Mourning Dove - NestWatch

• Nest & Egg Images
• Plumage Images
• Calls & Songs

Mourning Dove eggs

Photo © René Corado

Mourning Dove nest

Photo © René Corado

Adult

Photo © Ryan Schain / Macaulay Library

Adult

Photo © Nancy Christensen / Macaulay Library

Juvenile

Photo © Joseph Boros / Macaulay Library

Adult

Photo © Tyler Ficker / Macaulay Library

Adult

Photo © Jay McGowan / Macaulay Library

Adult

Photo © Lewis Ulrey / Macaulay Library

Song

© Wil Hershberger / Macaulay Library

Song

© Bob McGuire / Macaulay Library

Wing sound

© Jay McGowan / Macaulay Library

When To Look

Source: Birds of the World

Where To Find It

Source: Birds of the World

Habitats

forest grassland open woodland town

Substrates

ground Live Tree Branch Vine or Tangle In/On Building

What You'll Find

Nest Type

platform

Chick

Altricial

Clutch Size

1 2

Nest Height

250 ft 0 ft

Nesting Statistics

Incubation Period

14 days

Brooding Period

13-15 days

Useful Hints

• 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.
• Mourning Doves sometimes reuse their own or other species’ nests.
• Mourning Doves commonly build nests in hanging flower pots or other human-made structures.

More Resources

• All About Birds: Species Profile
• eBird Range Map
• Download a Nest Box Plan for Mourning Dove

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