Mourning Dove and friend

Mourning Doves or zenaida macroura are very common in Florida. They can be found perched high on power lines.

I always see them as they are foraging for seeds on the ground in my backyard. They will be in small groups of 4-5 picking up all of the dropped seeds from my hanging bird feeders. They are very easy to startle and their wings make a very unique whistling type sound as they fly away. I accidentally startled some of these doves not knowing they were there and when they flew away the whistling sound from their wings made me jump!

Their call is quite often mistaken for that of an owl and it sounds very similar just not quite as loud. It is an easy bird call to learn to mimic using your hands. I have called to them many times using this method and they answer right back.

Pigeons and doves drink by sucking up water instead of lifting their heads to swallow like other birds.

The Mourning Dove is considered a Game Species by 31 states in the US and around 30 million are harvested legally each year.

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