Mourning Dove Nesting and Seed Preferences
Вставка
- Опубліковано 17 лип 2024
- Mourning Doves start nesting in late winter and eat a wide variety of seeds. They will nest several times during the year but are terrible nest builders.
Mark McKellar is a wildlife biologist with over 35 years of bird study experience. He has a degree in Fish and Wildlife Sciences from North Carolina State University and has worked for the Department of the Army, the Wildlife Departments of North Carolina and Missouri. He ran nature centers for many years in Missouri and Pennsylvania before buying the Backyard Bird Center in the Northland area of Kansas City. Mark has led hundreds of bird hikes both locally and abroad. He has taught classes about birds and other wildlife to groups of all ages and brings that knowledge to the customers of his retail business every day. More information about Mark at backyardbirdcenter.com/about-...
#marksbackyardbirds, #mourningdove, #birdfeeding
FOLLOW
Facebook: / backyardbirdcenter
Instagram: / marksbackyardbirds
Join our monthly e-mail club: backyardbirdcenter.com/signup
Join our FREE Facebook Community Group:
/ 1055480298992527
SUPPORT
Visit our website: backyardbirdcenter.com
Shop our online store: shopbackyardbirdcenter.com
MORE INFORMATION
Contact: info@backyardbirdcenter.com
Cover photo the Mourning Doves by Mary Nemecek
Some product links are affiliate links which means if you buy something we'll receive a small commission.
Mark's Amazon store:
www.amazon.com/shop/marksback...
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:10 Birdsong and Early Nesting Season
00:40 Morning Doves' Nesting and Reproduction
01:33 Nesting Habits and Nest Structure
02:21 Feeding Habits and Preferences
03:05 Discouraging Morning Doves from Feeders
03:20 Seed Consumption and Digestive Process
04:23 Reminder for Birdhouse Maintenance - Домашні улюбленці та дикі тварини
...lot of mentions of hunting them for a video called "mourning dove nesting and seed preferences". I watched this to get tips on helping the doves.
I always enjoy seeing Mourning Doves at my feeders
They are a symbol of peace for many.
We never thought Mourning Doves would become our favorite feeder birds. In some ways they almost seem the most human like with their body language and numerous mannerisms. We have a ton of them here in the city limits of Boston-we have seen up to about 15 or so around the tray feeder at once.
They are a symbol of peace for so many people.
I like it when a flock of mourning doves visit my feeders. Sadly a cooper's hawk caught one not too long ago and ate it some distance away (I watched thru my binoculars.) The hawk had a good meal on a very cold day.
They are slow to take off so a little easier for Cooper’s to catch.
Thank you, that was interesting! As much as I am not a big fan of Mourning Doves and had to set up a separate protected feeder for small birds
They can take over a feeder.
@@MarksBackyardBirds The do. The only bird in my backyard who doesn't care is the Red Bellied Woodpecker. Sometimes Brown Thrasher. But even Blue Jays are a bit scared of the Grey Greeder )
Love your show, one of the best things I’ve done to attract birds, is heated water bath. Hope to make it into your shop and talk birds !
It is the most important thing you can do for birds. I look forward to your visit!
Same! We use a heated bird bath every winter. The Doves often sit on the edge opposite each other as if they're just staring at each other. It's cute. I love Mourning Doves. They bring back very fond memories, too.
I saw a pair of Mourning Doves that have been around here for a few years mating this afternoon.
They have lots of young year in and year out.
hey Mark! it's 14° F (feels like 2° F) and we have a mourning dove that's been sitting on the ground, puffed up in 1 place for the past hour or so. it's not moving around much. do you think it's just trying to conserve energy and stay warm, while it waits to eat some seeds again?
update: it just flew away the same moment I posted this comment, ha! We did have plenty of safflower seeds on the ground.
It was likely grinding its food in its craw for digestion while sitting there. The danger for them is sometimes their tail feathers will freeze to the ground so when they take off, they pull them out.
