Bird of the Week - Mourning Dove
MOURNING DOVE
BASICS: A graceful, slender-tailed, small-headed dove that’s common across the continent. Their soft, drawn-out calls sound like laments (the mournful cooing sound that they are named for). When taking off, their wings make a sharp whistling or whinnying. Their plumage is gray-brown with black spots on the wings. The tail is long and tapered to a point, with white tips on the feathers. They have dark eyes and pinkish legs and feet. Males have a bluish-grey crown, a light rose-grey color on the breast and an iridescent purple-pink patch on each side of the neck. Females have a grayish brown crown and a brownish tan breast area and are a little smaller than males.
HOUSING: Typically, Mourning Doves nest on the branches of an evergreen, shade or orchard tree and sometimes in shrubs. They also commonly nest on the ground. They do not mind being near humans and may even nest on gutters, eaves, or abandoned equipment. To attract these birds and encourage nesting in a more convenient location, place a nest cone in a shady part of a tree with branches overhead. Use wire to secure the nest in a horizontal crotch of a tree limb. They may nest two or three times in succession.
FOOD: Seeds make up 99% of a Mourning Dove’s diet including those of cultivated grains, grasses, weeds, herbs and many other plants. Sometimes berries. Occasionally they eat snails, but very rarely any insects. They forage mostly on the ground but will sometimes perch on plants to eat seeds. They will visit bird feeders, often eating on the ground under hanging feeders. They often feed quickly on seed to fill in an enlargement of the esophagus called the crop. Then, they can fly to a safe perch to digest the meal. They regularly swallow grit (small gravel) to aid in digestion of hard seeds.
HOW TO ATTRACT: Scatter seeds, particularly millet, on the ground or on platform feeders. They will also eat sunflower seed and other seeds in songbird seed mix. Plant dense shrubs or evergreen trees in your yard to provide nesting sites. Place nesting cones in trees.
FACTS: These birds are monogamous. Both parents incubate and care for their young. You will rarely see a mourning dove without its partner nearby.
TIPS: Provide shelter from raptors and other predators. Baffles and thick evergreen trees and shrubs are good sources for shelter. Keep cats inside - birds that spend much of their time on the ground are particularly vulnerable to them.