Scientific Name:   Zenaida macroura

Length:   9.1-13.4 in (23-34 cm)

Weight:   Male: 3.4-6.0 oz (96-170 g) - Female: 3.0-5.5 oz (86-156 g)

Wingspan:   17.7 in (45 cm)

Nest:   The nest is constructed of twigs, conifer needles, or grass blades, and is of flimsy construction. Mourning doves will sometimes requisition the unused nests of other mourning doves, other birds, or arboreal mammals such as squirrels. Unbothered by nesting around humans, Mourning Doves may even nest on gutters, eaves, or abandoned equipment.

Eggs:   2. White. Incubation is by both parents, about 14 days.

Feeding Behavior:   They feed on the ground and in the open, peck or push aside ground litter, but don’t scratch at the ground. Males have favorite “cooing perches” they defend from other males. Eats quickly to fill crop with seeds, then digests them while resting. Regularly swallows grit (small gravel) to aid in digestion of hard seeds.

Young:   Both parents feed young until they leave nest at about 15 days, usually wait nearby to be fed for next 1-2 weeks. One pair may raise as many as 5-6 broods per year in southern areas.

Range:   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.

Brief Description:   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. The adult male has bright purple-pink patches on the neck sides, with light pink coloring reaching the breast.