dcsimg

Lifespan, longevity, and ageing

provided by AnAge articles
Maximum longevity: 31.3 years (wild) Observations: Annual adult mortality is about 55% (John Terres 1980). In the wild, record longevity from banding studies us 31.3 years (http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/BBL/homepage/longvrec.htm). Like for some other doves, the breeding patterns of these animals depend on latitude with animals along the Gulf Coast being able to breed throughout the year (http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/).
license
cc-by-3.0
copyright
Joao Pedro de Magalhaes
editor
de Magalhaes, J. P.
partner site
AnAge articles

Associations

provided by Animal Diversity Web

Mourning doves are swift and maneuverable in flight, so can escape most predators if they are aware of their presence. The exception to this are falcons, such as peregrine falcons and prairie falcons. Adult mourning doves will try to lure predators away from their nests by pretending to be injured. This is called the "broken-wing feign." They flutter about on the ground in front of the predator, as if they had a broken wing, and lure them away from the area of their nest.

Known Predators:

  • falcons
  • hawks
  • raccoons
  • domestic cats
  • domestic dogs
  • black rat snakes

Anti-predator Adaptations: cryptic

license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
bibliographic citation
Emiley, A. and T. Dewey . "Zenaida macroura" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Zenaida_macroura.html
author
Ann Emiley, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
editor
Tanya Dewey, Animal Diversity Web
original
visit source
partner site
Animal Diversity Web

Morphology

provided by Animal Diversity Web

Mourning doves are medium-sized birds in the pigeon family. Their size, weight, and specific coloration vary across their range. They have a stream-lined appearance, with a relatively small head and a long, pointed tail. They are overall grayish blue to grayish brown on their backs with black spots on their wings and behind their eyes. There are white tips on the tail. They have a small, black bill and red legs and feet. Males are larger than females and are slightly brighter in color, males have a bluish crown and a rosy breast.

Range mass: 96.0 to 170.0 g.

Range length: 22.5 to 36.0 cm.

Range wingspan: 142.0 to 150.0 mm.

Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry

Sexual Dimorphism: male larger; male more colorful

Average basal metabolic rate: 0.736 W.

license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
bibliographic citation
Emiley, A. and T. Dewey . "Zenaida macroura" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Zenaida_macroura.html
author
Ann Emiley, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
editor
Tanya Dewey, Animal Diversity Web
original
visit source
partner site
Animal Diversity Web

Life Expectancy

provided by Animal Diversity Web

Adult mourning doves usually live to about 1.5 years old in the wild, but one wild mourning dove lived to 19.3 years old. Some areas of the United States allow hunting of mourning doves, in these areas average lifespan is lower than in areas where hunting is not allowed.

Range lifespan
Status: wild:
19.3 (high) years.

Average lifespan
Status: wild:
1.5 years.

Average lifespan
Status: wild:
376 months.

license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
bibliographic citation
Emiley, A. and T. Dewey . "Zenaida macroura" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Zenaida_macroura.html
author
Ann Emiley, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
editor
Tanya Dewey, Animal Diversity Web
original
visit source
partner site
Animal Diversity Web

Habitat

provided by Animal Diversity Web

Mourning doves are highly adaptable birds and are found in a wide variety of habitats. They are more common in open woodlands and forest edges near grasslands and fields. They are most abundant in agricultural and suburban areas where humans have created large areas of suitable habitat.

Habitat Regions: temperate ; terrestrial

Terrestrial Biomes: desert or dune ; savanna or grassland ; chaparral ; forest ; scrub forest

Other Habitat Features: suburban ; agricultural

license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
bibliographic citation
Emiley, A. and T. Dewey . "Zenaida macroura" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Zenaida_macroura.html
author
Ann Emiley, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
editor
Tanya Dewey, Animal Diversity Web
original
visit source
partner site
Animal Diversity Web

Distribution

provided by Animal Diversity Web

Mourning doves are only native to the Nearctic region. They live from southern Canada, throughout the United States, and south to Panama. Mourning doves are found year-round throughout most of their range but northern populations migrate south during the winter.

Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native )

license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
bibliographic citation
Emiley, A. and T. Dewey . "Zenaida macroura" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Zenaida_macroura.html
author
Ann Emiley, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
editor
Tanya Dewey, Animal Diversity Web
original
visit source
partner site
Animal Diversity Web

Trophic Strategy

provided by Animal Diversity Web

Mourning doves eat a wide variety of seeds, waste grain, fruit, and insects. They prefer seeds that rest on the gound. Occasionally they eat in trees and bushes when ground foods are scarce. Their diet is typically 95% seeds or plant parts. Mourning doves eat agricultural crops, especially cereal grains such as corn, millet, rye, barley, and oats. On rare occasions mourning doves can be seen preying on grasshoppers, ants, beetles, and snails.

Animal Foods: insects; mollusks

Plant Foods: seeds, grains, and nuts; fruit

Primary Diet: herbivore (Granivore )

license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
bibliographic citation
Emiley, A. and T. Dewey . "Zenaida macroura" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Zenaida_macroura.html
author
Ann Emiley, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
editor
Tanya Dewey, Animal Diversity Web
original
visit source
partner site
Animal Diversity Web

Associations

provided by Animal Diversity Web

Mourning doves consume large quantities of grains, seeds, and fruits. This has a significant impact on the plant communities in which they live. They may act as seed dispersers for certain fruiting plants that they feed upon.

Ecosystem Impact: disperses seeds

license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
bibliographic citation
Emiley, A. and T. Dewey . "Zenaida macroura" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Zenaida_macroura.html
author
Ann Emiley, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
editor
Tanya Dewey, Animal Diversity Web
original
visit source
partner site
Animal Diversity Web

Benefits

provided by Animal Diversity Web

Mourning doves are the leading game birds in North America, providing more than 1.9 million recreational hunting trips each year.

Positive Impacts: food

license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
bibliographic citation
Emiley, A. and T. Dewey . "Zenaida macroura" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Zenaida_macroura.html
author
Ann Emiley, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
editor
Tanya Dewey, Animal Diversity Web
original
visit source
partner site
Animal Diversity Web

Benefits

provided by Animal Diversity Web

Because they eat cereal grains, mourning doves can occasionally become pests of crops.

Negative Impacts: crop pest

license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
bibliographic citation
Emiley, A. and T. Dewey . "Zenaida macroura" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Zenaida_macroura.html
author
Ann Emiley, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
editor
Tanya Dewey, Animal Diversity Web
original
visit source
partner site
Animal Diversity Web

Conservation Status

provided by Animal Diversity Web

Mourning doves are widespread and abundant, they are not threatened currently.

US Migratory Bird Act: no special status

US Federal List: no special status

CITES: no special status

State of Michigan List: no special status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern

license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
bibliographic citation
Emiley, A. and T. Dewey . "Zenaida macroura" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Zenaida_macroura.html
author
Ann Emiley, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
editor
Tanya Dewey, Animal Diversity Web
original
visit source
partner site
Animal Diversity Web

Behavior

provided by Animal Diversity Web

Mourning doves use a variety of body displays to scare away intruders, threaten invading males, and attract potential mates. Mourning doves also use a suite of songs and calls to communicate with other mourning doves. The male's song to attract a mate is often heard throughout the warm months of the year. It is a simple call, sounding like: 'coo oo, OO, OO, OO. Mourning doves also make some non-vocal sounds in flight, they make a whistling noise while flying and sometimes make sharp flapping noises with their wings. The purpose of these sounds is unknown.

