# Mourning Dove (*Zenaida macroura*) Mourning Doves are gentle birds with soft gray feathers. They coo sweetly and like to gather in parks and backyards. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 516 - **Habitat:** Open areas like fields, parks, and backyards. - **Also known as:** Carolina Dove, Zenaida Dove ![Mourning Dove](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771424460/objects/4540.jpg) ## Appearance The Mourning Dove is a slender, medium-sized bird with a small head and a long, pointed tail tipped with white. It has soft brownish-gray plumage, a small black spot below each eye, and iridescent pink-purple patches on its neck. Its sleek shape visually differentiates it from chunkier pigeons. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Columbiformes - **Family:** Columbidae - **Genus:** Zenaida ## Interesting facts - A group of doves can be called a "flight," "dole," or a "deceit"! - Mourning Doves are among the most widespread and abundant birds in North America! - These birds can eat up to 20% of their body weight in tiny seeds daily! - They often reuse old nests from other birds, saving time for their new eggs! ## Special abilities - **Crop Milk Power:** Mourning Doves can produce "crop milk" in their throat to feed their hatchlings, packed with nutrients for fast growth. - **Water Sucker:** Mourning Doves can drink water like a straw without lifting their heads, allowing them to hydrate swiftly and efficiently. - **Whistling Flight:** Mourning Doves have specialized wings that create a distinctive whistle during takeoff or landing, signaling presence to others. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 22-34 cm - **Wingspan:** 37-45 cm - **Weight:** 0.096-0.17 kg - **Lifespan:** 1-19 years - **Speed:** 88 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 1-2 - **Incubation:** 14 days - **Migration Distance:** 3000 km ## Diet & Feeding Mourning Doves are hungry herbivores that mostly munch on seeds from many different plants. - **Age differences:** Nestlings consume 'crop milk' from their parents, transitioning to seeds as they grow. - **Primary Foods:** grass seeds, weed seeds, waste grain, berries, sunflower seeds - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Cooper's Hawk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/cooper-s-hawk) (*Accipiter cooperii*) — A common predator, especially of fledglings. - **Eaten by:** [Great Horned Owl](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-horned-owl) (*Bubo virginianus*) — Hunts Mourning Doves, particularly at dusk. - **Eaten by:** [Domestic Cat](https://www.snappit.app/explore/domestic-cat) (*Felis catus*) — Predates on doves, especially around human habitats. - **Eats:** [Common Ragweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-ragweed) (*Ambrosia artemisiifolia*) — Consumes its plentiful seeds as a primary food source. - **Eats:** Giant Foxtail (*Setaria faberi*) — Feeds on the seeds of this common grass species. ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Singing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/singing): Singing animals produce complex vocalizations, often for purposes of attracting mates, defending territory, or communicating within their species. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Mourning Doves are friendly and not dangerous. It's best to watch them from a distance. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Mourning Dove? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Mourning Dove? 22-34 cm ### What is Mourning Dove's wingspan? 37-45 cm ### How much does Mourning Dove weigh? 0.096-0.17 kg ### How long does Mourning Dove live? 1-19 years ### How fast can Mourning Dove move? 88 km/h ### What does Mourning Dove eat? Mourning Doves are hungry herbivores that mostly munch on seeds from many different plants. ### Where is Mourning Dove usually found? Open areas like fields, parks, and backyards. ## Where to spot - [Albany Pine Bush](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/albany-pine-bush) — New York, US · Nature Reserve - [Ambler Heights Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ambler-heights-historic-district) — Ohio, US · Historic District - [American Baptist College](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/american-baptist-college) — Tennessee, US · Campus - [Arastradero Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/arastradero-preserve) — California, US · Nature Reserve - [Arnold Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/arnold-arboretum) — Massachusetts, US · Botanical Garden - [Arroyo Conejo Open Space](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/arroyo-conejo-open-space) — California, US · Park [View all places to see Mourning Dove](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/mourning-dove) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Mourning Dove: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mourning-dove)