Zenaida macroura
The Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) is a graceful and widespread avian species, instantly recognizable by its slender body, small head, and characteristic long, pointed tail. Measuring typically 22-34 cm (9-13 inches) in length with a wingspan of 37-45 cm (15-18 inches) and weighing 96-170 grams (3.4-6.0 oz), its plumage is a subdued gray-brown, often exhibiting a subtle pinkish wash on the breast and a distinct black spot on the lower ear-coverts. Its most distinctive field marks include th...
Found across a wide variety of open and semi-open habitats, including agricultural fields, open woodlands, scrublands, deserts, urban parks, and suburban gardens. They thrive at elevations from sea level up to 3,000 meters in mountainous regions.
Their diet consists almost entirely of seeds, particularly those from grasses, agricultural crops (corn, wheat, sunflower), and weeds, supplemented by small amounts of fruit. They primarily forage by gleaning seeds from the ground.
Mourning Doves are primarily diurnal, spending their days foraging and breeding, then gathering in communal roosts in trees or shrubs at night. Their foraging strategy involves ground gleaning, walking deliberately and pecking at seeds, which they rapidly digest in a large crop. During the breedi...
The Mourning Dove boasts an expansive range, breeding across the entire contiguous United States, southern Canada, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. Northern populations, including those from Canada and the northern US, migrate south for the winter, while southern populations are largel...
Least Concern
- The Mourning Dove's wings produce a distinct whistling sound during takeoff and landing, which can alert other doves to potential danger. - They are one of the few bird species, along with other pigeons and doves, that produce 'crop milk' to feed their young, a nutrient-rich secretion from the ...