When young mourning doves tap on their parent's bills it stimulates regurgitation of crop milk.

Communication Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic

Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical

license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
bibliographic citation
Emiley, A. and T. Dewey . "Zenaida macroura" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Zenaida_macroura.html
author
Ann Emiley, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
editor
Tanya Dewey, Animal Diversity Web
original
visit source
partner site
Animal Diversity Web

Reproduction

provided by Animal Diversity Web

Mourning doves are monogamous, some pairs stay together through the winter. Males perform a number of displays, along with a courtship "coo", on a display perch. They will drive other males away from their display perch but do not otherwise establish a territory until after mating. Females land near the male on his display perch, causing the male to begin an elaborate series of courtship maneuvers. If a pair bond is formed, the male and female remain together for a few days before starting to build a nest. After finding a mate, males begin selecting a nest site. Nest construction takes over ten hours and covers a span of three to four days.

Mating System: monogamous

Female mourning doves generally lay two small, white eggs in an open nest. The young leave the nest about 15 days after hatching but remain nearby until they are more accomplished at flying, usually at about 30 days old. Young are able to breed by 85 days old. Mourning doves have the longest breeding season of all North American birds.

Breeding interval: Mourning doves may breed several times in a breeding season, depending on food availability.

Breeding season: February through October

Average eggs per season: 2.0.

Range time to hatching: 15.0 (high) days.

Average time to hatching: 14.0 days.

Average fledging age: 15.0 days.

Average time to independence: 30 days.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 85.0 days.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 85.0 days.

Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization ; oviparous

Average eggs per season: 2.

Both male and female mourning doves share in incubating and feeding their young. Incubation lasts 14 to 15 days. Young mourning doves are fed regurgitated food by both parents. For the first 3 to 4 days after hatching the young are fed only crop milk, an energy rich substance that is produced in the crops of both male and female parents. After that time, parents begin to add more seeds to the regurgitated food until they are fed only regurgitated seeds by the time the young leave the nest. Female mourning doves feed the young most during the first 15 days after hatching but after that males take over the responsibility for feeding the young. The young continue to stay near the nest and beg for food after they have fledged, but can survive on their own after 21 days old if there is food nearby.

Parental Investment: altricial ; pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Male, Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Provisioning: Male, Female, Protecting: Male, Female); pre-independence (Provisioning: Male, Female, Protecting: Male, Female)

license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
bibliographic citation
Emiley, A. and T. Dewey . "Zenaida macroura" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Zenaida_macroura.html
author
Ann Emiley, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
editor
Tanya Dewey, Animal Diversity Web
original
visit source
partner site
Animal Diversity Web

Zenaida macroura

provided by DC Birds Brief Summaries

A medium-sized (12 inches) dove, the Mourning Dove is most easily identified by its grayish-tan body, speckled back, black “ear” patch behind the eye, and long pointed tail. This species may be distinguished from the similar White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica) by that species’ blue eye-stripes, rounded tail, and white wing patches. Male and female Mourning Doves are similar to one another in all seasons. The Mourning Dove breeds across much of the North American continent south of southern Canada. Northerly-breeding populations migrate south to southern Mexico and Central America during the winter, whereas populations breeding further south in the U.S. and Mexico are non-migratory. Other non-migratory populations exist in the West Indies and at scattered locations in Central America. Mourning Doves inhabit a number of habitats across this species’ wide range, including woodland edges, bushy fields, meadows, and scrubland. This species has also adapted to living near humans, and visits agricultural fields as well as urban and suburban areas where food is available. Mourning Doves almost exclusively eat seeds and grains. Throughout the North American continent, Mourning Doves may be seen foraging for food on the ground or perched on trees limbs, fence posts, and power lines. This species’ call, a melancholy “COO-coo, coo, coo,” and the whistle made by the wings of these birds as they fly, are an integral part of the avian soundscape across most of North America. This is also one of the most common backyard birds, known for regularly visiting bird feeders and building its nest on porch lights and inside hanging plants. Mourning Doves are primarily active during the day.

Threat Status: Least Concern

license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
Smithsonian Institution
author
Reid Rumelt

Brief Summary

provided by EOL authors

The mourning dove is widely distributed across North and Central America where it is common in urban areas and farmlands. These doves can often be seen feeding in pairs or small groups on the ground. Their diet consists of seeds of annual weeds and grains.

This is a mid-sized, slender dove with a small head. The plumage is mostly greyish-brown with a few large dark spots on the upperwings. The long, pointed tail with white outer edges gives this species its scientific name: Greek makros (great) and oura (tail). The English name derives from its soft, plaintive call. Mourning doves also produce a characteristic whistle sound with their wings when they take flight.

license
cc-by-nc
original
visit source
partner site
EOL authors

Associations

provided by EOL authors
I often hear the mourning dove call in movies as a cue that the scene is taking place in a suburban area. One early morning scene in the Pixar animation Toy Story stands out.
license
cc-by-nc
original
visit source
partner site
EOL authors

Zenaida macroura

provided by EOL authors

A medium-sized (12 inches) dove, the Mourning Dove is most easily identified by its grayish-tan body, speckled back, black “ear” patch behind the eye, and long pointed tail. This species may be distinguished from the similar White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica) by that species’ blue eye-stripes, rounded tail, and white wing patches. Male and female Mourning Doves are similar to one another in all seasons. The Mourning Dove breeds across much of the North American continent south of southern Canada. Northerly-breeding populations migrate south to southern Mexico and Central America during the winter, whereas populations breeding further south in the U.S. and Mexico are non-migratory. Other non-migratory populations exist in the West Indies and at scattered locations in Central America. Mourning Doves inhabit a number of habitats across this species’ wide range, including woodland edges, bushy fields, meadows, and scrubland. This species has also adapted to living near humans, and visits agricultural fields as well as urban and suburban areas where food is available. Mourning Doves almost exclusively eat seeds and grains. Throughout the North American continent, Mourning Doves may be seen foraging for food on the ground or perched on trees limbs, fence posts, and power lines. This species’ call, a melancholy “COO-coo, coo, coo,” and the whistle made by the wings of these birds as they fly, are an integral part of the avian soundscape across most of North America. This is also one of the most common backyard birds, known for regularly visiting bird feeders and building its nest on porch lights and inside hanging plants. Mourning Doves are primarily active during the day.

References

  • American Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura). The Internet Bird Collection. Lynx Edicions, n.d. Web. 20 July 2012.
  • Otis, David L., John H. Schulz, David Miller, R. E. Mirarchi and T. S. Baskett. 2008. Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/117
  • Zenaida macroura. Xeno-canto. Xeno-canto Foundation, n.d. Web. 20 July 2012.
  • eBird Range Map - Mourning Dove. eBird. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, N.d. Web. 20 July 2012.

license
cc-by-nc-sa-4.0
copyright
Smithsonian Institution
bibliographic citation
Rumelt, Reid B. Zenaida macroura. June-July 2012. Brief natural history summary of Zenaida macroura. Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C.
author
Robert Costello (kearins)
original
visit source
partner site
EOL authors

