Hear a story about the mourning dove.
Hear a mourning dove.

adapted from The Birds of Texas
by John L. Tveten

The mourning dove ranges from Canada to Panama and is the most abundant and widespread dove in Texas and across the continent. It inhabits a wide array of habitats and feeds primarily on grain, seeds and berries. It is the only native Texas bird that has been documented as occurring in every one of the state's 254 counties.

The trim-bodied mourning dove has a small, round head, slender neck, and long, pointed tail edged with white. Although the overall plumage is a soft brown, there are black spots on the upper wings of the adults. A pinkish tint on the breast, a subtle wash of shimmering, iridescent colors on the neck, and blue rings around the eyes make it a surprisingly lovely bird when seen up close. Its familiar low, mellow call, ooah-coo-coo-coo, is mournful yet pleasing and brings forth images of warm country evenings and the smell of new-mown hay.

Although mourning doves are the most widely hunted of all game birds nationwide, they are able to maintain their population because they adapt to virtually every habitat and nest at least twice a year. Mourning doves inhabit farmyards, cultivated fields, prairies, open woodlands, deserts and suburban parks and yards. The female lays two white eggs in a crude nest made of twigs and placed in a tree, shrub or cactus. In treeless areas, the nest is placed directly on the ground. Texas birds breed virtually year-round, with a peak season from March through September.

Rather than feeding their young on insects, as do most other seed-eating birds, mourning doves feed them "pigeon's milk," a nourishing liquid produced from the lining of the crop. The milk contains more protein and fat than cow or human milk and is fed exclusively to the young hatchlings by both parents. The production of crop milk is an unusual trait shared by two other widely disparate types of birds, the flamingos and the penguins.

Nearly 300 species of doves and pigeons exist worldwide. The most common species found in Texas are the rock dove (domestic pigeon), mourning dove, white-winged dove, band-tailed pigeon, Inca dove, common ground-dove and white-tipped dove.

More Facts... The mourning dove is easily distinguished from the white-winged dove. It is smaller than the white wing and has a long, pointed tail -- the white wing's tail is shorter and more rounded. Mourning doves have black spots on their wings -- white wings do not. When perching, white-winged doves also have a distinct narrow, vertical white line along their wings. Pigeons and doves produce "crop milk," which is a fluid from the lining the crop--a thin-walled, saclike chamber at the bottom of the esophagus. The parents regurgitate the "milk" directly into the hatchling's mouth and throat.

More Links USGS website with photos and scientific data on the mourning dove. More information and photographs of the mourning dove. Visit our Bird of the Month website on the white-winged dove. Links to related species: rock dove, inca dove, white-winged dove, ground dove, and white-tipped dove.