Hawk and dove? Bird builds nest on dealership car

When a dove needed a place to incubate some eggs, she opted for luxury digs.

A dove, nicknamed Mama Dove by the staff at the Bob Poynter Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram and Hyundai dealership on North National Road, has built a nest with two eggs in the windshield well of a 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo, valued at more than $38,000, parked among the Jeep offerings at the dealership.

Employees don’t plan on disturbing Mama Dove for the estimated 23 days it will take for the eggs to hatch and the two to three weeks the dove chicks will need in the nest before they’re ready to move on their own, said Shaundra Sanders, a dealership employee who is providing status updates on the hatching process through social media.

The first inklings that someone other than a potential buyer was interested in this particular Grand Cherokee happened March 25 when one of the salesman noticed some branches accumulating in this particular Grand Cherokee’s windshield well.

[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]

Click here to purchase photos from this gallery

Fairly soon, the nest formed right before their eyes, and Mama Dove took up residence, although she occasionally skedaddles for a short time to get something to eat.

Dealership employees have been a little worried about the recent stormy weather and asked whether they should rope off the area with caution tape or provide some sort of cover for the nest.

But Columbus Animal Control officials advised to just let Mama Dove do her thing and try to avoid startling her or causing any disruptions.

“It’s spring; it’s new beginnings,” Sanders said. “People are loving this.”

Sanders said owner Bob Poynter has a soft spot for animals and would want to protect the dove and her hatchlings.

They have stories of the dealership owner stopping the work day and asking employees to help capture an injured duck in the dealership parking lot, and a feral dog that wandered on to the lot with injuries was sent to Purdue University vets for help, she said.

Poynter, who has been traveling, found out about the dove when The Republic called for comment.

“My first thought is how we protect it,” he said.