Mourning Dove

Mourning Doves are the classic wild dove. It is a slender 12-inch bird, including its long pointed tail that is overall gray brown with scattered black spots and a pinkish wash on its breast. Male and female look alike. In flight, the tail shows white edges and the wings produce a whistle. The bird could have been called a “morning” dove because it is most active between the hours of 7 and 9 a.m. Mourning Doves make their home near gardens, farms, and parks. The dove almost entirely eats grain and seeds of weeds and some grasses. It always eats at ground level. A flimsy nest of sticks built in a tree supports 2 white eggs, incubated by both parents for 13 or 14 days. The young leave the nest 2 weeks after hatching. A Mourning Dove pair may produce 2 to 5 broods each summer. Mourning Doves are easily attracted by offering cracked corn and smaller grains in tray feeders on or near the ground. Water also entices the, as do coniferous trees where they may nest.

Return to the Wildlife Activities Main Page

Webmaster

---

© copyright 2001 by Chris Aker