The Mourning Dove is a classic North American bird species known for its presence around backyard bird feeders and nostalgic coo. While many people are fans of these pinkish gray birds, I was surprised to learn that there are people out there that actively dislike this species. I’ve always found Mourning Doves to actually be an extremely likable species and these are the reasons that I really like mourning doves, and you should too!

They are very Common

There is an expression that goes something like this, “familiarity breeds contempt.” In this case, familiarity breeds attachment. Mourning Doves are certainly familiar to most people. They are year-round residents of most states in the US, a large part of Mexico, the Caribbean Islands, and even some parts of southern Canada. They do migrate a little farther south in the winter and a little farther north in the summer. Not only are these birds easily findable due to their vast range in the continental US, but also because of the places they choose to spend their time. Mourning doves tend to do very well in places inhabited by humans. In cities and towns they can be seen perching on wires and in trees, often in pairs or multiples. Of course, Mourning Doves are among the most well-known feeder birds in the country, taking advantage of seeds that have fallen to the ground or feeding off of platforms big enough to hold them. I appreciate the fact that the familiar wild companion that is the Mourning Dove can often be found in backyards or feeding stations all across the country. 

They have a Cool Looking Appearance

Mourning Doves sometimes get a bit of a bad rap for their appearance. They are medium sized and generally puffy looking. When at a bird feeder they are larger than many other common backyard birds leading people to call them things like fat, lazy, and greedy. In reality, Mourning Doves are actually incredibly fast and streamlined flyers, resembling a falcon when in the air. When not in the air they are actually probably underrated in terms of their beauty as they are tan to gray in color with a pinkish hue. Their wings are slightly darker in color than their body and they have some dark gray to black colored markings on the wings as well as the neck right by the face. Males can show more pink coloration on their chest as well as a blueish gray top of their head. Both males and females have a dark circular eye with light blue skin around it. Overall, Mourning Doves are actually quite nice looking birds and appear incredibly cute when sitting there all fluffed up.

They make some iconic noises

Certain bird noises can evoke strong feelings related to childhood memories or simply just a a pleasant time in life. Out of all North American bird species, it’s possible that the noises made by the mourning Dove are the most nostalgic. They make a classic dove coo-ing noise which sounds a bit somber as rises and falls

This is actually where these birds get their names from due to the noise sounding a bit sad, as if the bird is in mourning. In addition to their actual vocals, Mourning Doves have another signature noise that they don’t even make intentionally. When Mourning Doves take off or land, air is pushed through their wings causing parts of the feathers to vibrate and making a loud whistling sound.

This sound is appropriately referred to as  wing whistles and are thought to be a sort of natural alarm system, warning other doves that one of the birds has detected a threat and left the area.It is also possible that the noise could startle potential predators, allowing the doves to escape before the predator even knows what happened. Both of these noises made by the Mourning Dove can be heard around neighborhoods and backyards in many areas, meaning they provide a nice trip down memory lane when heard as an adult. They also provide a lovely ambiance when in the background of daily life.

They’re generally peaceful

Doves are typically viewed as symbols of peace. Mourning Doves are not always perfectly peaceful. Males will defend their favorite perches from other males and they may get a bit snippy from time to time with other birds around the feeder, but most of the time they coexist pretty well with each other and other species around the feeder. For this reason, they are a great bird to have around the backyard bird ecosystem. Additionally, unlike some other more aggressive species such as House Sparrows, Mourning Doves generally do not fight other species for nesting sites. This is in large part to the fact that mourning doves are not cavity nesters but rather nest builders. A quick side note, mourning Doves are actually terrible at creating nests and do some of the most suspect work of any species I’ve seen but I digress. In all, Mourning doves are relatively peaceful, and in spite of some people criticising them of being bullies around the feeder or even worse, Fat, they actually do get along with other birds for the most part.

They are Adaptable

One of the reasons mourning doves are so well known by even nonbirders is because they have adapted to both human habitation as well as other less hospitable natural environments. Of course, these birds have learned to take advantage of bird feeders, but they have also learned to take advantage of cultivated grain, meaning they can survive in even more areas. In regards to some of the habitats they survive in, this common bird in urban places, also survives in the deserts of the US thanks in large part to their unique ability to drink somewhat salinated water. In fact, they have been known to drink water with a salinity nearly half that of seawater, a pretty crazy adaptation for what is typically thought of as a pretty basic species. This adaptability makes the mourning dove not only a likeable and familiar companion, but a hardy survivor.

In all, even though some people overlook the Mourning Dove, they are a cool and entertaining species. Their cuteness, their adaptability, and tendency to put us at ease with their nostalgic cooing all makes them a bird that is totally worth appreciation frm both birders and feeder watchers alike. What do you think about Mourning Doves, let us know in the comments below, and if you liked this video, take a look at one of these and as always, thanks for reading, we’ll see you next time, on Badgerland Birding.