Doves can eat some parakeet seed, but it is not an ideal everyday food for them. Doves and pigeons are seed-eaters that do best on a mix made for them, built on small grains and millet, with fresh greens and clean water. Parakeet mix is similar in some ingredients, but it is not formulated for doves.
What Doves Normally Eat
Pet and wild doves eat mostly seeds and grains: millet, cracked corn, wheat, milo, sunflower and small peas. Wild mourning doves feed mainly on the ground, picking up seed and grit. A dove mix usually has more larger grains and legumes than a parakeet mix.
Is Parakeet Food Safe for Doves?
A plain parakeet seed mix is generally not toxic to doves, and a dove that steals a few seeds from a budgie dish will be fine. As a regular diet, though, parakeet food has drawbacks:
- It is heavy on small millets and canary seed and low in the larger grains doves prefer.
- It may contain colored pellets, sweet treats, honey sticks or dried fruit that are not suitable for doves.
- Doves need the right balance of protein, calcium and vitamins, which a budgie formula is not designed to provide.
A Better Daily Diet for Doves
- A commercial dove or pigeon mix as the base.
- A small portion of pellets made for doves, if available, since they balance nutrients.
- Fresh greens and chopped vegetables a few times a week.
- Fresh water daily, and grit or a mineral source if your vet recommends it.
Feeding Doves and Parakeets Together
Doves and parakeets can sometimes share an aviary, but feed them in separate dishes, because a dove may gobble the whole budgie dish. Always feed in a clean dish and wash it daily.
Foods to Avoid
Do not feed doves avocado, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, onion, garlic or salty foods. Skip moldy seed. For wild doves, scatter millet or cracked corn on the ground or a platform feeder instead of parakeet mix. For more, see our guide to wild bird seed.
Bottom Line
A bit of parakeet seed will not harm a dove, but it should not be the daily diet. Feed a dove mix, fresh greens and clean water, and ask an avian vet to confirm the right diet for your birds.
