Mourning Dove: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Pigeons, Doves and Sparrows · day 2 of 7

Five facts

1. A mourning dove pair can raise as many as twelve chicks in warm regions: six broods of two young each.
2. Mourning doves are strong fliers, reaching up to 88 km/h. Their main enemies are falcons and hawks.
3. In a 2011 study, wetting and drying a mourning dove's shiny feathers changed their colour and made them reflect almost 50 % more light.
4. For their first 3 to 4 days, chicks get only crop milk from both parents. After that, seeds are slowly added.
5. Mourning doves usually migrate by day, in flocks, flying low. In autumn the young leave first, then adult females, then adult males.

The quiz

1. How many chicks can a pair raise in warm regions?

• Only two
• As many as thirty
• Just one
• As many as twelve (correct)

A pair can raise as many as twelve chicks in warm regions.

2. How fast can a mourning dove fly?

• Up to 8 km/h
• Up to 88 km/h (correct)
• Up to 180 km/h
• Up to 28 km/h

They can fly at up to 88 km/h.

3. What did a 2011 study find when shiny mourning dove feathers were wetted and dried?

• They turned black
• They fell out
• They reflected almost 50 % more light (correct)
• They stopped reflecting light

Their colour changed and they reflected almost 50 % more light.

4. What do dove parents feed newborn squabs?

• Crop milk (correct)
• Insects
• Fish
• Berries

For the first 3 to 4 days, both parents give the chicks only crop milk.

5. When do mourning doves migrate?

• At night, flying high
• Only at dawn
• Never, they stay put
• By day, flying low (correct)

They usually migrate by day, in flocks, at low altitude.

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