Scientific Name: Zenaida macroura
Order: Columbiformes
Family: Columbidae

Meet the Mourning Dove

The Mourning Dove is one of the most widespread and familiar birds in North America. With its slender body, small head, and long, pointed tail, this graceful dove is often seen perched on telephone wires or quietly searching the ground for seeds.

Its flight is fast and remarkably direct, almost like a straight bullet through the air. The species gets its name from its soft, drawn-out call, which can sound like a quiet lament. When a Mourning Dove takes off, its wings often produce a distinctive sharp whistle or whinny-like sound.

Mourning Doves are also one of the most frequently hunted bird species in North America, yet they remain exceptionally abundant across the continent.

How to Attract Mourning Doves to Your Backyard

Mourning Doves spend a great deal of time feeding on the ground, so you do not need elaborate equipment to make your yard attractive to them.

Try these simple backyard-friendly practices:

• Scatter seeds on the ground or use platform feeders. Millet is one of the seeds Mourning Doves particularly enjoy.
• Create sheltered areas. Dense shrubs and evergreen trees can provide suitable locations for nesting and resting.
• Provide a safe environment. Because Mourning Doves spend so much time on the ground, they are especially vulnerable to cats. Keeping cats indoors can greatly reduce the risk to visiting birds.

A yard that combines accessible food with dense vegetation can provide Mourning Doves with both feeding opportunities and shelter.

A Unique Social Display

During the breeding season, you may occasionally see three Mourning Doves flying closely together in a line. This unusual formation is part of a social display.

Typically, the first bird is the male of an established pair. An unmated male may follow behind as he attempts to drive the resident male away from an area where he hopes to nest. The female of the established pair often follows as the third bird in the formation.

How Mourning Doves Store Food

Mourning Doves are efficient ground feeders. They quickly pick up and swallow seeds, storing them temporarily in an enlarged section of the esophagus known as the crop.

Once the crop is full, the bird can leave the feeding area and move to a safer perch where it can digest its meal.

Their storage capacity can be remarkable. One recorded Mourning Dove had as many as 17,200 bluegrass seeds in its crop at one time.

How Much Do Mourning Doves Eat?

Despite their relatively small size, Mourning Doves consume a substantial amount of food each day. They typically eat around 12% to 20% of their body weight daily, equivalent to approximately 71 calories on average.

Their ability to consume and store large quantities of seeds helps them take advantage of short periods when food is abundant.

Mourning Doves Can Drink Salty Water

One remarkable adaptation may help explain why Mourning Doves are able to survive in dry environments.

They can drink brackish spring water with salinity approaching half that of seawater without becoming dehydrated in the way a human would. This ability allows them to make use of water sources that would be unsuitable for people.

One of North America’s Most Abundant Game Birds

The Mourning Dove is both widespread and highly abundant. It is considered the most widespread and abundant game bird in North America.

More than 20 million Mourning Doves are harvested by hunters in the United States each year. Even with this level of hunting, the species remains extremely common, with the U.S. population estimated at approximately 350 million birds.

How Long Do Mourning Doves Live?

Mourning Doves can occasionally reach an impressive age in the wild.

The oldest known Mourning Dove was a male that was at least 30 years and 4 months old when he was shot in Florida in 1998. He had originally been banded in Georgia in 1968.

Why Mourning Doves Are Special

With their gentle appearance, distinctive calls, fast flight, and fascinating adaptations, Mourning Doves are much more interesting than their familiar presence might suggest.

Their ability to store thousands of seeds, tolerate unusually salty water, and thrive across a wide range of habitats has helped make them one of North America’s most successful and recognizable birds. By offering seeds, maintaining sheltered vegetation, and keeping cats indoors, you can create a safer and more inviting backyard for these graceful visitors.