Doves

On the second day of March we had unusually cold temperatures and a snowstorm. I was going to take the usual snow shots of my back yard but when I looked out the window I saw this roosting dove. Mourning doves like this one are familiar sites in my neighborhood. I even had one roosting in an empty windowsill flowerpot one year. Like this bird, it didn’t seem to be bothered by being so close to a building.

Also like this bird, most Mourning Doves are medium sized and can measure about a foot long from beak to tail tip. They generally have small heads, long pointed tails, and are pale brown in color with white edges to their wings. Males are a bit more colorful, with rose-colored breast feathers and a bit of blue on the backs of their heads. They make a cooing sound that sounds like “Oooo ooo oooo”, which is why they are called the “morning dove”. These birds are similar to pigeons in that they bob their heads when they walk. Also like pigeons, they were popular game birds in Colonial times. They can still be hunted in Maryland and in some other states between fall and spring. Other than humans, the dove’s main enemies are hawks and tapeworms.

A lot of doves migrate south but as you can see here some still stay up north. Doves are found in all 50 states and adapt to most habitats, from rural areas to cities. They have even been reported near beaches. In winter they prefer to stay in flocks but they separate into pairs for mating and nesting. They begin breeding in March and April and their mating season can last to about August. Typically, they lay exactly two small white eggs. Both parents take part in chick rearing.
I’ve am told that Mourning Doves prefer ground feeding and that they mainly eat grains and seeds. They are fond of millet, and ours eat the millet seeds that other birds reject from our feeder. Aside from that, these birds are considered beneficial due to their high consumption of weed seeds. They are also just pleasant, soothing birds to have around in an urban environment.

Resources:

All About Birds: Mourning Dove

All-birds.com Mourning Dove

Familiar Birds-Mourning Dove, contributed by Winsor Marrett Tyler

Maryland Department of Natural Resources: Creating a Wild Backyard: Mourning Dove