Associated Plant Communities

provided by Fire Effects Information System Animals
The mourning dove occupies a broad range of plant communities including
desert areas, open mixed woodlands and wood edges, farm and ranchlands,
shelterbelts, and grasslands [6,7,18].  They are often attracted to
disturbed areas supporting annual weedy plant species [16].  In
California, mourning doves breed from the blue oak (Quercus douglasii)
to the Jeffery pine (Pinus jeffreyi) zone [22].
license
cc-publicdomain
bibliographic citation
Tesky, Julie L. 1993. Zenaida macroura. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Common Names

provided by Fire Effects Information System Animals
mourning dove
turtle dove
wild dove
Carolina dove
license
cc-publicdomain
bibliographic citation
Tesky, Julie L. 1993. Zenaida macroura. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Cover Requirements

provided by Fire Effects Information System Animals
More info for the terms: cover, litter

Most ground-nesting mourning doves prefer open cover with large amounts
of bare soil and little litter, with vertical cover at least on one side
of the nest.  Trees with forks and large branches provide security cover
for nests.  Mourning doves prefer to collect nest material from areas
with sparse cover [18].
license
cc-publicdomain
bibliographic citation
Tesky, Julie L. 1993. Zenaida macroura. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Distribution

provided by Fire Effects Information System Animals
The mourning dove breeds in all of the lower 48 states.  Its range
extends north into Canada and Alaska and south into Mexico [6,7,12,18].
Most mourning doves migrate and spend the winter in the southern United
States, Mexico, Central America, or the West Indies [6].
license
cc-publicdomain
bibliographic citation
Tesky, Julie L. 1993. Zenaida macroura. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Food Habits

provided by Fire Effects Information System Animals
More info for the term: seed

Mourning doves are ground foragers.  They feed almost entirely on seeds
of grasses, weeds, and cultivated grains.  Mourning doves also eat
insects, fruits, nuts, acorns, and pine seeds [4,7,8,21].  Snails are
important in their diet in the spring before and during egg laying [22].
One study in a longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) community found that
mourning doves heavily consumed longleaf pine seeds [17].  In Arizona,
favorite cereal grains of mourning doves include barley, wheat, and
corn.  In the higher elevations, pine seed (Pinus spp.), turkeymullein
(Eremocarpus setigerus), and wild sunflower (Helianthus spp.) are the
most common food items [5].
license
cc-publicdomain
bibliographic citation
Tesky, Julie L. 1993. Zenaida macroura. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Habitat-related Fire Effects

provided by Fire Effects Information System Animals
More info for the terms: cover, grassland, litter, low-severity fire

Fires may affect mourning dove nesting habitat by destroying nest trees
and therefore increasing the occurrence of ground nesting.  In Texas, a
2-year study of mourning dove nesting on a grassland infested with woody
vegetation showed that a low-severity fire had little effect on either
mesquite trees or their use as nesting sites by mourning doves.
However, on a similar area earlier treated with herbicides and burned in
late March, the loss of the larger mesquite trees as nest sites was
followed by the occurrence of more ground nesting [18].

Soutiere and Bolen [18] found that current year burns provided better
ground-nesting habitat than did older burns except under drought
conditions.  The highest densities of ground nesting pairs were found in
the current year's burn and decreased each successive year thereafter.
The degree of ground cover became less attractive to ground-nesting
doves as the proportion of cover approached the unburned condition.
Also, burning reduced the amount of available litter but added to the
suitability of the area by increasing the amount of open space where
doves might collect nest materials.

The effects of fire in a drought year could be disastrous to mourning
dove nesting.  Spring fires in a drought year may delay the development
of suitable ground-nesting habitat [18].
license
cc-publicdomain
bibliographic citation
Tesky, Julie L. 1993. Zenaida macroura. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Habitat: Cover Types

provided by Fire Effects Information System Animals
More info on this topic.

This species is known to occur in association with the following cover types (as classified by the Society of American Foresters):

More info for the terms: hardwood, swamp

     1  Jack pine
     5  Balsam fir
    14  Northern pin oak
    15  Red pine
    16  Aspen
    17  Pin cherry
    18  Paper birch
    19  Gray birch - red maple
    20  White pine - northern red oak - red maple
    21  Eastern white pine
    22  White pine - hemlock
    23  Eastern hemlock
    24  Hemlock - yellow birch
    25  Sugar maple - beech - yellow birch
    26  Sugar maple - basswood
    27  Sugar maple
    28  Black cherry - maple
    30  Red spruce - yellow birch
    31  Red spruce - sugar maple - beech
    32  Red spruce
    33  Red spruce - balsam fir
    34  Red spruce - Fraser fir
    35  Paper birch - red spruce - balsam fir
    37  Northern white-cedar
    38  Tamarack
    39  Black ash - American elm - red maple
    40  Post oak - blackjack oak
    42  Bur oak
    43  Bear oak
    44  Chestnut oak
    45  Pitch pine
    50  Black locust
    51  White pine - chestnut oak
    52  White oak - black oak - northern red oak
    53  White oak
    55  Northern red oak
    57  Yellow-poplar
    58  Yellow-poplar - eastern hemlock
    59  Yellow-poplar - white oak - northern red oak
    60  Beech - sugar maple
    61  River birch - sycamore
    62  Silver maple - American elm
    63  Cottonwood
    64  Sassafras - persimmon
    65  Pin oak - sweetgum
    67  Mohrs ("shin") oak
    68  Mesquite
    69  Sand pine
    70  Longleaf pine
    71  Longleaf pine - scrub oak
    72  Southern scrub oak
    73  Southern redcedar
    75  Shortleaf pine
    76  Shortleaf pine - oak
    78  Virginia pine - oak
    79  Virginia pine
    80  Loblolly pine - shortleaf pine
    81  Loblolly pine
    83  Longleaf pine - slash pine
    84  Slash pine
    85  Slash pine - hardwood
    88  Willow oak - water oak - diamondleaf oak
    89  Live oak
    91  Swamp chestnut oak - cherrybark oak
    92  Sweetgum - willow oak
    93  Sugarberry - American elm - green ash
    94  Sycamore - sweetgum - American elm
    95  Black willow
    96  Overcup oak - water hickory
    98  Pond pine
   107  White spruce
   108  Red maple
   109  Hawthorn
   110  Black oak
   201  White spruce
   202  White spruce - paper birch
   203  Balsam poplar
   209  Bristlecone pine
   210  Interior Douglas-fir
   217  Aspen
   220  Rocky Mountain juniper
   221  Red alder
   222  Black cottonwood - willow
  
license
cc-publicdomain
bibliographic citation
Tesky, Julie L. 1993. Zenaida macroura. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Habitat: Ecosystem

provided by Fire Effects Information System Animals
More info on this topic.

This species is known to occur in the following ecosystem types (as named by the U.S. Forest Service in their Forest and Range Ecosystem [FRES] Type classification):

More info for the term: shrub

FRES12 Longleaf-slash pine
FRES13 Loblolly-shortleaf pine
FRES14 Oak-pine
FRES15 Oak-hickory
FRES16 Oak-gum-cypress
FRES17 Elm-ash-cottonwood
FRES18 Maple-beech-birch
FRES19 Aspen-birch
FRES20 Douglas-fir
FRES21 Ponderosa pine
FRES28 Western hardwoods
FRES29 Sagebrush
FRES30 Desert shrub
FRES31 Shinnery
FRES32 Texas savanna
FRES33 Southwestern shrubsteppe
FRES34 Chaparral-mountain shrub
FRES35 Pinyon-juniper
FRES38 Plains grasslands
FRES39 Prairie
FRES40 Desert grasslands
FRES41 Wet grasslands
FRES42 Annual grasslands
license
cc-publicdomain
bibliographic citation
Tesky, Julie L. 1993. Zenaida macroura. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Habitat: Plant Associations

provided by Fire Effects Information System Animals
More info on this topic.

