• Welcome to Avian Avenue! To view our forum with less advertisments please register with us.
    Memberships are free and it will just take a moment. Click here

How Dusty are Starlings and Doves?

shelby.pax

Sitting on the front steps
Joined
11/4/21
Messages
15
Real Name
Shelby
Hi, I'm interested in getting a softbill bird in the near future and starlings and doves seem like the top candidates. They seem very personable and sweet.

I have been reading on dustiness and I was wondering if anybody knows how dusty starlings and/or doves are? I've had a green cheek conure in the past and had 0 issues with him. But I am unsure just how dusty doves and starlings are in comparison and I'm concerned about indoor air quality. With doves, I've seen a range of answers from their dust is negligible to people saying they are extremely dusty. I've also heard diamond doves aren't that dusty.

I'm also curious hear about any other softbills that people have!
 

javi

Jogging around the block
Avenue Veteran
Joined
4/17/11
Messages
918
Real Name
JAVI
So ringneck doves and pigeons are incredibly dusty and yes Diamond doves are not as bad. Their feces also dries and particularizes in a way different than parrots so daily cleaning is needed. I definitely would recommend an air filter or two. I have never had starlings so cannot comment on them.
 

shelby.pax

Sitting on the front steps
Joined
11/4/21
Messages
15
Real Name
Shelby
So ringneck doves and pigeons are incredibly dusty and yes Diamond doves are not as bad. Their feces also dries and particularizes in a way different than parrots so daily cleaning is needed. I definitely would recommend an air filter or two. I have never had starlings so cannot comment on them.
Thank you for your help. That's good to know how dusty doves are. It's a shame though since pigeons and doves are absolutely amazing birds. I'll focus on starlings as from the few things I have read regarding their dustiness, they are apparently non-dusty
 

expressmailtome

Ripping up the road
Administrator
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
4/15/10
Messages
49,992
Real Name
Matthew
Pigeons/doves are so dusty that the disease hypersensitivity pneumonitis is nicknamed pigeon fancier's lung.
 

Sodapop&Co.

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
10/4/18
Messages
2,013
Location
CA, North America, Planet Earth
Real Name
Sarah
I'm honestly actually surprised that doves are so much dustier than other birds. I've never heard that before. They were the first birds I had so I guess I couldn't really tell. I really should have known that before I got them though!
Their feces also dries and particularizes in a way different than parrots so daily cleaning is needed.
I didn't know this either.
 
Top