172 Successful Breeding of the Isahelline Turtle-dove


Eventually I saw one young bird perching in the elder quite close to

the nest. When at last they began to go about the aviary they were

able to do so as easily as their parents. This is quite different to most

species of Doves, as the young mostly leave the nest at a very early

age, and, being somewhat helpless at first, losses are not uncommon,

and I was gratified that the Isabellines were wiser than most of their

kind. The parent birds soon brought them over to the seed tray,

and they started at once to pick up seed for themselves.


Without loss of time, the hen laid again in the same nest, and brought

out another pair of strong young Doves as before. They at once went

to nest again, as before occupying the original nest, and brought out

another pair of equally strong young birds, though the weather was

then quite cold, with much rain.


Just before the above pair was hatched I wanted to send a pair

away to a friend, and had great trouble in picking them out, owing

to the adult hen being in moult and the earlier youngster with the

adult plumage all but complete.


When the young left the nest they lacked the dark body markings

and neck patches of the adults, and their plumage generally was paler

than that of their parents.


This species is no trouble in the aviary among the other thirty

or so small Doves of various species, only showing a little temper when

their nest was too closely approached. The young were equally

amiable, and did not interfere at all with their parents’ subsequent

nesting operations, nor with the later young birds after their exit

from the nest.


When Mr. Page was here on a visit in July last, he rather thought

this species had been bred at the London Zoo, but subsequent inquiries

prove that they have not yet had the species in their collection, so,

apparently, this is the first time Isabellines have reared young in

England.



