Facts About Mourning Doves
This is Passport to Texas
[SFX – mourning dove]
The mourning dove is the most ubiquitous game bird in Texas, and wildlife biologist, Jay Roberson, acquaints us with the species.
05—Its pointed tail, fairly streamlined, whistles from the wind going through the feathers on take-off.
[SFX dove in Flight]
It also has a unique way of drinking.
12—This is about the only bird species that doesn’t tilt its head back when it drinks water. It siphons water in like we might when we’re drinking from a stream. They don’t tilt their head back like a quail or a pheasant or a turkey.
The mourning dove is not fussy about where it nests.
18—They’ll nest in almost any situation in any tree. Their nest is really a flimsy platform of twigs; It only takes them two to three days to build that nest. And they go through a nesting cycle in about 30 days total. And they repeat that again. And they have about two young per nest attempt.
Roberson tells us that this bird creates “pigeon milk” for its babies!
13—Through digestion of seed and regurgitation of that seed in a high fat, high protein paste for the young – that allows them to be very successful at their nesting attempts.
Is it any wonder they’re ubiquitous?
The Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program supports our series, and funds conservation work throughout Texas. For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti
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