Mourning Dove Nesting Habits
Mourning Dove Nests
Most birds spend several days, or even up to two weeks, getting their home right. A pair of mourning doves builds a flimsy nest from scattered twigs. The construction crew may finish the work in a single morning or spread it out over a couple of days. The male is prone to interrupting the work to pursue the female. Pine needles, twigs, and grass make up a flimsy mourning dove nest.
Where do mourning doves nest?
Suggest providing ideal nesting sites. Different bird species choose distinct settings for their nests.
“Doves often build on top of a horizontal fork in a tree.”
These birds also often choose protected spots on the ledges of houses for their twiggy nests. Mourning doves do not use nest boxes.
How Long Until Mourning Dove Eggs Hatch?
“A mourning dove built a nest near my front door. How long until the eggs hatch?” asks reader Aspasia Simeone of Long Beach, New York.
Kenn and Kimberly say, “After the pair builds the nest, which takes two to four days, the female usually lays the first egg within a couple of days.”” The second egg is laid a day or two later.” Both parents will take turns incubating the two eggs. The eggs hatch after 14 days. Parents nourish their offspring, and fledging occurs within a fortnight.”
Mourning Doves Sitting in Winter
Why do mourning doves build nests so early in spring?
A Birdzfly reader from Manahawkin, New Jersey, asked why these birds nest so early.
Kenn and Kimberly remark, “That’s a keen insight: they start nesting seasons beforehand. Even in the north, they may start their first nest as early as March. In southern states, doves may begin in February or even January. A pair of mourning doves makes repeated nesting attempts each year. They sometimes raise five broods between March and October. They produce a clutch of two eggs in a standard brood.”
Why the hurry? Kenn and Kimberly explain, “Mourning dove nests are so flimsy that the eggs or baby birds sometimes fall out.” So, the doves may instinctively try over and over. They raise enough young to keep the species going.”
