Who IS Luvy Duvy?  He is our resident dove, and his perch is located in our reception area where he is sure to greet you with his soothing coos and mischievous 'laugh' ! Email Luvy Duvy !            (Fan mail accepted)

Did you know that there are over 300 species of doves?

"Luvy Duvy's" scientific name is Streptopelia risoria, more commonly known as the ring neck dove, laughing dove, collared dove, Barbary dove and turtle dove.  The domesticated dove (Streptopelia risoria) descends from the African Ring Dove (Streptopelia roseogrisea). These doves like a warm dry climate.  Their original homeland was North Africa, Somalia and Arabia.  They are not migratory.

Doves can live several years; they are not considered old until about 5 years or more.  The original wild coloring is quite beautiful as are the over 40 acknowledged color mutations. 

 "Luvy Duvy's" coloring is: White

This bird has a white body, tail, wing and head.  It may have a slight cream color at the underside of the tail.  It also may have a light colored neck ring.  The eye color is orange.  This bird looks like an albino but it is not.

Doves have a unique ability in that they drink differently than other birds.  Rather than scooping up water in their bill and then tilting their head back allowing the water to run into the throat, doves simply stick their bills into the water and promptly suck it down using their bill as a sort of pump.  They do not have to lift their head to swallow.  Doves tend to drink only a couple of times per day, usually morning and evening. 

In the wild they live in woodlands and forests.  Their diet is primarily fresh green leaves, fruit, berries, seeds and insects.  Favored nest sites are holes in the ground and in the trees.

Some behavior traits you may observe while visiting Luvy Duvy:

The bow-coo is always directed to, or at a particular bird (most humans as well).  It may be repeated as rapidly as 5 per ten seconds but usually longer intervals occur between calls.  One bow-coo averages about 2 and 1/2 seconds per call.  Between repeated bow-coos the  male always 'stamps' his feet lightly or steps toward the object-dove.

The perch-coo. The notes are nearly the same as in a bow-coo, but they are given less hurriedly than the sometimes frenzied bow-coo.  The perch-coo may be given with the eyes open, or nearly completely closed and is the only coo also given at night.  It is never obviously directed at any particular bird in sight.

The nest-coo. The notes of this call are nearly the same as in a bow-coo but the call is softer and more intermittent.  It is always accompanied by wing 'flipping'.  The head may nod at the beginning of each nest-coo.  In a potential nest site males give this call more frequently than the female before a nest site is chosen, but afterwards the female may give it more frequently. (Apparently, doves sometimes consider a thin perch as a nest site and may even carry sticks to it).

Challenge note: Kah or 'laugh'.  This note is nearly always given from an attack posture and is often preceded or followed by a forward hop of jump.  It consists of a series of similar high pitched, rapid, short notes (often five notes).   The challenge note given by a male often leads to bow-coos if the "opponent" is a female or to a fight or flight stance if the opponent is a male.

Water bathing.  Doves may step into shallow water or sit on a perch near water level and fluff the feathers, crouch and flutter the wings so that the water is 'sprayed' throughout the plumage. The head is rapidly dipped or passed through the surface of the water a few times in a 'sideswipe' motion.  Often the wing is held vertical, but the tail is seldom spread.  This response may also occur at the beginning of a light rain or spray of water.  The bird always preens and shakes afterward, if undisturbed.    

  Bath time! 

Relaxed resting.  Beyond the usual 'perching', a dove may lean its body to one side so that one wing is partly laid upon.  sometimes both wings are at an unusual angle (shoulders out, wrists in near the feet).  It occurs frequently in immature birds and more rarely in adults.

"Luvy Duvy" was a fledgling when he joined our team in 1997. He is fed a pelleted diet called Harrison's Bird Diet as well as cooked corn, boiled egg, broccoli and occasionally millet and a variety of other fruits and vegetables. 

For more information on this species visit: Diamond Doves