Cage Floor.  Take that grate out of your diamond dove cage.  They prefer to walk on the flat floor.  They enjoy scrabbling for food bits -- a dropped seed or maybe a bug or two.

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Of course, they like to roost also.  This is not their only roost.  They just like this one best.

Roosts. Diamond doves supposedly need a variety of roosts -- so their little feeties won’t cramp up.  On the other hand, they will often all line up on the same roost.  These guys favor this 3/8” roost rather than their 7/16” roost.  We added both about 10 minutes ago.  Make sure you put no food or water directly under their roosts (for obvious reasons).  

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These diagonal perches were too close to the bars for these diamond doves.

Roost Placement.  Perches too close to the bars will break their tail feathers or prevent your diamond doves from using the roosts.  Use longer roosts and move them away from their cage bars.

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Most of his cage mates had to take turns using the roost.  Note the dinged up tail.

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Almost enough tail room here.  Very easy to correct.  Move it to the left.

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Diamond doves don't look or act the same as ringnecks -- more flighty but not wild.

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You'd never have to grab a ringneck dove like this.

Less Laid-Back than Ringnecks.  Diamond doves walk away from you when you try to pick them up.  They do not go all mental on you like finches and flap all over the cage from ceiling to floor and back again.  But they will not sit on your finger on the first date.  You gotta work with them.

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Size-wise, diamond doves are about the size of a chubby canary.

Size.  Diamond doves are much smaller than the ringnecks -- similar in size to a canary but with a much longer tail.  It would take 8 to 10 of these guys to weigh a pound. 

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Female diamond dove in front.  Two in back are males.

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If you find your diamond dove "nesting," you can assume she's a female.

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Laying eggs is another clue.

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Females will share their nests with another female.

Sexing the Rascals.  At six months of age, male diamond doves have an orange ring around their eyes three times as thick as the ring around the female’s eyes.  Males also bow (dip their heads) when they coo to females.  

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These diamond doves prefer to work on the bottom of their cage.

Bottom Feeders.  Diamond doves spend much more time on the bottom than on their perches.  They pick thru their litter looking for tasty morsels.  This makes them good mixers in large cages of finches or canaries.  They clean up after some of the messier birds.  However, when we consider that thought, there are no non-messy birds.

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Brown guy with "diamonds."  Some dozen color types exist.

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Diamond doves will clean up seeds that fall to the bottom.

Mixers.  If you have a large cage of small birds (finches or canaries), you can add diamond doves to clean up the extra seed these little guys drop or throw out.  Do not mix them with hookbills.  Hookbills are not always tolerant of other species.  

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Seeds with vita-chunks make a good diet.  They'd switch to pellets fast.

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Fresh seeds convince your diamond doves to fill their crops.

Treats.  In addition to seeds, your diamond doves like extra treats:  boiled eggs, egg biscuit, cornbread, bits of greens, and insects (live or canned).

Supplements.  Egg-laying females need calcium supplements.  Add powdered calcium/vitamin supplement to their boiled egg treats.  Or leave the shell on their boiled egg.  Or add a cuttlebone to their cage.

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Here's a choice of two nest types for your diamond doves to choose from.

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She took over a canary nest on the floor of her cage.

Non-Complicated Nests.  Diamond doves will nest anywhere.  They will use their food bowls if you provide nothing else.  Canary nests look good and work well.  You can also used an empty tuna can...They usually lay two eggs which hatch in 11 to 15 days.  The parents feed them pigeon milk.

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Babies are ready to exit the nest after 10 days.  They are sexable at six months of age.

Last Word.  Diamond doves make an interesting pet.  LA.

An outtake:

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Zebra doves.

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