A diamond in the dough: Lex pizza joint saves exotic dove. Hunt for owner is on
Doves aren’t known to have a taste for pizza, but an adventurous diamond dove might be grateful to the sharp-eyed employees at Sir Pizza on New Circle Road who called Lexington-Fayette Animal Care & Control for help.
In a Facebook post Wednesday, the agency wrote it received a call from restaurant employees about a possibly injured bird in need of rescue.
“When our officer arrived, they discovered a diamond dove — an exotic species not native to our area — in poor condition. The dove is now in the care of a bird expert, and we’re hopeful for its recovery,” LFACC wrote in the post.
Believing it to be someone’s pet, the agency directed anyone who may know the dove’s owner to contact animal services at 859-255-9033, ext. 233.
What to know about diamond doves
Diamond doves are native to Australia, where they dwell in deserts within the country’s interior.
They are popular among bird enthusiasts because of their small stature, beautiful appearance and relatively easy upkeep. Many are also drawn to the soft cooing sounds they make, especially compared to more noisy parrots, according to the Lafeber Company, a longtime premium bird food and animal care company.
The company says the diamond dove’s defining features are a dark gray coat with white specks and a long, slender tail. There are now mutations for white and silver varieties, however. Males and females have reddish eye rings, but the male’s ring is larger.
Because diamond doves are social birds, it’s possible the one recovered at Sir Pizza may have a companion or two missing it back home.
David Stephenson, an assistant professor within the University of Kentucky’s School of Journalism and Media, has been keeping homing pigeons for 18 years. He kept diamond doves when he was a child, Stephenson told the Herald-Leader Thursday.
“It is definitely a domesticated bird. It most likely got out of somebody’s cage,” Stephenson said.
While the close-up photo shared by LFACC might give the appearance of a large bird, Stephenson said diamond doves are actually quite small, comparing them to a cardinal.
“I could also tell you by looking at it, that bird was exhausted. It was not well,” Stephenson said.
The LFACC’s post said the bird was in the care of a “bird expert,” but Stephenson confirmed he is not the one looking after it.
The Herald-Leader’s calls to LFACC for more information about the rescue have not been returned.