doves in our yard. any bird experts?

Question

this dove built a nest and laid three eggs recently. 2 babies ended up hatching. after a few days they were all gone. can anyone tell me what the difference is between pigeons and doves, how long the babies stay in the nest, and if they were moved by the mother, how she did that?

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

These may have been Mourning doves or Rock Pigeons..here is more info on both species.  They are distinct species but both are in the same family.
Mourning Dove
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mourning_Dove/id
Rock Pigeon
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Rock_Pigeon/id
It sounds like the babies were eaten by a predator before they got a chance to grow and fledge on their own.  Birds are not capable of moving chicks, or eggs.

kim · Answer

Pigeons are usually just larger than doves. Technically there is no real difference between the 2. 

If they hadn't fledged (had no or few feathers), then it's possible the parent just put the nest in a spot that was visible or easy to get to by predators. Doves aren't really the smartest birds when it comes too making good nests or hiding them.

EDIT: "Pigeons and Doves
There is no true scientific difference between 'pigeons' and 'doves'. While the smaller pigeons often get called 'doves', this is fairly inconsistent. The family can be split into two different groups, but this is based more on their ecology and diet. There are those pigeons that feed on seeds (usually duller coloured, ground-dwelling pigeons), and those that feed on fruit (more striking, aboreal species). The Daintree area has a diverse group of pigeons, with representatives of both types of pigeons, although many species are heard more often than seen."

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doves in our yard. any bird experts?

2 Answers