Dove

Zenaida macroura

Doves, also known in North America as the mourning dove or the rain dove. It is one of the most abundant and widespread of all North American birds. It is also a leading gamebird, with more than 20 million birds (up to 70 million in some years) shot annually in the U.S., both for sport and for meat. Its ability to sustain its population under such pressure is due to its prolific breeding; in warm areas, one pair may raise up to six broods of two young each in a single year.

Mourning doves are light grey and brown and generally muted in color. Males and females are similar in appearance. The species is generally monogamous, with two squabs (young) per brood. Both parents incubate and care for the young. Mourning doves eat almost exclusively seeds, but the young are fed crop milk by their parents.

The mourning dove is a medium-sized, slender dove averaging 12in in length. Adult mourning doves weigh 4.0–6.0 oz, usually averaging around 4.5 oz. Their wings are elliptical and broad, and they have a small rounded. Its tail is long in comparison to the rest of its body, it has a tapered shape, getting smaller to meet at a point. Mourning doves have perching feet, with three toes forward and one reversed. The legs are short and reddish colored. The beak is short and dark, usually a brown-black hue. They occupy a wide variety of open and semi-open habitats, such as urban areas, farms, prairie, grassland, and lightly wooded areas. They avoids swamps and thick forest. The species has adapted well to areas altered by humans, they will commonly nest in trees in cities or near farmsteads.