Mourning Dove
The
mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) is a common sight at bird
feeders across Oklahoma. It gets its name from its low, moaning
"coo-ooo-ooo". They are often seen perched on telephone wires,
fence lines and foraging for seeds on the ground.
As you may have guessed, the mourning dove is a member of the
dove family (Columbidae). These attractive birds are long, and
buff-colored with a small head, a plump body and a long pointed
tail. Their eyes have a blue ring of featherless skin around
them. Males will be slightly larger than females, and females
will have more of a brown coloring. When they are taking flight
and landing, their wings will make a sharp "whistling" sound.
They are fast in flight, capable of reaching speeds of 55 miles
per hour. Mourning doves are quick and maneuverable while in
flight and can escape most predators.
They are primarily found in open country, areas with scattered
trees, woodland edges and urban areas in communal roosts, except
during mating season when they split off into breeding pairs.
They will eat approximately 12 to 20 percent of their body
weight in seeds each day. They feed on the ground in
agricultural fields, grasslands, backyards and roadsides.
Mourning doves are attracted to a wide range of seed types, such
as, corn, millet, sunflower seeds, wheat, pine nuts, sweet-gum
seeds and many more. While they will actively forage on seeds
that are readily visible, they will not dig or scratch for
seeds.
Breeding season for this bird takes places from February through
October. When a mated pair begins to build a nest, the male will
gather materials and bring them to the female, which will then
build the nest. Building materials for the nest include pine
needles, grass blades and twigs. The nests are built in trees,
shrubs, guttering on houses and occasionally on the ground when
a better location is not available.
Mated pairs are monogamous during the mating season and many
will stay together during the winter and pair back up the
following spring. Both parents care for their young. They will
lay two eggs, and both parents will incubate them for 14 days.
While the adults live almost exclusively on seeds, their young
are fed crop milk, which is a high energy substance that both
parents will provide the first three to four days. Young
mourning doves will leave the nest around 15 days after
hatching, but will stay in the nesting area and beg for food
from the male until they have become more proficient at flying,
which happens when they reach around 30 days of age.
If a predator is near their nest, the adults will lure them away
by using a broken wing display and staying on the ground as if
it is injured until the predator approaches, at which time they
will fly away. In warmer climates, they can be prolific
breeders, with the potential to raise up to six broods in a
single year. That is more than any other native bird species.
Sexual maturity is reached around 85 days of age. The average
lifespan of mourning doves in the wild is 1.5 years.
Mourning doves will migrate two times each year, once in the
spring and another during the fall. During the fall migration,
the young or immature birds will go first, followed by the
females, then the males. Some individuals will skip migration
due to the abundant food supply found at bird feeders. When
migrating, they will travel in large flocks and fly at low
altitudes.
Mourning doves are the most widespread and abundant game bird in
North America. Each year hunters harvest more than 20 million
birds, but it remains one of our most abundant bird species in
the U.S. In Oklahoma dove season is often viewed as the
"kick-off" to the fall hunting season each year.
Next time you are out driving around or watching your bird
feeder keep an eye open for this beautiful bird.