This species is known to occur in association with the following plant community types (as classified by Küchler 1964):

More info for the terms: cactus, forest, shrub, woodland

   K005  Mixed conifer forest
   K009  Pine - cypress forest
   K010  Ponderosa shrub forest
   K011  Western ponderosa forest
   K012  Douglas-fir forest
   K016  Eastern ponderosa forest
   K017  Black Hills pine forest
   K018  Pine - Douglas-fir forest
   K019  Arizona pine forest
   K020  Spruce - fir - Douglas-fir forest
   K021  Southwestern spruce - fir forest
   K022  Great Basin pine forest
   K023  Juniper - pinyon woodland
   K024  Juniper steppe woodland
   K025  Alder - ash forest
   K026  Oregon oakwoods
   K027  Mesquite bosque
   K028  Mosaic of K002 and K026
   K029  California mixed evergreen forest
   K030  California oakwoods
   K031  Oak - juniper woodlands
   K032  Transition between K031 and K037
   K033  Chaparral
   K034  Montane chaparral
   K035  Coastal sagebrush
   K036  Mosaic of K030 and K035
   K037  Mountain-mahogany - oak scrub
   K038  Great Basin sagebrush
   K039  Blackbrush
   K040  Saltbush - greasewood
   K041  Creosotebush
   K042  Creosotebush - bursage
   K043  Paloverde - cactus shrub
   K044  Creosotebush - tarbush
   K045  Ceniza shrub
   K046  Desert: vegetation largely lacking
   K047  Fescue - oatgrass
   K048  California steppe
   K049  Tule marshes
   K050  Fescue - wheatgrass
   K051  Wheatgrass - bluegrass
   K053  Grama - galleta steppe
   K054  Grama - tobosa prairie
   K055  Sagebrush steppe
   K056  Wheatgrass - needlegrass shrubsteppe
   K057  Galleta - three-awn shrubsteppe
   K058  Grama - tobosa shrubsteppe
   K059  Trans-Pecos shrub savanna
   K060  Mesquite savanna
   K061  Mesquite - acacia savanna
   K062  Mesquite - live oak savanna
   K063  Foothills prairie
   K064  Grama - needlegrass - wheatgrass
   K065  Grama - buffalograss
   K066  Wheatgrass - needlegrass
   K067  Wheatgrass - bluestem - needlegrass
   K068  Wheatgrass - grama - buffalograss
   K069  Bluestem - grama prairie
   K070  Sandsage - bluestem prairie
   K071  Shinnery
   K072  Sea oats prairie
   K073  Northern cordgrass prairie
   K074  Bluestem prairie
   K075  Nebraska Sandhills prairie
   K076  Blackland prairie
   K077  Bluestem - sacahuista prairie
   K078  Southern cordgrass prairie
   K079  Palmetto prairie
   K081  Oak savanna
   K082  Mosaic of K074 and K100
   K083  Cedar glades
   K084  Cross Timbers
   K085  Mesquite - buffalograss
   K086  Juniper - oak savanna
   K087  Mesquite - oak savanna
   K088  Fayette prairie
   K089  Black Belt
   K090  Live oak - sea oats
   K091  Cypress savanna
   K092  Everglades
   K098  Northern floodplain forest
   K099  Maple - basswood forest
   K100  Oak - hickory forest
   K101  Elm - ash forest
   K102  Beech - maple forest
   K103  Mixed mesophytic forest
   K104  Appalachian oak forest
   K106  Northern hardwoods
   K107  Northern hardwoods - fir forest
   K108  Northern hardwoods - spruce forest
   K109  Transition between K104 and K106
   K110  Northeastern oak - pine forest
   K112  Southern mixed forest
   K113  Southern floodplain forest
   K114  Pocosin
   K115  Sand pine scrub
   K116  Subtropical pine forest
license
cc-publicdomain
bibliographic citation
Tesky, Julie L. 1993. Zenaida macroura. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Management Considerations

provided by Fire Effects Information System Animals
More info for the term: cover

The mourning dove is one of the most abundant birds in the United
States.  Fall populations have ranged from 350 to 600 million doves.
Dove hunting is a popular recreation for about two million people [12].

The mourning dove has been able to adapt to human activities more than
most other native bird species.  Clearing large areas of deciduous
forests in the East and planting trees on prairies have enhanced the
dove population.  The conversion of large tracts of treeless prairie to
domestic grainfields and farmsteads has created an excellent combination
of food (waste grains) and nesting cover for mourning doves.
Additionally, intensive grazing on many rangelands has encouraged exotic
plant species that often produce more seeds than native grasses [6].

Mourning doves may play a role in the dispersal of weeds such as leafy
spurge (Euphorbia esula) in areas where they nest on the ground [3].

Mourning doves are susceptible to a number of parasites and diseases
including mites, intestinal roundworms, bird malaria, fowlpox, and
trichomoniasis. Occasionally the improper use of pesticides has been a
significant cause of dove mortality.  This species is susceptible to
aldrein, dieldrin, and other chlorinated hydrocarbons [5].
license
cc-publicdomain
bibliographic citation
Tesky, Julie L. 1993. Zenaida macroura. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Occurrence in North America

provided by Fire Effects Information System Animals

AL
AK
AZ
CA
CO
CT
DE
FL
GA
ID

IL
IN
IA
KS
KY
LA
ME
MD
MA
MI

MN
MS
MO
MT
NE
NV
NH
NJ
NM
NY

NC
ND
OH
OK
OR
PA
RI
SC
SD
TN

TX
UT
VT
VA
WA
WV
WI
WY
DC





AB
BC
MB
NB
NF
NT
NS
ON
PE
PQ

SK
YK













MEXICO

license
cc-publicdomain
bibliographic citation
Tesky, Julie L. 1993. Zenaida macroura. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Predators

provided by Fire Effects Information System Animals
Mourning dove predators include humans, hawks (Accipitridae), owls
(Stringidae and Tytonidae), cats (Felidae), dogs (Canidae), blue jays
(Cyanocitta cristata), and squirrels [19].
license
cc-publicdomain
bibliographic citation
Tesky, Julie L. 1993. Zenaida macroura. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Preferred Habitat

provided by Fire Effects Information System Animals
More info for the terms: cover, shrubs, tree

The mourning dove primarily inhabits woodland-grassland edge, prairies,
and open forests but avoids densely forested regions [22,23].
Agricultural areas are often heavily used by these doves during feeding
[5].  They are also common in suburbs and cities [6,7].

Mourning doves generally nest on horizontal branches of shrubs and
trees, especially conifers 10 to 25 feet (3-8 m) above the ground [5,7].
They exhibit a strong preference for stands with low canopy cover [22].
Although tree nests are most common, mourning doves will readily nest on
the ground in the absence of trees or shrubs [6,7]. In Arizona, mourning
doves that inhabit riverbottoms show a preference for mesquite trees
(Prosopis spp.) over saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) as nest trees [5].
license
cc-publicdomain
bibliographic citation
Tesky, Julie L. 1993. Zenaida macroura. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Regional Distribution in the Western United States

provided by Fire Effects Information System Animals
More info on this topic.

