You’ve heard their mournful, cooing sounds. You’ve seen their pigeon-toed, metal-head walking style. But have you watched a pair of Mourning Doves preen each other?
Let’s just say the pecking and biting can get a little frisky—so much so that the birds close their eyelids when their partner’s beak comes near their head.
Prolific Breeders
Mourning Doves are common across the entire United States and parts of Canada and Mexico. They are known for building quick, flimsy nests just about anywhere, from trees and shrubs to buildings.
Females lay one or two eggs, which take two weeks to hatch, and both take turns sitting on them. Both females and males have throat pouches called crops that they stuff with food to digest later.
These crops produce a thick, nutrient-rich formula called “pigeon milk” that speeds their baby squab’s growth. They may raise six broods in a year.
Pointy Preening
This dove couple took refuge from the late afternoon summer sun and heat in the shade of our red maple tree and sat quietly for several minutes while I got my camera. After preening themselves separately for a while, they began working on one another. That’s when the action heated up.
As I crept to within about 15 feet, they were so involved with each other, they didn’t notice me. I realized that if these two had been humans, I would have felt compelled to ask permission to shoot such intimate shots.
The Flyaway
Whether this pair’s grooming session was a precursor to mating, I can only speculate. This was the first time I’d seen doves engage with each other so energetically.
Eventually, a delivery truck rumbled down our street, and the two love birds flew away together. Maybe they got a room.