@@MarksBackyardBirds woah! that would never even occur to me. ouch! luckily, i think it was fine. it seemed to fly away normally. thanks for this insight!
Hi Mark! Is that long, fairytale-style birdhouse on the left of your video for sale still? That is really cute!
That is actually a bat house. It is made by Heartwood Mfg in Star Mississippi (eheartwood.com/). We do not have any of their products in stock right now. They make great, fun products but some feel they are pricey.
@@MarksBackyardBirds Thanks for the info 👍
Hello mark, thank you for the great content. I have a question in the form of a story and I'll try to keep it short and to the point. My wife and I have a hanging planter in our back patio which is covered, every year dove pairs nest in the planter, about 7 weeks ago a pair did their thing successfully and the chicks fledged over night, the very next day either the same or other pair layed two eggs but they did not hatch and the parents left the nest, I looked and there were still two eggs in the abandoned nest, the day after that there was a fledgling size dove and one parent in the nest, the next day the nest was empty and one of the previous eggs was broken on the ground under the planter and the other egg was completely gone with no shell fragments or any trace, what the sam hill did I whiteness?
That is bazaar. Can’t imagine what was going on there. My guess is the two that showed up were just using it t as a roost.
This may be a dumb question to ask I hope you will respond. I do have two morning doves about one of their older babies. It can fly, but it will not leave the area and she’s already on her second batch. I’ve been leaving water and food out for it, but it tends to want to just run around the ground, it hides under my bushes at night is this? Is there something I need to do?
Not a bad question at all. It does take some young longer to develop and it just may be that it is reluctant to fly yet. It is also possible that there is something wrong with it that is not outwardly obvious. I would give it a couple of days. You could then try to approach it and see if it flies any distance. If not, a rehab facility may want to look at it.
I live in So. Cal and have 2 bird houses my mom gave me. I DK how to use them and where to place them. They r full of mostly twigs and spider webs what should I do? How can I attract doves without attracting rodents?
Thanks.
Sorry for such a late reply. Doves will not use the houses as they build a platform type nest, generally in evergreen shrubs and trees. They do need a good sized platform or tray to feed on and this will help keep the seed off of the ground and help with the rodent control. While they eat all types of seeds, Safflower is their favorite.
I for a fact have seen them seeking out nests to eat the eggs. And actually watched them devastate a nest.
Mourning doves?
We have a mourning dove that laid 3 eggs a few weeks ago on our balcony then left with the babies about 2 weeks later. Now she is back again building a nest in the same place but it looks like a different bird. Do they steal each others nests?
It is possible but it may be that the female was killed and he has a new mate in his territory.
@MarksBackyardBirds A pair of doves successfully raised a pair of fledglings in one of my planters a couple of months ago. A little over a week ago, they chose another one of my planters to nest in, but the male had a damaged tail before they nested. Yesterday, I saw the female in the nest in the afternoon and this morning, there was no bird in the nest. This evening, there is still no bird in the nest. How long should I wait to discard the eggs?
I use to feed them. I could go out in the yard and at times there would be twenty. I stopped feeding them though when I found they are notorious for eating Robin and Hummingbird eggs.
I have never heard or read anything that indicates that dove eat anything other than seeds. They do not even eat insects.
@@MarksBackyardBirdssame
Where’d you find this out?
They made a nest outside my fire escape but they dont call each other to switch places to take care of their egg.. They just leave and the other one comes.. Is that normal?
Yes, this is normal if the temperatures are moderate and it isn't raining.
@@MarksBackyardBirds Oh so they only call each other when its cold or rainy? No when its warm?
I was referring to their time away from the nest. They can call anytime
Or maybe, "Snowbirds"
I'm not interested in hearing hunting advice. My mourning doves have been spending days building their nests and are not flimsy at all. Their nest are quite full of twigs. I've never had a morning dove lay a nest in a pine tree.
I gave no hunting advice. I only stated that their prolific breeding makes it possible for them to be hunted as a legal game species. Sorry if you misunderstood.