Mourning Dove 

If you've spent any time watching your backyard bird feeder, you've likely encountered the soft-colored, graceful Mourning Dove. These birds, with their gentle cooing calls that often evoke a sense of melancholy (hence their name), are among North America's most widespread and recognizable birds. 

Habitat Range: Where Do Mourning Doves Call Home ?

Mourning Doves are incredibly adaptable birds found throughout North America. Their range extends from southern Canada through all of the continental United States and into Mexico, Central America, and parts of the Caribbean. They're one of the most widespread birds in North America, present in every U.S. state at some point during the year. Their adaptability to human-modified landscapes has allowed them to maintain strong populations while many other bird species have declined. You'll find them perched on telephone wires, foraging in fields, or visiting backyard feeders across the continent.

Diet: What's on the Mourning Dove Menu?

Mourning Doves are primarily granivores. Their diet consists of approximately 99% seeds. Some of their favorite foods include:

• Corn, millet, and wheat
• Grass seeds
• Sunflower seeds
• Safflower seeds
• Pine nuts
• Occasionally berries and snails

Unlike many other birds, Mourning Doves don't need to hull their seeds before swallowing them. Instead, they swallow seeds whole, storing them in an expanded portion of their esophagus called the crop. Later, they digest these seeds at their leisure. A single dove can consume up to 20% of its body weight in seeds daily—equivalent to about 71 calories for the average Mourning Dove.

When visiting bird feeders, they prefer feeding on the ground or on flat platform feeders where they can easily gather seeds. They're particularly fond of white millet and cracked corn.

Mating Rituals

Mourning Doves are monogamous birds that often form strong pair bonds that can last for multiple breeding seasons. The male's courtship flight is particularly striking. He ascends in a wide spiral, with his wings making a distinctive whistling sound, before gliding down in a graceful arc with his wings and tail spread. On the ground, males perform a "bow and coo" display:

1. The male puffs out his breast
2. Bows forward
3. Emits his distinctive cooing call
4. Sometimes struts in a circle around the female

These gentle birds are prolific breeders, often raising 2-6 broods per year in warmer regions. Their breeding season typically runs from March to September, but in southern parts of their range, they may breed almost year-round.

 The Mourning Doves Nest 

Mourning Dove nests are remarkably simple structures—so simple that they've earned a reputation for being somewhat flimsy compared to other birds' architectural achievements. The typical nest is a loose, flat platform made of twigs, pine needles, and grass stems. The male gathers materials while the female constructs the nest, which measures about 8 inches across. The nest is built with minimal engineering—you can often see light coming through from below!

Favorite nesting locations include:

• Shrubs and small trees
• The lower branches of coniferous trees
• Vines
• On sheltered building ledges
• Occasionally on the ground in areas without predators

The female typically lays two eggs (almost always exactly two—an unusual consistency in the bird world), which are pure white. Both parents share incubation duties: males typically sit on the nest during the day, while females take the night shift. After about 14 days, the eggs hatch, revealing nearly naked nestlings.

The parents feed their young "crop milk," a nutrient-rich secretion produced in their crop. This high-protein substance helps the nestlings grow rapidly. Young doves, called squabs, grow quickly and leave the nest after just 12-14 days, though parents continue to care for them for another week or two.

Conservation Status: A Success Story

Unlike many bird species facing population declines, Mourning Doves maintain strong numbers across their range. They're carefully managed as a game bird in many states, with regulated hunting seasons. Their estimated population in North America exceeds 350 million birds.

Their success can be attributed to their adaptability, prolific breeding, and ability to thrive in human-altered landscapes. While they face threats from predators like cats and hawks, and occasionally from disease, their populations remain stable overall.

Attracting Mourning Doves to Your Yard

If you'd like to attract these peaceful birds to your garden:

• Provide ground feeding areas or platform feeders
• Offer their favorite foods: white millet, cracked corn, and black oil sunflower seeds
• Install birdbaths with shallow water for drinking and bathing
• Plant shrubs and small trees for nesting sites
• Consider adding grit (small stones) near feeding areas to help with their digestion

With their soft cooing calls and gentle nature, Mourning Doves bring a sense of tranquility to any backyard. Next time you see one at your feeder, take a moment to appreciate these remarkable birds and their unique place in North America's natural heritage.

Did you know? The oldest known wild Mourning Dove lived to be 31 years and 4 months old—remarkably long for a bird that in the wild typically lives only 1-5 years.