Mourning doves, or Zenaida macroura, are the most common dove in North America (National Geographic, 2006). They are a light tan color with black spots on their back, and white spots on their pointed tail (Peterson, 2002). Fledglings have white tips on their feathers, giving them a ‘scaly’ appearance. Males have a blue and pink iridescent patch on their hind neck (National Geographic, 2006).
Mourning doves are perhaps best known for their perch-coo; it may be written as “coo-OOO oo oo (oo)” and may sound much like a deep whistle, with the emphasized note a third above the other four notes. Males coo much more than females, indicating that perhaps the coo is meant as a mating advertisement (Ecology and Management, 1993).
Mourning doves are monogamous and do not defend classical territories. They lived in mixed hierarchies for most of the year as determined by ‘peck dominance’ and typically feed in groups. More information on Mourning dove habitat, social spacing, social system, and reproductive system can be found on additional pages. For a list of sources, visit the 'references' page.
