BIOLOGICAL DATA AND HABITAT REQUIREMENTS
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Zenaida macroura | Mourning Dove 



TIMING OF MAJOR LIFE HISTORY EVENTS : 
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].


PREFERRED HABITAT : 
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].


COVER REQUIREMENTS : 
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].


FOOD HABITS : 
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].


PREDATORS : 
Mourning dove predators include humans, hawks (Accipitridae), owls
(Stringidae and Tytonidae), cats (Felidae), dogs (Canidae), blue jays
(Cyanocitta cristata), and squirrels [19].


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
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].


REFERENCES : 
NO-ENTRY

Related categories for Wildlife Species: Zenaida macroura | Mourning Dove