Bird of the Week

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)

The Mourning Dove has one of the most beautiful but haunting calls of any bird.  Their sad call fits a bird that is on almost every predators menu including humans.  Even with all that, the Mourning Dove's population is doing well in the United States.  They are very adaptive and can thrive in rural and urban areas alike.

The Mourning Dove forges on the ground for seeds which makes up almost all of their diet.  They are frequent visitor to bird feeders and they walk around the ground underneath the feeder pecking at seeds.  They store all that seed in their crop till they can digest in a safer location.  Mourning Doves will eat close to 20% of their body weight daily.

The Mourning Dove can have up to 6 broods per breeding season.  Each brood usually includes 2 eggs.  I guess you would need that many new birds to keep the population stable.

Fun Facts about the Mourning Dove 

- Mourning Doves wings make a whistling noise when they take off and land caused by the contour of their flight feathers.  

-Mourning Doves is a very popular game bird.  Over 20 million are killed every year.  

-Mourning Doves can adapt to areas like deserts with little fresh water by drinking brackish water.  

Thanks to my sister for the nice shot of these two Mourning Doves relaxing(maybe digesting all that seed?).  Share your experience with the Mourning Dove in the comments.