This species can be found in the following regions of the western United States (according to the Bureau of Land Management classification of Physiographic Regions of the western United States):

    1  Northern Pacific Border
    2  Cascade Mountains
    3  Southern Pacific Border
    4  Sierra Mountains
    5  Columbia Plateau
    6  Upper Basin and Range
    7  Lower Basin and Range
    8  Northern Rocky Mountains
    9  Middle Rocky Mountains
   10  Wyoming Basin
   11  Southern Rocky Mountains
   12  Colorado Plateau
   13  Rocky Mountain Piedmont
   14  Great Plains
   15  Black Hills Uplift
   16  Upper Missouri Basin and Broken Lands
license
cc-publicdomain
bibliographic citation
Tesky, Julie L. 1993. Zenaida macroura. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Taxonomy

provided by Fire Effects Information System Animals
The currently accepted scientific name for the mourning dove is Zenaida
macroura (Linnaeus) [5,6,7,22,25]. Two subspecies breed in the United
States. Zenaida macroura ssp. carolinensis (Linnaeus) occurs east of
the Mississippi River,, and Z. macroura ssp. marginella (Woodhouse)
occurs in the western two-thirds of the United States [20,22,24]. The
western race is slightly smaller and paler than its eastern counterpart
[5]. A zone of overlap from Michigan through eastern Texas contains an
intermediate form of the two subspecies [20].
license
cc-publicdomain
bibliographic citation
Tesky, Julie L. 1993. Zenaida macroura. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Timing of Major Life History Events

provided by Fire Effects Information System Animals
Nesting - Mourning doves generally nest between mid-March and
mid-September [12,22].

Clutch size, incubation and fledging - Mourning doves almost always lay
two eggs, though one to three have been reported [5,22].  They raise
multiple broods within a year.  In Arizona, up to seven nests per pair
have been recorded in a single nesting season.  Incubation takes 14 to
15 days and is shared by both parents.  Growth and development is rapid
and squabs fledge 12 to 14 days after hatching [5].

Migration - A southward migration of mourning doves occurs annually
beginning in late August.  In general most doves in the northern half of
the breeding range, and many in the southern part, winter in the
southern United States, Mexico, Central America, or the West Indies
[20].  Mourning doves from the central and western United States
generally arrive in Arizona and California by mid-September.  The peak
period for fall arrival in Mexico is October 11 to 20.  Spring departure
from Mexico begins in late March, and migration is in full progress by
mid-April [12].  Some populations of mourning doves that breed in the
wintering range appear to be nonmigratory [20].
license
cc-publicdomain
bibliographic citation
Tesky, Julie L. 1993. Zenaida macroura. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Use of Fire in Population Management

provided by Fire Effects Information System Animals
More info for the terms: fire regime, grassland, herbaceous, litter, woodland

Mourning doves generally will not scratch in litter for seeds and will
avoid areas with dense vegetation when feeding [15].  For these reasons
mourning doves commonly forage on newly burned areas.  Mason [16] found
that mourning doves often foraged in 2-year-old burns on a (Pinus
monophylla-Juniperus osteosperma) woodland site burned in winter or
fall.  The burns provided weedy areas for foraging, snags for perching,
and open areas for loafing.

An extensive body of research has been published on fire effects on animals
in semidesert grassland, oak savanna, and Madrean oak woodlands of southeastern
Arizona, including the response of mourning dove to fire. See the Research Project Summary of this work for more information on
mourning dove and more than 100 additional species of birds, small
mammals, grasshoppers, and herbaceous and woody plant species.

FIRE REGIMES :
Find fire regime information for the plant communities in which this
species may occur by entering the species name in the FEIS home page under
"Find FIRE REGIMES".
license
cc-publicdomain
bibliographic citation
Tesky, Julie L. 1993. Zenaida macroura. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Comprehensive Description

provided by Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology
Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus)

The number of records of parasitized nests of the mourning dove continues to grow slowly, although the dove is hardly a likely host species. To the half dozen earlier records (Friedmann, 1971:241) may be added 1 taken in Kent County, Delaware, 24 May 1958, now in the Delaware Museum of Natural History, and another from Cameron County, Texas, 22 May 1927, now in the collection of Oregon State University. The last one is the first record involving the small race of the cowbird (M. ater obscurus).

Aside from the fact that this bird is, like all doves, not suitable as a host for the cowbird, the fact remains that when parasitized it accepts the alien egg.

GROUND DOVE
license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
bibliographic citation
Friedmann, Herbert, Kiff, Lloyd F., and Rothstein, Stephen I. 1977. "A further contribution of knowledge of the host relations of the parasitic cowbirds." Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology. 1-75. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.00810282.235

Mourning dove

provided by wikipedia EN

The mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) is a member of the dove family, Columbidae. The bird is also known as the American mourning dove, the rain dove, colloquially as the turtle dove, and it was once known as the Carolina pigeon and Carolina turtledove.[2] It is one of the most abundant and widespread of all North American birds and a popular gamebird, with more than 20 million birds (up to 70 million in some years) shot annually in the U.S., both for sport and meat. Its ability to sustain its population under such pressure is due to its prolific breeding; in warm areas, one pair may raise up to six broods of two young each in a single year. The wings make an unusual whistling sound upon take-off and landing, a form of sonation. The bird is a strong flier, capable of speeds up to 88 km/h (55 mph).[3]

Mourning doves are light gray and brown and generally muted in color. Males and females are similar in appearance. The species is generally monogamous, with two squabs (young) per brood. Both parents incubate and care for the young. Mourning doves eat almost exclusively seeds, but the young are fed crop milk by their parents.

Taxonomy

Zenaida

Mourning dove

Socorro dove

Eared dove

Zenaida dove

White-winged dove

West Peruvian dove

Cladogram showing the position of the mourning dove in the genus Zenaida.[4]

In 1731, the English naturalist Mark Catesby described and illustrated the passenger pigeon and the mourning dove on successive pages of his The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands. For the passenger pigeon he used the common name "Pigeon of passage" and the scientific Latin Palumbus migratorius; for the mourning dove he used "Turtle of Carolina" and Turtur carolinensis.[5] In 1743 the naturalist George Edwards included the mourning dove with the English name "long-tail'd dove" and the Latin name Columba macroura in his A Natural History of Uncommon Birds. Edwards's pictures of the male and female doves were drawn from live birds that had been shipped to England from the West Indies.[6] When in 1758 the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus updated his Systema Naturae for the tenth edition, he conflated the two species. He used the Latin name Columba macroura introduced by Edwards as the binomial name but included a description mainly based on Catesby. He cited Edwards's description of the mourning dove and Catesby's description of the passenger pigeon.[7][8] Linnaeus updated his Systema Naturae again in 1766 for the twelfth edition. He dropped Columba macroura and instead coined Columba migratoria for the passenger pigeon, Columba cariolensis for the mourning dove and Columba marginata for Edwards's mourning dove.[9][8]

To resolve the confusion over the binomial names of the two species, Francis Hemming proposed in 1952 that the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) secure the specific name macroura for the mourning dove and migratorius for the passenger pigeon, since this was the intended use by the authors on whose work Linnaeus had based his description.[10] This was accepted by the ICZN, which used its plenary powers to designate the species for the respective names in 1955.[11]

The mourning dove is now placed in the genus Zenaida, introduced in 1838 by the French naturalist Charles Lucien Bonaparte,[12][13] commemorating his wife Zénaïde. The specific epithet is from the Ancient Greek makros meaning "long" and -ouros meaning "-tailed".[14]

