Aggressive Dove behavior?

[Destornis]

Hello all, I've gotten a dove about less than a week ago, and he's the sweetest thing. Just earlier today he was just being very nice, but all of a sudden he started attacking my hands. He let me pet him and stuff, but until now he has been boxing and pecking real hard at my hands. I hope I did not scare him or anything, but when I put him back on his cage, flies over and pecks again. I could really need some help, and I know for sure that he's a boy. He's been known to love attention and cuddles, please help!

 

[Hokum Coco]

Hello all, I've gotten a dove all of a sudden he started attacking my hands., please help!

Start hand feeding him only shelled unsalted peanuts for a treat. That will help you change his attitude. Some also like sunflower hearts (not all).

I lost all my homers to a weasel attack this winter.

That being said a lot of my homers (know for being aloof) would fly to me when I called them for a peanut treat from anywhere in ear shot. It takes time and patience which I have a good supply of @ my disposal I must admit.

Most pigeons do not like being picked up as a rule so this may or may not change his attitude entirely toward you. Especially if he thinks you are wanting to handle him.

It should at least help in a perfect world.

 

[Szulptist]

If you're talking about a ringneck, white or eurasian collared dove then it's probably just territorial behavior. My bird Amelia (named before I realized she was a he) is extremely sweet and will let me groom her head and feathers but she can be a real jerk inside her cage and when I first take her out. She'll peck really really hard when I put my hand in her cage and laugh angrily at me. Once she's out of the cage and has given me a few nasty pecks she'll usually calm down. I think she sees my hands as other birds so I keep the one she is not perched on lower than the other to seem non dominant or aggressive. Other times I just put my hand over her head / back of her body (carefully and without applying pressure) until she calms down. Usually only takes a few seconds for my bird. Amelia is a 'white dove' even though white doves are just a color variation of ringneck or collared doves. If your bird perches on your finger / hand without attacking anything just wait a few minutes until he calms down and then try petting him. Also try bringing him into another room for petting and playing, if you let him fly around the entire room he might consider the whole place his territory. Good luck!

Don't be discouraged, when Amelia started giving me nasty pecks I thought it was my fault but now that I know her better I don't get offended. Once she settles down she is very calm and enjoys being groomed quite a bit. After a few pets she usually tries grooming me back so I keep offering her my other hand with my palm facing down and my fingers dangling and she pecks in between them as though she's grooming imaginary feathers. After a few rows of grooming on my hand she'll plunge her beak in between two of my fingers and hold it there, I make sure I'm not covering her nostrils and after a few seconds she usually pulls her beak out. She's an amazing pet and I'm glad to have her. Be patient with your dove, patience and understanding is key!

I refer to her as a she even though I know she's a he, stuck in the habit.

Good luck!

Eric

P.S. If he's a pigeon (rock dove) then my advice may not apply, I don't have any first hand experience hand taming male pigeons.

 

[Destornis]

Thank you so much for the replies! It really helped, and I guess it is just territorial behavior. Sometimes something spooks him, and he begins the boxing with my hands. But when I show no threat, he calms down. Szulptist, I thought it was my fault at first, and it scared me, thank you for correcting! And yes, this is a ringneck dove, that's a male. Thank you both for helping me!

 

[Szulptist]

Awesome, glad it all worked out! I used to worry Amelia would hold grudges against me and stuff but as long as you are nice to your bird any miscommunications will work themselves out.

Eric