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Creating a Wild Backyard: Mourning Dove

Traditionally a farm bird, the mourning dove has adapted to urban and suburban areas. They are one of the most abundant and widely distributed birds in North America.

Natural History
Mourning doves, with their twelve inch long grayish brown, plump body, small head and long pointed tail, can reach speeds of 37-55 miles per hour while flying. Males can be easily distinguished from females by an iridescent blue patch of feathers on the back of their head, a rosy breast and are slightly more colorful than the female. They are named for their hollow, sorrowful sounding call, "cooo, cooo, cooo" which is often mistaken for the hoot of an owl. Mourning doves are abundant in Maryland due to the number of young raised each year. Although only two white eggs are laid and reared at a time, it is not unusual for a pair to have four to six clutches a year. Both the male and the female help to raise the young. Doves make good parents and may even fake an injury to attract predators toward them and away from the nest.

It is estimated that almost 400,000 live in Maryland between March and November. A population shift occurs in the fall but Maryland has mourning doves all year round. Numbers normally increase after August due to the influx of migrating birds heading south to the Carolinas for the winter.

Mourning doves prefer to feed on flat surfaces on the ground. They are common visitors to bird feeders. They are fond of all sorts of bird seed with millet, oat, wheat and cracked corn forming the bulk of their feeder diet. Plantings of thistle, buckwheat and sunflower are also an attractant. Tall shrubs and evergreens near feeding sites allowing roosting and nesting areas. A birdbath supplies the needed water. Survey shows that two out of three feeders can now count this species as a regular visitor. So you should be lucky in attracting these birds to your backyard feeder.

They eat sunflower, sorghum, ragweed, millet, foxtail, bristlegrass, insects, fruit, acorns and pine seeds. The urban house owner will most likely see doves feeding on spilled seed below feeders. Like most other seed eating birds, doves prefer millet and sunflower. Since many commercial feeds contain sorghum, wheat, hulled oats and rice along with millet and sunflower seeds, much of premixed bird seed is wasted. Therefore it may be more economical to just buy the seed they prefer, not the premixed seed. Check the contents of premixed seeds before buying.

Doves really enjoy dead trees for roosting. So if you can safely leave a dead tree or snag on your property, the mourning doves may find it and be happy to use it.

Doves do not nest in tree cavities or nest boxes. Mourning Dove prefer to nest on the horizontal branches of pine and cedar trees, but will nest in shrubs and even on the ground. Doves typically nest in trees along the edges of fields, pastures, or clearings and are seldom found in densely wooded areas. To create nesting cover for mourning doves, plant small clumps of two to three trees or even several single coniferous trees around open fields or your front yard.

Their nest consists of sticks placed in the crotch of a tree. Since these nests are very flimsy, they sometimes will use a man-made nesting cone made out of hardware cloth to support their nests. These are easy to assemble and are an excellent way to attract these interesting birds.

How to Build a Mourning Dove Nesting Cone

Materials:

12" x 12" piece of ¼" or ½"mesh hardware cloth
Wire cutters
Staples

Construction:

1. Cut the edges of the square hardware cloth to form a circle.

2. Cut out a 2 ½" wedge along the outer edge of the circle.

3. Pull the two cut edges together to form a cone. Overlap the edges about 1 inch and staple the two edges together.

4. The nesting cone should be placed in a partially shaded area, in the crotch of a tree, about 6 to 16 feet above the ground.

5. Attach the nest to the tree with nails or staples, bending back the sharp, cut edges of the cloth underneath the cone.

Tips for Attracting Mourning Doves

• Make sure that the cone has enough vegetation around it to conceal the nest, yet not so much that the dove has difficulty accessing the nest.

• Mourning doves like flat, platform-like bird feeders filled with cracked corn, millet, sunflower seeds, and peanut kernels.

• On large properties, planting corn, wheat, or buckwheat will attract mourning doves. Fallow fields with ragweed, crab grass, and pokeweed also attract them. When planting crops for them, plant in strips near shrubs, which will serve as protection when the doves are frightened. Leave some open ground, as well, to allow the doves to forage for fallen seeds.

For Additional Information, Contact:
 
 Wild Acres Program
 Maryland Wildlife and Heritage Service
 Attn:  Marilyn Mause
 Gwynnbrook WMA
 3740 Gwynnbrook Ave
 Owings Mills MD 21117
 410-356-0941
 E-Mail: customerservice@dnr.state.md.us

Invite Wildlife to Your Backyard...

Illustrations by Wade Henry