Basic Description
Mourning Dove Characteristics
The Grieving Dove is a small, slender-tailed, agile dove. It is common across the landmass. It roosts on phone wires and scrounges for seeds on the ground. The bird’s flight is quick and straight. Its delicate, drawn-out calls sound like regrets. When it takes off, its wings make a sharp, shrieking sound. Pigeons face frequent pursuit across North America, earning them a mournful reputation.
The Four Keys to ID
Size & Shape: Plump-bodied with a long, pointed tail, brief legs, a little charge, and a small head. The tail is interesting among North American doves.
Relative Estimate: Smaller and slimmer than a Shake Pigeon; about the size of a robin.
Measurements:
Male: Length 9.1-13.4 in (23-34 cm); Weight 3.4-6.0 oz (96-170 g); Wingspan 17.7 in (45 cm)
Female: Weight 3.0-5.5 oz (86-156 g); Wingspan 17.7 in (45 cm)
Color Design: Grieving Pigeons are fragile brown to buffy-tan. They have dark spots on the wings and black-bordered white tips on the tail feathers.
They fly fast with effective wing beats. They sometimes make sudden rises, dives, and evasions. Their pointed tails trail behind.
Habitat: They prefer open areas, bare patches, and high roosts, like phone wires. They can be seen almost anywhere except in deep woods.
Backyard Tips
Scatter seeds, especially millet, on the ground or on stage feeders. Thick bushes or evergreen trees can provide settling locales. Keep cats inside to ensure ground-feeding feathered creatures. Consider setting up a settling cone some time before the breeding season.
Cool Facts
In the breeding season, you might see three Grieving Pigeons flying in a tight group. One male will be chasing another, absent from a settling area.
They can store huge amounts of seeds in their edict. They can drink brackish water without getting dehydrated.
The Grieving Dove is the most common bird in North America. Its population is about 350 million.
The most seasoned known Grieving Dove lived to be over 30 years old.
Habitat
Mourning Pigeons inhabit open land, scattered trees, and forest edges as feathered creatures. But, they may perch in woodlots in winter. They nourish themselves on the ground in meadows, rural areas, backyards, and roadsides.
Food
Seeds make up 99% of their calories. This includes developed grains, wild grasses, weeds, herbs, and sometimes berries or snails. They devour around 12-20% of their body weight daily.
Nesting
Nests: Often in thick foliage or on the ground, near humans.
Nest Portrayal: An unstable structure of pine needles, twigs, and grass. The female built it from materials provided by the male.
Nesting truths include a clutch estimate of 2 eggs, 1-6 broods per year, and unmarked white eggs.
Behavior
Mourning doves bolster on the ground and favor open spaces. They do not scratch the ground but peck at it. Doves have “cooing roosts” and pair-bonding customs. These include shared trimming and head-bobbing.
Conservation
Although common, the grieving dove population has declined by almost 20% since 1966. They are North America’s most famous amusement birds. They attract over 20 million collectors yearly. Species ingest lead shot in hunted areas, risking lead poisoning.
