Record Which Diamond Dove Is Which
A diamond dove's records matter most for identification, because these tiny Australian doves look nearly identical at a glance. On the day your dove arrives, write down the source — breeder, aviary, or rescue — with contact details, and anything you were told about age and sex. If the bird carries a leg band, note the number, its color, and the leg it sits on; if there is no band, your photographs become the identity record, so take them carefully. Photograph each wing's white spotting pattern, the orange-red eye-ring, and the bird from above and from the front, in plain daylight without a flash startling the bird.
If your diamond dove arrives as one of a pair, record the pairing on the same page: which bird is the mate, any tiny distinguishing mark you rely on, and who eats, bathes, and roosts where. Diamond doves bond closely, and a record of the bond helps a sitter or vet understand stress if the pair is ever separated.
Note the Fine Seed, Grit, and Water Routine
A diamond dove's feeding record needs specifics, because these birds eat small seeds that many general mixes are too coarse to supply. Write down the exact fine seed blend the bird arrived eating, whether it includes small millet and canary seed, and what you scatter on the floor of the enclosure, since diamond doves feed naturally at ground level. Record where the grit dish sits and how often you refresh it, and note any green food or fine chopped egg food the previous keeper offered.
Record the water arrangement too: the depth of the bathing dish, how often the bird actually bathes, and how quickly drinking water fouls in the enclosure's position. A diamond dove that stops bathing or leaves its seed untouched is often flagging a problem, and your written routine is what lets you say exactly what changed and when.
Weigh Gently and Watch the Quiet Signs
A diamond dove weighs very little, so weighing must be brief and calm: a small scale, a soft container, the same time each week, and the figure written down immediately. Beside the weight, keep a line for droppings, which in a dove are small and formed, and a line for breathing — diamond doves sit so quietly that a tail-bob or an open beak at rest may be the first visible sign something is wrong.
If you keep a hen, add laying notes: dates eggs appear, whether she sits, and how she looks between clutches. Frequent laying draws on a small bird's reserves, and a dated laying record is exactly what an avian vet will ask for before advising you.
Log the Enclosure and the Company
A diamond dove's file should include the enclosure itself: its size, the flat perches or branches offered, the floor covering, and what other birds, if any, share the space. Diamond doves are peaceable and easily crowded out at food dishes by pushier species, so record who else feeds nearby and whether your dove waits until others finish.
Keep Vet and Sitter Details With the Diary
A diamond dove's diary closes with people: your avian vet's name and phone number, the date and findings of the first health check, and the name of whoever feeds the bird when you travel. Add a short sitter summary drawn from the record itself — which bird is which, the seed and grit routine, and the signs that should prompt a phone call. KinsLe's Pet Passport gathers a diamond dove's identity, diet, weight trend, and vet history into one portable packet, ready for an appointment, a stay with a sitter, or an emergency handover.