The mourning dove is closely related to the eared dove (Zenaida auriculata) and the Socorro dove (Zenaida graysoni). Some authorities consider them a superspecies, and the three birds are sometimes classified in the separate genus Zenaidura,[15] but the current classification has them as separate species in the genus Zenaida. In addition, the Socorro dove has at times been considered conspecific with the mourning dove, though several differences in behavior, call, and appearance justify separation as two different species.[16] While the three species do form a subgroup of Zenaida, using a separate genus would interfere with the monophyly of Zenaida by making it paraphyletic.[15]

There are five subspecies:[13]

The ranges of most of the subspecies overlap a little, with three in the United States or Canada.[17] The West Indian subspecies is found throughout the Greater Antilles.[18] It has recently invaded the Florida Keys.[17] The eastern subspecies is found mainly in eastern North America, as well as Bermuda and the Bahamas. The western subspecies are found in western North America, including parts of Mexico. The Panamanian subspecies is in Central America. The Clarion Island subspecies is found only on Clarion Island, off Mexico's Pacific coast.[18]

The mourning dove is sometimes called the "American mourning dove" to distinguish it from the distantly related mourning collared dove (Streptopelia decipiens) of Africa.[15] It was also formerly known as the "Carolina turtledove" and the "Carolina pigeon".[19] The "mourning" part of its common name comes from its doleful call.[20]

The mourning dove was thought to be the passenger pigeon's closest living relative on morphological grounds[21][22] until genetic analysis showed Patagioenas pigeons are more closely related. The mourning dove was even suggested to belong to the same genus, Ectopistes, and was listed by some authors as E. carolinensis.[23] The passenger pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius) was hunted to extinction in the early 1900s.[24][25]

Description

Mourning dove near a seawall
Mourning dove in California
Mourning dove in Guelph, Ontario, Canada.

The mourning dove is a medium-sized, slender dove approximately 31 cm (12 in) in length. Mourning doves weigh 112–170 g (4.0–6.0 oz), usually closer to 128 g (4.5 oz).[26] The mourning dove has a wingspan of 37–45 cm.[27] The elliptical wings are broad, and the head is rounded. Its tail is long and tapered ("macroura" comes from the Greek words for "large" and "tail"[28]). Mourning doves have perching feet, with three toes forward and one reversed. The legs are short and reddish colored. The beak is short and dark, usually a brown-black hue.[17]

The plumage is generally light gray-brown and lighter and pinkish below. The wings have black spotting, and the outer tail feathers are white, contrasting with the black inners. Below the eye is a distinctive crescent-shaped area of dark feathers. The eyes are dark, with light blue skin surrounding them.[17] The adult male has bright purple-pink patches on the neck sides, with light pink coloring reaching the breast. The crown of the adult male is a distinctly bluish-grey color. Females are similar in appearance, but with more brown coloring overall and a little smaller than the male. The iridescent feather patches on the neck above the shoulders are nearly absent but can be quite vivid on males. Juvenile birds have a scaly appearance and are generally darker.[17]

Feather colors are generally believed to be relatively static, changing only by small amounts over periods of months. However, a 2011 study argued that since feathers have neither nerves or blood vessels, color changes must be caused by external stimuli. Researchers analyzed how feathers of iridescent mourning doves responded to stimulus changes of adding and evaporating water. As a result, it was discovered that iridescent feather color changed hue, became more chromatic, and increased overall reflectance by almost 50%. Transmission electron microscopy and thin-film models revealed that color is produced by thin-film interference from a single layer of keratin around the edge of feather barbules, under which lies a layer of air and melanosomes. Once the environmental conditions were changed, the most striking morphological difference was a twisting of colored barbules that exposed more of their surface area for reflection, which explains the observed increase in brightness. Overall, the researchers suggest that some plumage colors may be more changeable than previously thought possible.[29]

All five subspecies of the mourning dove look similar and are not easily distinguishable.[17] The nominate subspecies possesses shorter wings and are darker and more buff-colored than the "average" mourning dove. Z. m. carolinensis has longer wings and toes, a shorter beak, and is darker in color. The western subspecies has longer wings, a longer beak, shorter toes, and is more muted and lighter in color. The Panama mourning dove has shorter wings and legs, a longer beak, and is grayer in color. The Clarion Island subspecies possesses larger feet, a larger beak, and is darker brown in color.[18]

Vocalization

This species' call is a distinctive, plaintive cooOOoo-wooo-woo-woooo, uttered by males to attract females, and it may be mistaken for the call of an owl at first. (Close up, a grating or throat-rattling sound may be heard preceding the first coo.) Other sounds include a nested call (cooOOoo) by paired males to attract their female mates to the nest sites, a greeting call (a soft ork) by males upon rejoining their mates, and an alarm call (a short roo-oo) by either a male or female when threatened. In flight, the wings make a fluttery whistling sound that is hard to hear. The wing whistle is much louder and more noticeable upon take-off and landing.[17]

Distribution and habitat

In Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico

The mourning dove has a large range of nearly 11,000,000 km2 (4,200,000 sq mi).[30] The species is resident throughout the Greater Antilles, most of Mexico, the Continental United States, southern Canada, and the Atlantic archipelago of Bermuda. Much of the Canadian prairie sees these birds in summer only, and southern Central America sees them in winter only.[31] The species is a vagrant in northern Canada, Alaska,[32] and South America.[15] It has been spotted as an accidental at least seven times in the Western Palearctic with records from the British Isles (5), the Azores (1) and Iceland (1).[17] In 1963, the mourning dove was introduced to Hawaii, and in 1998 there was still a small population in North Kona.[33] The mourning dove also appeared on Socorro Island, off the western coast of Mexico, in 1988, sixteen years after the Socorro dove was extirpated from that island.[16]

The mourning dove occupies a wide variety of open and semi-open habitats, such as urban areas, farms, prairie, grassland, and lightly wooded areas. It avoids swamps and thick forest.[32]

Adult and squabs in the cactus-protected nest, High Desert (California)

Migration

Most mourning doves migrate along flyways over land. Birds in Canada migrate the farthest, probably wintering in Mexico or further south. Those that spend the summer further south are more sedentary, with much shorter migrations. At the southern part of their range, Mourning Doves are present year-round.[17]

Spring migration north runs from March to May. Fall migration south runs from September to November, with immatures moving first, followed by adult females and then by adult males.[31] Migration is usually during the day, in flocks, and at low altitudes.[32]

Behaviour and ecology

Mourning doves sunbathe or rain bathe by lying on the ground or a flat tree limb, leaning over, stretching one wing, and keeping this posture for up to twenty minutes. These birds can also water bathe in shallow pools or birdbaths. Dustbathing is common as well.

