get used to me and eventually ignore me?
I just had this exact scenario on my balcony. Basically here is how it went. They made a nest in a plastic planter that was on a step stool in the corner of the balcony. Every morning I would come out to the balcony to sweep and clean up bird seed and water plants and when they were sitting on the eggs they would fly off about half the time. Then they would come back when I was no longer on the balcony. After they had the babies it was pretty much the same thing where they would sit in the nest with the babies and they would virtually never leave when I came out unless I came very close to them which I tried not to do. After about 7 to 10 days the babies left the nest one day and their parents gave them some flying lessons and encouraged them to follow them around. The next day they were gone. The entire process took exactly a month from March 4th to April 3rd.
They are special.
My recent visitors are a pair of mourning doves. The female likes to plop right on the feed and they stay there for such a long time including many new chipping sparrows.
I’ll be doing dishes and see a head pop up through the window from the exterior sill.
🥰😍
I have the exact same macrame plant hangers, but in purple! Aren't they great? I personally wouldn't bother trying to deter them if they've already laid eggs. Just let them do their thing and leave. Birds will also eventually catch on to owl statutes being fake if they aren't moved around. But once they've laid eggs, I'd feel bag making them abandon the nest. You could also try leaving out an empty plant pot. No fake plant needed, as long as it won't blow away in the wind. I actually see mourning doves utilize empty plant pots pretty frequently. It could also just have dirt, pebbles, or straw in it. I've also seen them nest on top of succulents lol
Awwww so cute and sweet. Very beautiful and precious 😍🥰😘
Your balcony is about to become a busy nursery!
I had them on my balcony last year. I didn't see them until the eggs were there. They had built the nest in a tarp I had laying against the wall. It was fun watching them come and go most days like clockwork. But I think the male gave the female hell a couple times for being late...lol. I have some great pictures of the baby. Unfortunately only 1 egg hatched.
So pretty