A single white dove

Question
Do white doves make good pets?

Can they be tamed?

How big should a cage be for one?

Can they live with cockatiels or at lest interect with them during out of cage time?

Are they very dusty birds? Is there anything I could do to lower the amount of feather dust flying around?  

Answer
First of all, let me clarify - white doves are just a color mutation of ring-necked doves.  Like a blue budgie is just a color mutation of the normal green budgie.  Color doesn't make any difference to personality or care, so any ring-necked dove, white or not, would make a similar pet.

They do make good pets, they're usually quite tame, if they've been handled as babies.  (They don't need to be hand-fed, just accustomed to handling and people.)  They're very easy keepers, don't chew or get into trouble like parrots, and are very quiet.  They can also be kept in pairs or groups and still stay tame.  If you decide on a pair, though, get two males or two females unless you want LOTS of babies - they breed like rabbits!

Because they don't climb like parrots, they should have room to fly.  If they're out of the cage everyday and can do some flying around your home, a cage for one could be as small as 18" square, since they don't need a lot of space for toys or anything like that.  BUT, if they're not going to get out of the cage to fly daily, they'll need a cage large enough to allow at least a little flying room.  The very minimum for this would be about 18" x 18" x 30" long, which would do for one or a pair.

I've kept them with cockatiels, and 90% of the time they do just fine.  Doves are extremely laid-back birds, and are never aggressive outside their own species (sometimes two males will fight if they are females around).  But, they're so laid-back that even peaceful cockatiels sometimes pick on them.  It's not always aggression, just simple curiosity and the doves sit and take it... I've even had finches pluck them for nesting material!

Doves are not as dusty as cockatiels, but they're close.  You can give them showers with a spray-bottle a couple of times a week, that really helps cut down on the dust.  If you find the dust is really a problem - with doves or 'tiels or any other birds - it might be worth the investment to get an air filter and keep it near the bird cages.

- Lara
psitta@yahoo.com