Species Spotlight March 2018

Mourning Dove

Zenaida macroura

The melancholy, soulful cooing of the mourning dove is familiar and soothing, signaling the beginning of nesting, claiming their territory, and raising their young. Although one of the most abundant and popular North American birds, the mourning dove is equally as popular with hunters. The ability to sustain its population under such circumstances is due primarily to its generous breeding – one pair may raise up to six broods of young in one year. This approach is crucial, as their mortality rates are high – 58% a year for adults and 69% for young.

Mourning doves are common, and found just about anywhere except in the deep woods. You may spot them in fields or open areas of ground, or on overhead perches, such as telephone wires. This is a medium-sized, slender dove, approximately 12” long and weighing 4-6 ounces. The wings make an unusual whistling sound when taking off and landing, and they are strong fliers, capable of speeds up to 55 mph!

Males and females are similar in appearance, each with light grey and brown coloring. In fact, all five subspecies of the mourning dove resemble other, so much so it can be difficult to distinguish one from the other.

Mourning doves prefer a diet of seeds, even preferring certain types over others. They commonly visit neighborhood bird feeders as well, and love canola, corn, and sunflower seeds. They’ll usually eat only what they can see, not opting to dig or scratch around on the ground. Rarely, they’ll eat snails or insects. When they find something tasty, they’ll generally eat until their crops are full, then fly away to digest while resting. They often ingest fine gravel or sand to help with digestion. They drink by suction, without lifting or tilting their heads.

The male’s courtship display begins with a noisy flight followed by a rhythmic circular dance, his head down and wings stretched out wide. After landing, as the grand finale the male approaches his mate with a puffed-out chest, bobbing head and loud calling.

These charming birds are monogamous and form strong family bonds. When it’s time to nest, the male leads his lady on a tour of potential nest sites, letting her choose her favorite. When she finds the perfect spot, she’ll build the nest, the male gathering nest material and bringing it back to her. The nest is thinly built and made mostly of twigs, pine needles and grass. Most nests are built in trees but are also found in shrubs or even buildings and, if there are no other options, may lie at ground level.

Outside the breeding season, mourning doves roost communally in dense deciduous trees or in conifers.

The clutch size is almost always two eggs. Both parents incubate the young, lasting about two weeks, and are devoted parents, rarely leaving the nest unattended. Both also feed their young “pigeon milk.” The young leave the nest after about 15 days, but remain nearby to be fed for next week or two. In areas with favorable weather, one pair may raise as many as 5-6 broods per year.

Unfortunately, mourning doves are prey to several parasites and diseases, including tapeworms, mites and lice. The mourning dove’s primary predators are birds of prey, such as falcons and hawks. During nesting, anything from house cats to rat snakes will prey on their eggs.

Cool Facts:

During the breeding season, you might see three mourning doves flying in tight formation; this is a form of social display. Usually, the lead bird is the male of a mated pair, the second bird is a single male chasing his adversary out of his nesting area, and the third is the female of the mated pair, seeming to only be “along for the ride.”

Mourning Doves tend to over-stuff themselves on the ground, swallowing seeds and storing them up in an area of the esophagus called the crop. Once it’s totally full (the record is 17,200 bluegrass seeds!), they’ll fly to a safe perch to digest the meal. Mourning doves eat roughly 12-20% of their body weight per day, or 71 calories on average.

Mourning doves can even survive in the desert by drinking brackish spring water (even up to nearly half the saltiness of seawater), without becoming dehydrated the way people do.

The Mourning Dove is the most widespread and abundant game bird in North America. Every year hunters take more than 20 million birds, but remarkably the mourning dove remains one of our most abundant birds with a U.S. population estimated at 350 million.

The oldest known mourning dove was a male, over 30 years old, when he was shot in Florida in 1998. He had been banded in Georgia in 1968.

-Victoria Haugen, Board Secretary
Main Photo by: Lyn Topinka