Pair of doves in late winter in Minnesota

Outside the breeding season, mourning doves roost communally in dense deciduous trees or conifers. During sleep, the head rests between the shoulders, close to the body; it is not tucked under the shoulder feathers as in many other species. During the winter in Canada, roosting flights to the roosts in the evening, and out of the roosts in the morning, are delayed on colder days.[34]

Breeding

Mourning dove egg, Collection Museum Wiesbaden

Courtship begins with a noisy flight by the male, followed by a graceful, circular glide with outstretched wings and head down. After landing, the male will approach the female with a puffed-out breast, bobbing head, and loud calls. Mated pairs will often preen each other's feathers.[32]

The male then leads the female to potential nest sites, and the female will choose one. The female dove builds the nest. The male will fly about, gather material, and bring it to her. The male will stand on the female's back and give the material to the female, who then builds it into the nest.[35] The nest is constructed of twigs, conifer needles, or grass blades, and is of flimsy construction.[18] Mourning doves will sometimes requisition the unused nests of other mourning doves, other birds, or arboreal mammals such as squirrels.[36]

Most nests are in trees, both deciduous and coniferous. Sometimes, they can be found in shrubs, vines, or on artificial constructs like buildings,[18] or hanging flower pots.[35] When there is no suitable elevated object, mourning doves will nest on the ground.[18]

The clutch size is almost always two eggs.[35] Occasionally, however, a female will lay her eggs in the nest of another pair, leading to three or four eggs in the nest.[37] The eggs are white, 6.6 ml (0.23 imp fl oz; 0.22 US fl oz), 2.57–2.96 cm (1.01–1.17 in) long, 2.06–2.30 cm (0.81–0.91 in) wide, 6–7 g (0.21–0.25 oz) at laying (5–6% of female body mass). Both sexes incubate, the male from morning to afternoon, and the female the rest of the day and at night. Mourning doves are devoted parents; nests are very rarely left unattended by the adults.[35]

Incubation takes two weeks. The hatched young, called squabs, are strongly altricial, being helpless at hatching and covered with down.[35] Both parents feed the squabs pigeon's milk (dove's milk) for the first 3–4 days of life. Thereafter, the crop milk is gradually augmented by seeds. Fledging takes place in about 11–15 days, before the squabs are fully grown but after they are capable of digesting adult food.[36] They stay nearby to be fed by their father for up to two weeks after fledging.[32]

Mourning doves are prolific breeders. In warmer areas, these birds may raise to six broods in a season.[32] This fast breeding is essential because mortality is high. Each year, mortality can reach 58% a year for adults and 69% for the young.[37]

The mourning dove is generally monogamous and forms strong pair bonds.[37]

Feeding

Parent and two chicks in Arizona

Mourning doves eat almost exclusively seeds, which make up more than 99% of their diet.[35] Rarely, they will eat snails or insects. Mourning doves generally eat enough to fill their crops and then fly away to digest while resting. They often swallow grit such as fine gravel or sand to assist with digestion. The species usually forages on the ground, walking but not hopping.[32] At bird feeders, mourning doves are attracted to one of the largest ranges of seed types of any North American bird, with a preference for rapeseed, corn, millet, safflower, and sunflower seeds. Mourning doves do not dig or scratch for seeds, though they will push aside ground litter; instead, they eat what is readily visible.[18][35] They will sometimes perch on plants and eat from there.[32]

Mourning doves show a preference for the seeds of certain species of plant over others. Foods taken in preference to others include pine nuts, sweetgum seeds, and the seeds of pokeberry, amaranth, canary grass, corn, sesame, and wheat.[18] When their favorite foods are absent, mourning doves will eat the seeds of other plants, including buckwheat, rye, goosegrass and smartweed.[18]

Predators and parasites

The primary predators of this species are diurnal birds of prey, such as falcons and hawks. During nesting, corvids, grackles, housecats, or rat snakes will prey on their eggs.[37] Cowbirds rarely parasitize mourning dove nests. Mourning doves reject slightly under a third of cowbird eggs in such nests, and the mourning dove's vegetarian diet is unsuitable for cowbirds.[38]

Mourning doves can be afflicted with several different parasites and diseases, including tapeworms, nematodes, mites, and lice. The mouth-dwelling parasite Trichomonas gallinae is particularly severe. While a mourning dove will sometimes host it without symptoms, it will often cause yellowish growth in the mouth and esophagus that will eventually starve the host to death. Avian pox is a common, insect-vectored disease.[39]

Conservation status

Audubon's Carolina pigeon

The number of individual mourning doves was estimated to be approximately 475 million in 1994,[40] and to have shown a small increase since.[1] The large population and its vast range explain why the mourning dove is considered to be of least concern, meaning that the species is not at immediate risk.[30] As a gamebird, the mourning dove is well-managed, with more than 20 million (and up to 40–70 million) shot by hunters each year.[41] However, more recent reporting cautions that mourning doves are in decline in the western United States, and susceptible everywhere in the country due to lead poisoning as they eat spent shot leftover in hunting fields. In some cases, the fields are specifically planted with a favored seed plant to lure them to those sites.[42][43]

In culture

A Huron/Wyandot legend tells of a maiden named Ayu'ra (probably more accurately spelled Iohara, a common Iroquois girl's name today) who used to care for the bird, who came to love her a great deal. One day, she became sick and died. As her spirit traveled across the land to the entrance to the Underworld, all the doves followed her and tried to gain entrance into the Underworld alongside her. Sky Woman, the deity who guards this door, refused them entry, eventually creating smoke to blind them and take Ayu'ra's spirit away without their knowledge. The smoke stained their feathers gray and they have been in mourning for the maiden's loss ever since.[44] The logic behind the story is a play on words—the sound many Native Americans attributed to the bird was "howe howe," and this is also the sound the Iroquoian peoples used to chant over the dead at funerary events.

The eastern mourning dove (Z. m. carolinensis) is Wisconsin's official symbol of peace.[45] The bird is also Michigan's state bird of peace.[46]

The mourning dove appears as the Carolina turtle-dove on plate 286 of Audubon's Birds of America.[19]

References to mourning doves appear frequently in Native American literature. Mourning Dove was the pen name of Christine Quintasket, one of the first published Native American women authors. Mourning dove imagery also turns up in contemporary American and Canadian poetry in the work of poets as diverse as Robert Bly, Jared Carter,[47] Lorine Niedecker,[48] and Charles Wright.[49]

The mourning dove is mentioned on the Nick Cave and Warren Ellis track, "Wood Dove", for the "For the Birds: The Birdsong Project", Vol. 2.

