Tendrils

Mourning Dove

Visitors to my feeders every now and then. Always arriving in pairs. The Mourning Dove (Zenáida macroúra).

For a while my granddaughter’s favorite bird, I think in part because of the soft coo-oo that the male makes. Good for her that she knows a bird call at the age of 6. I doubt I knew any at that age. Still at THIS age I know very few.

Another sound associated with these Doves is the fluttering sound the feathers of the wings make as the bird takes flight and lands. And that flight is impressive, up to 55 miles an hour.

These Doves generally mate for life and when they have a brood it usually consists of two squabs (young). In warmer areas they might have as many as six broods per year. Whew!

The Mourning Dove is a ground feeder and its diet is almost entirely seed. They’re part of my little community of birds here at Snow Mountain Observatory and Frog Farm.

Brenda Clements Jones

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4 responses to “Mourning Dove”

  1. I have these in San Diego, they are so sweet. Right now they want to build a nest in my arwning bracket but it’s not a good place. I keep hoping they will pick a nice tree branch instead…

    • Hi Terry!

      So good to hear from you! Yes, mourning doves are for sure, sweet feathered critters. I do think they can be a bit sloppy in their nest building choices, both in location and construction. Oh well, so many other good things about them! One talent that they have that I didn’t mention in my post is that they can take a drink of water by sucking the water in, rather then like other birds do, dipping their bill into the water and then tipping their head back. WOW!

      Thanks bunches for reading my posts.
      Bren

  2. It seems to me, and perhaps it’s just my perception, that mourning doves here in Florida coo differently than the ones that visited my Northern garden. Down here it sounds as if they’re cooing whew hoo!

  3. Hi Kathy,

    More than likely you are correct about your Northern garden mourning doves having a “New York accent.” I can’t see anything written up specifically about mourning doves, but there are many birds that experts have identified as having a different call in one location while other birds of the same species in a different location having a different call.

    So much to learn in the world of nature!

    Thanks BUNCHES for reading my posts Kathy.
    Bren