I had the great privilege the other day of sitting on my deck with this Mourning Dove as company. We were correctly distanced at two meters.
I had seen it eating some nyjer seeds spilled earlier when filling a feeder for American Goldfinches. I got my camera and was very happy the dove decided to stay in place as I sat down on the deck boards close to it. We spent a good 20 minutes or so together with it teaching me stillness and allowing me to witness its intricate beauty close up.
I was surprised this dove stayed in place as I approached. It often happens that opening the kitchen door results in several previously unseen doves suddenly flying out of the garden with a whoosh, their wings making a whistle sound. Their alarm alarms me, thus somewhat defying their peaceful reputation.
Mourning Doves are one of North America’s most common birds, found just about everywhere except in dense forest. I always have them nearby, although they tend to be nearer the house in the winter months when they often line up along my deck railing. I think they prefer it to the hydro wires, as the wood is warmer.
I don’t feed them specifically, but as they are ground feeders they eat what other birds dislodge from the feeders. Squirrel raids on the feeders also often result in spilled seeds then eaten by doves. Cats are always a menace to birds, especially ground feeders, so that’s something to be mindful about. Doves will visit platform feeders that can be out of range of cats. Hawks can also be a menace, as I have sadly witnessed.
Mourning Doves fill their crop with seeds then digest them later. A crop is a pouch in the lower esophagus. Both the male and female create pigeon or crop milk in their crops to feed their young in the first 10 days.
Allaboutbirds.org says, “members of a pair preen each other with gentle nibbles around the neck as a pair-bonding ritual. Eventually, the pair will progress to grasping beaks and bobbing their heads up and down in unison.”
I think that’s lovely.
Their soft cooing is often my first morning sound and I find it a peaceful sound to wake up to. Someone with differing sensibilities found it a sad sound thus it carries the name Mourning Dove. They make their distinctive coo by puffing up their throat, and without opening their beaks.
I think my deck friend is a juvenile because of the white tips on its wings. There may be a lot of young around as a Mourning Dove pair will have one to six broods a season, with a clutch of two eggs each time around.
Mourning Doves may be common, but that doesn’t make them any less special. The layers and types of feathering displayed up-close are works of wonder.
I share experiences of bird visitors to this property with readers every couple of weeks. Until next time, keep your eye to the sky, and look for birds that may come by.
Rosaleen Egan is a freelance journalist, a storyteller, and a playwright. She blogs on her website rosiewrites.com
