Ask Lafeber

Orphaned egg

Hi, a mourning dove laid eggs on the lamp in my porch. The lamp has a flat top. Unfortunately two eggs fell of. The dove was alone, though I saw another mourning dove with a mate so maybe they are the same bird. The dove sat staring at the broken eggs for a little while. Then she flew off. There’s one egg left. It is on the lamp. I want to put a bowl as a nest so it doesn’t fall, but my mom said that we should leave it alone. I don’t know if the mom/dad bird will be back. If it doesn’t come back, can I hatch the egg on my own with household items? I currently do not have a pet bird or any bird supplies or wild bird food. Also, how long can the egg survive without a parent? It’s been about 30 minutes or so. Maybe more. I would really appreciate help. Thanks.

Hi Taymia,

Doves in general are terrible nest builders. They will put a few twigs on a flat surface and call it a nest. Since you didn’t see a mate around, then something may have happened to it. Dove pairs stay close together and both sit on the nest. It’s also possible she is young and laid eggs but doesn’t know what to do with them. I wouldn’t try to intervene. It’s actually illegal for you to take the egg. Wild birds are protected by Federal law, which not only protects the birds, but makes it illegal to move or destroy their nests or eggs, and technically even picking up a feather. The reason for this is to prevent wild birds from being killed for their feathers or eggs or nests. It’s very sweet for you to be concerned but it’s best to let nature take its course. It is OK to put out hanging baskets or install bird houses. If there is a nature store in your area, they will know what species are natural and what kind of bird houses might attract wild birds.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda