S'pore woman uses umbrella to shelter from rain mother dove & hatchlings nesting in potted plant

Rain-proof home.

Ashley Tan | January 14, 2021, 02:56 PM

Follow us on Telegram for the latest updates: https://t.me/mothershipsg

The heavy rain recently likely led to many of us cooping up at home and ordering food while snuggled under our blankets.

The animals that call Singapore their home simply ride out the inclement weather.

This was what one spotted dove did, until a kind resident intervened.

Weathering the storm

A woman, Pauw Ling, saw the heartwarming sight of a mother dove laying her eggs in one of her potted plants along the HDB corridor.

Speaking to Mothership, Ling shared that the mother dove laid two eggs on Dec. 20, 2020.

The eggs soon hatched, revealing two fuzzy chicks.

Photo from Pauw Ling / FB

Photo from Pauw Ling / FB

Although all was well initially, the torrential rain at the start of January 2021 made it tougher for a mother to raise her young.

Here she is attempting to weather the storm, both chicks tucked beneath her, with droplets of rain falling on her through the leaves of the potted plant.

Gif from Pauw Ling / FB

Makeshift shelter

Sharing the photos and videos in a post, Ling said she couldn't bear to the see the mother dove all soaked while guarding her babies, and decided to help.

She originally tried securing a sheet of plastic above the potted plant with a clothes clip, but when that proved too unwieldy, and decided to change tactics.

Photo from Pauw Ling / FB

Here are the doves' new shelter, courtesy of an umbrella secured by Ling to the railing with nylon ties.

Photo from Pauw Ling / FB

Here is the trio all nice and warm protected from the rain, with the mother dove feeding her hatchlings.

Gif from Pauw Ling / FB

Ling explained that she just wanted to help the mother dove lay her eggs and raise her chicks in a comfortable place.

Both mother and babies are currently doing well, thanks to Ling's makeshift shelter.

"No matter what, [a] mother is a mother, she will want to take care of her babies and show motherly love," she added.

Spotted doves are one of the more common birds in Singapore, and can be often seen in urban and residential areas.

The spotted dove gets its name from the speckled patch around its neck.

This species may be confused with it's similar-looking cousin, the zebra dove.

The latter, however, is much smaller and has thin lines on its neck instead.

Top photo from Pauw Ling / FB

Totally unrelated but follow and listen to our podcast here