Overview

The mourning dove is one of North America's most abundant birds — slim, soft grey-brown, with a sorrowful coo that gives it its name and a whistling wingbeat on take-off. They're at feeders, on telephone wires, and picking grain in fields across the continent.

Gentle and unobtrusive, mourning doves are the kind of common discovery that's easy to overlook — until you listen for that five-note song on a summer morning and realise they're everywhere.

Habitat

Mourning doves live across the entire United States in open country, farmland, suburbs, and woodland edge. They nest in trees, shrubs, and on building ledges — often producing multiple broods per year in warm climates.

Countries found

Mourning Dove in United States

Interesting facts

01
Mourning doves can drink without lifting their head — they suck water like a straw.
02
Their wings whistle on take-off — air through special feathers creates the sound.
03
They are one of the most hunted game birds in North America — over 20 million taken annually.
04
Pairs preen each other and stay together through the breeding season.
05
They feed their young 'crop milk' — a protein-rich secretion from both parents.
06
Their mournful coo is often mistaken for an owl by newcomers to birdwatching.

Conservation status

LC — Least Concern

Mourning doves are Least Concern with an estimated population of over 350 million in North America — one of the continent's most successful bird species.