Overview
The Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) is a medium‑sized, slender‑tailed dove widespread across North America. It is recognized by its soft gray‑brown plumage, black wing spots, and long, pointed tail with white edges. Its name comes from its melancholic cooing, a drawn‑out call often mistaken for an owl.
Males and females look similar, though males may show slightly brighter iridescence on the neck.
Distribution & Habitat
Mourning Doves are found throughout most of North America, from southern Canada to Panama. They thrive in open woodlands, fields, deserts, farms, suburbs, and cities, often perching on wires or feeding on open ground.
Northern populations migrate south in winter, while southern birds remain year‑round.
Adult Male
Soft gray‑brown body with a slight pink wash on the chest
Small iridescent patch on the neck
Black wing spots
Long, pointed tail with white edges
Dark eyes with a pale blue ring
Adult Female
Soft gray‑brown body with a slightly paler, less pink chest
Subtle (not bright) iridescence on the neck
Black wing spots
Long, pointed tail with white edges
Dark eyes with a pale blue ring
Size
Length: 23–34 cm (9–13 in)
Wingspan: 37–45 cm (15–18 in)
Weight: 112–170 g (4–6 oz)
Diet/Foraging
Mourning Doves eat almost exclusively seeds, foraging on the ground for grasses, weeds, and crop seeds like millet, corn, and sunflower. They can store thousands of seeds in their crop before flying to a safe perch to digest. In autumn, they especially love acorns.
Breeding & Nesting
They are prolific breeders, capable of raising multiple broods per year, especially in warm climates. A typical clutch contains two eggs, and both parents incubate and feed the young with crop milk.
Migration
Mourning Doves are partial migrants, with northern birds moving south each fall while many in the central and southern United States stay year‑round. Migration is driven mainly by cold weather and declining food, pushing Canadian and northern U.S. birds toward the southern U.S. and Mexico for winter. Their movements are gradual, daylight‑hour flights, and return migration begins in early spring. Southern populations, including those in the Southeast, are mostly resident, shifting only locally when food availability changes.
Behavior
Known for their mournful cooing (mostly males).
Wings produce a whistling sound during takeoff and landing.
Often seen in pairs or small groups, feeding on the ground.