References

  1. ^ a b BirdLife International (2016). "Zenaida macroura". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22690736A95215602. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22690736A95215602.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^ Torres, J.K. (1982) The Audubon Society Encyclopedia of North American Birds, Alfred A. Knopf, New York, p. 730, ISBN 0517032880
  3. ^ Bastin, E. W. (1952). "Flight-speed of the Mourning Dove". Wilson Bulletin. 64 (1): 47.
  4. ^ Banks, R.C.; Weckstein, J.D.; Remsen, J.V. Jr.; Johnson, K.P. (2013). "Classification of a clade of New World doves (Columbidae: Zenaidini)". Zootaxa. 3669 (2): 184–188. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3669.2.11. PMID 26312335.
  5. ^ Catesby, Mark (1731). The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands. Vol. 1. London: W. Innys and R. Manby. pp. 23, 24, Plates 23, 24.
  6. ^ Edwards, George (1743). A Natural History of Uncommon Birds. London: Printed for the author, at the College of Physicians. p. 15 Plate 15.
  7. ^ Linnaeus, Carl (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis (in Latin). Vol. 1 (10th ed.). Holmiae:Laurentii Salvii. p. 164.
  8. ^ a b Bangs, O. (1906). "The names of the passenger pigeon and the mourning dove". Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 19: 43–44.
  9. ^ Linnaeus, Carl (1766). Systema naturae: per regna tria natura, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis (in Latin). Vol. 1, Part 1 (12th ed.). Holmiae (Stockholm): Laurentii Salvii. pp. 285, 286.
  10. ^ Hemming, F. (1952). "Proposed use of the plenary powers to secure that the name Columba migratoria Linnaeus, 1766, shall be the oldest available name for the Passenger Pigeon, the type species of the genus Ectopistes Swainson, 1827". Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature. 9: 80–84. doi:10.5962/bhl.part.10238.
  11. ^ Hemming, Francis, ed. (1955). "Direction 18: Designation under the Plenary Powers of a lectotype for the nominal species Columba macroura Linnaeus, 1758, to secure that that name shall apply to the Mourning Dove and that the name Columba migratoria Linnaeus, 1766, shall be the oldest available name for the Passenger Pigeon (Direction supplementary to Opinion 67)". Opinions and declarations rendered by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. Vol. 1, Section C Part C.9. London: International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. pp. 113–132.
  12. ^ Bonaparte, Charles Lucian (1838). A Geographical and Comparative List of the Birds of Europe and North America. London: John Van Voorst. p. 41.
  13. ^ a b Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (2020). "Pigeons". IOC World Bird List Version 10.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  14. ^ Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. pp. 236, 414. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
  15. ^ a b c d South American Classification Committee American Ornithologists' Union. "Part 3. Columbiformes to Caprimulgiformes". A classification of the bird species of South America. Archived from the original on January 9, 2010. Retrieved 2006-10-11.
  16. ^ a b "Check-list of North American Birds" (PDF). American Ornithologists' Union. 1998. p. 225. Retrieved 2007-06-29.
  17. ^ a b c d e f g h i Jonathan Alderfer, ed. (2006). National Geographic Complete Birds of North America. p. 303. ISBN 0-7922-4175-4.
  18. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)", NRCS, p. 3
  19. ^ a b Audubon, John James (1990). "Plate CCLXXXVVI". Birds of America. ISBN 1-55859-128-1. Retrieved 2006-10-18.
  20. ^ "Pigeon". Encarta Online. Microsoft. Archived from the original on 2009-10-29. Retrieved 2007-02-17.
  21. ^ Blockstein, David E. (2002). "Passenger Pigeon Ectopistes migratorius". In Poole, Alan; Gill, Frank (eds.). The Birds of North America. Vol. 611. Philadelphia: The Birds of North America, Inc. p. 4.
  22. ^ Wilmer J., Miller (16 January 1969). Should Doves be Hunted in Iowa?. The Biology and Natural History of the Mourning Dove. Ames, IA: Ames Audubon Society. Archived from the original on 20 September 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
  23. ^ Brewer, Thomas Mayo (1840). Wilson's American Ornithology: with Notes by Jardine; to which is Added a Synopsis of American Birds, Including those Described by Bonaparte, Audubon, Nuttall, and Richardson. Boston: Otis, Broaders, and Company. p. 717.
  24. ^ The Biology and natural history of the Mourning Dove Archived 2012-09-20 at the Wayback Machine. Ringneckdove.com. Retrieved on 2013-03-23.
  25. ^ The Mourning Dove in Missouri. the Conservation Commission of the State of Missouri (1990) mdc.mo.gov
  26. ^ Miller, Wilmer J. (1969-01-16). "The biology and Natural History of the Mourning Dove". Archived from the original on 2012-09-20. Retrieved 2008-04-14. Mourning doves weigh 4–6 ounces, usually close to the lesser weight.
  27. ^ Oiseaux.net. "Tourterelle triste – Zenaida macroura – Mourning Dove". www.oiseaux.net. Retrieved 2020-09-26.
  28. ^ Borror, D.J. (1960). Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms. Palo Alto: National Press Books. ISBN 0-87484-053-8.
  29. ^ Shawkey, Mathew D (April 2011). "Structural color change following hydration and dehydration of iridescent mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) feathers". Zoology. 114 (2): 59–68. doi:10.1016/j.zool.2010.11.001. PMID 21411302. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  30. ^ a b Birdlife International. "Mourning Dove – BirdLife Species Factsheet". Retrieved 2006-10-08.
  31. ^ a b "Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)", NRCS, p. 2.
  32. ^ a b c d e f g h Kaufman, Kenn (1996). Lives of North American Birds. Houghton Mifflin. p. 293. ISBN 0-395-77017-3.
  33. ^ "Check-list of North American Birds" (PDF). American Ornithologists' Union. 1998. p. 224. Retrieved 2007-06-29.
  34. ^ Doucette, D.R. & Reebs, S.G. (1994). "Influence of temperature and other factors on the daily roosting times of Mourning Doves in winter". Canadian Journal of Zoology. 72 (7): 1287–90. doi:10.1139/z94-171.
  35. ^ a b c d e f g "Mourning Dove". Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved 2006-10-18.
  36. ^ a b "Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)", NRCS, p. 4
  37. ^ a b c d "Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)", NRCS, p. 1
  38. ^ Peer, Brian & Bollinger, Eric (1998). "Rejection of Cowbird eggs by Mourning Doves: A manifestation of nest usurpation?" (PDF). The Auk. 115 (4): 1057–62. doi:10.2307/4089523. JSTOR 4089523.
  39. ^ "Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)", NRCS, p. 6
  40. ^ Mirarchi, R.E., and Baskett, T.S. 1994. Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura). In The Birds of North America, No. 117 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). Philadelphia: The Academy of Natural Sciences; Washington, DC: The American Ornithologists' Union.
  41. ^ Sadler, K.C. (1993) "Mourning Dove harvest. In Ecology and management of the Mourning Dove (T.S. Baskett, M.W. Sayre, R.E. Tomlinson, and R.E. Mirarchi, eds.) Harrisburg, PA: Stackpole Books, ISBN 0811719405.
  42. ^ "Cornell NestWatch Mourning Dove". NestWatch. Retrieved 2018-03-07.
  43. ^ "United States Geological Survey". www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2018-03-07.
  44. ^ Connelly, William Elsey (1928). Indian Myths. Rand McNally. p. 106 "How the Dove got its Color and Song".
  45. ^ Wisconsin Historical Society (23 May 2012). "Wisconsin State Symbols". Retrieved 2014-07-30.
  46. ^ Audi, Tamara (2006-10-16). "Dove hunting finds place on Mich. ballot". USA Today. Retrieved 2006-10-25.
  47. ^ Carter, Jared (1993) "Mourning Doves" Archived 2003-08-22 at the Wayback Machine , in After the Rain, Cleveland State Univ Poetry Center, ISBN 0914946978
  48. ^ "Poetry". Friends of Lorine Niedecker. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
  49. ^ Meditation on Song and Structure Archived 2008-07-25 at the Wayback Machine from Negative Blue: Selected Later Poems by Charles Wright
license
cc-by-sa-3.0
copyright
Wikipedia authors and editors
original
visit source
partner site
wikipedia EN

Mourning dove: Brief Summary

provided by wikipedia EN

The mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) is a member of the dove family, Columbidae. The bird is also known as the American mourning dove, the rain dove, colloquially as the turtle dove, and it was once known as the Carolina pigeon and Carolina turtledove. It is one of the most abundant and widespread of all North American birds and a popular gamebird, with more than 20 million birds (up to 70 million in some years) shot annually in the U.S., both for sport and meat. Its ability to sustain its population under such pressure is due to its prolific breeding; in warm areas, one pair may raise up to six broods of two young each in a single year. The wings make an unusual whistling sound upon take-off and landing, a form of sonation. The bird is a strong flier, capable of speeds up to 88 km/h (55 mph).

Mourning doves are light gray and brown and generally muted in color. Males and females are similar in appearance. The species is generally monogamous, with two squabs (young) per brood. Both parents incubate and care for the young. Mourning doves eat almost exclusively seeds, but the young are fed crop milk by their parents.

license
cc-by-sa-3.0
copyright
Wikipedia authors and editors
original
visit source
partner site
wikipedia EN