2 babies fell of the nest

[Rivera]

So God must´ve figured I couldn´t wait to get a grandchick anymore, and today He sent me 2 babies that fell off 2 nests:
One White Winged Dove and one Mexican Ground Dove.
I´ve raised WWDs before and though this one is a rebel, I´ll manage. She´s skinny and in bad shape. Looks like she hasn´t eaten at least in one day, and her head feathers were plucked off, so the skin on her head has some scales. With good feeding and time that should heal. I tried to feed her seeds and it was hard, but when she got her beak near the seed puree of the ground dove (which is much younger) and she took to it like a fish to water, so I´m assuming she´s not into eating solids yet.
So I have 2 babies still eating seed "vomit".
The ground dove is a real challenge, but she´s a fighter! The little stinker got the idea that *I* was gonna be her only food source pretty fast, and though I had never hand fed one of those babies, she taught me how we could understand each other: I grab her beak between my index and thumb, put a drop of seed vomit there, and she sucks and licks it. So I don´t have to open her fragile beak and squeeze it in, THANK GOD! Cuz that scared me to death.. she is soooo tiny and fragile!
I´ve raised pairs of baby doves before (WWDs), but this is the first time I have 2 different species, and I just pray I don´t screw up.
My 2 WWDs just laid their second egg and I do hope this time they don´t break it. If they do, I don´t care anymore: I´ve got me some BABIES!!!
Here´s a pic of the youngsters I´m raising this year, oh! And by the way, the little WWD was also all tangled in some sticky weed and couldn´t move. She would´ve died if I hadn´t caught it. She was hungry and I think she spent the night away from the parents, but is doing OK: it´s very hot now, so she didn´t get cold. The ground dove must´ve fallen off the nest just minutes before I found it cuz it was recently fed.
G

[grndduv]

I saw your post on the baby ground dove and was relieved to see a pic, as that is what I also have now. I have rehabbed baby mourning doves but had never seen a ground dove though I knew it had to be one,.just wasn't sure which specie of dive it was. Its tiny size thrwe me. so,...thanks for posting that pic to the list, it was a great help to us,...me and Peeps

[Rivera]

I released Atila a while ago. He grew up nicely and was quite feisty. the white winged dove, sadly, had some kind of neuro disease and kept having seizures. He survived for a couple of weeks, but took a turn for the worse and stopped eating, so I had to PTS him... it was quite sad, but I assume that's why the parents kicked him off the nest, cuz he was so sick and would've died anyway.
The ground dove kept coming to the house to eat for some time. He might still do, but now I cannot tell him apppart from other ground doves. It was very scary to try to feed such a tiny little thing, but I guess he really wanted to survive and kept figuring out ways to eat the puree... that really helped.
Best wishes.
G

[Florence]

Sounds like you done a great job, G! It must give a feeling of fulfillment (perhaps fulfillment isn't exactly the right word for it, but you know what I mean)

[Rivera]

Yup... it was quite sad to lose the WWD. He was doing so well for a while. It was very scary to see him have those seizures. I had to hold him so close to avoid him hurting himself more. He would be so scared and confused afterwards.
Then... well... it was just a downward spiral.
The little groud dove would sit on top of him and though he was his mom. It was soooo cute! If you go to Youtube and search for white winged dove and ground dove babies you will see a video of them. I called them Atlas and Atila.
I did get very sentimental when they were both "released"... in their different ways.
G

[Florence]

I remember you placed a photo of the ground dove sitting on the WWD's back once I also found that very cute. It sure is a pity he didn't make it, but on the other hand it must also comfort you that you've done everything you could and he suffered way less than would he have been left to die before you started to take care for him.