Dove, Mourning

Physical Features

The Mourning Dove is a light grey and brown dove with a long tapering tail. It has a buff-colored belly, light gray wings and a brownish gray plumage. Adults have orange legs, black spots on their wings, black eyes that are surrounded by a light blue orbital-ring and a slight iridescence at the nape of the neck. Males and females have a similar appearance although the males are slightly bigger. The immature Mourning Doves appear similar to the adults, although their plumage is lightly mottled. Adult Mourning Doves measures 11 to 19 inches long and weigh from 4.5 to 6 ounces.

Habitat

Mourning Doves are found in many habitats but they are very common in suburban environments and along roadsides. They adapt well to human habitation and thrive in grain-producing fields. Some birds remain year round over most of their breeding range, but many move south in the fall, migrating in flocks mostly by day. Migrants arrive on their breeding grounds in March or April, and most leave by October. It is one of the most abundant and widespread of all North American birds

Diet

Mourning Doves almost exclusively feed on grains on the ground and from bird feeders. They also swallow grit to help in the digestion of hard seeds and grains. Young ones are fed on crop milk by their parents.

Meat

Mourning Dove meat is rich, dense and lean. About 70 million Mourning Doves are shot annually in the U.S for both sport and meat.

Behavior

Mourning Doves are monogamous birds that form life-long mating pairs. They producing two chicks per brood and can produce as many as three broods in a single season. In July and August before migration, they form post-breeding flocks. The male leads the female to the potential nest sites. Once the female chooses one, the male brings nest materials and the female constructs a flimsy platform of twigs located in a tree or shrub and sometimes on the ground, which serves as a nest. The female lays two eggs and both the male and female take turns to incubate them for two weeks. Both males and females produce 'pigeon milk' in their crops. This is a protein and fat-rich liquid, which they feed to their young. After two weeks, the young leave their nest, although they stay nearby and are fed by the parents for an additional 1-2 weeks. Mourning Doves produces a mournful, hooting, “woo-OO-oo-oo-oo” call that is often mistaken for an owl. The wings can make an unusual whistling sound upon take-off and landing, and the bird is a strong flier, capable of speeds up to 88 km/h (55 mph).

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