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Bird Sounds: Mourning Doves

A mourning dove rests on a warm rock.

Photo Credit
Photo by US Fish and Wildlife via Wikimedia Commons

Mourning Dove Calls

Heidi Stonehill
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The mourning dove, with its soft coo and graceful flight, is a familiar sight and sound across North America. This gentle bird, found in backyards, parks, and open fields, holds a special place in the hearts of many. Whether you’re an aspiring birdwatcher or simply curious about these ubiquitous feathered neighbors, dive into the fascinating world of the mourning dove!

Mourning Doves: More Than Just a Pretty Face

  • The Most Widespread Bird in North America: Mourning doves boast an impressive population exceeding 350 million across the continent, making them the most abundant game bird and a common backyard visitor.
  • Identify Mourning Doves: Look for their slender grey bodies, long tails, and the black spots adorning their wings. Their gentle cooing call is also a helpful identifier.
  • Unexpectedly Fast Flyers: Don’t underestimate these seemingly unassuming birds! Reaching speeds of up to 55 mph, mourning doves are swift fliers, capable of impressive bursts of speed during courtship displays and evading predators.
  • Masters of Adaptability: These resourceful birds thrive in diverse habitats, from deserts to woodlands to urban parks. Their diet of seeds and grains allows them to flourish in a variety of environments.
  • A Symphony of Coos: The mourning dove’s signature call, a mournful yet strangely comforting coo, is a familiar sound in backyards and natural areas. This vocalization plays a crucial role in attracting mates and defending territories.
    Beyond the Backyard:
  • Cultural Significance: Mourning doves have earned a place in folklore and traditions across North America. Native American tribes revered them as symbols of peace and hope, while their cooing often found its way into poetry and music.
  • Conservation Concerns: While abundant overall, localized populations can face threats from habitat loss and pesticide use. Understanding these challenges and supporting conservation efforts helps ensure the future of this beloved bird.

Attracting Mourning Doves

You can attract Mourning Doves to your garden by providing access to water sources and planting native seed-bearing plants like sunflowers and millet. Open platforms or ground feeders filled with seeds like safflower and corn will offer a tasty invitation.

More Than Just a Name

The mourning dove’s name may evoke melancholy, but this adaptable and captivating bird embodies resilience and grace. Whether you’re observing their graceful flight or listening to their soothing calls, appreciate the presence of these feathered neighbors and learn more about their vital role in our ecosystem.

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Click here to listen to the sounds of other birds!

Have you heard a Mourning Dove? Add your comments below. Be sure to let us know where you live or where you’ve heard this bird sound before!

Bird Sounds
About The Author

Heidi Stonehill

Heidi Stonehill is the executive editor for The Old Farmer’s ÃÛÌÒÁµÈË, where she focuses much of her time on managing content development for the ÃÛÌÒÁµÈË’s line of calendars. Read More from Heidi Stonehill
 

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Comments

CRYSTAL NICOLE HEITZ (not verified)

6 years 5 months ago

We live in Vinton (Roanoke) Virginia and we can hear the sounds of a mourning dove every day, at any time of the day or night. Wasn't actually sure what it was until we googled it and now we know!

Ianianiano (not verified)

6 years 5 months ago

We live in Dighton, MA and have at least two in our back yard.

Donna Bullock (not verified)

6 years 5 months ago

I live in south eastern Kentucky and have just been listening to the peaceful but lonesome sound of the Mourning Dove. I live in a semi secluded area where I consider myself lucky to see and hear alot of wonderful wildlife

Linda Taylor (not verified)

6 years 7 months ago

I have bird feeders in my yard. I use a flat dish feeder on my porch. The doves are mostly ground feeders and flock to my porch within minutes of me filling the plate. I like their courting behaviors and the way the males puff themselves up to lure females. They bill and coo all over my yard. I have several that roost in the dogwood trees as well. Love these little creatures of the prarie. West Frankfort Illinois......

Jessica (not verified)

6 years 7 months ago

These birds are cute but I wish they'd stop nesting outside my window. I get woken up every morning by their hollering and it's now one of the few noises that will send me into an instant rage. And they're so noisy when they fly too. Never been so annoyed by a bird in my life.

Jennifer Clodfelter (not verified)

6 years 9 months ago

I hear this at work in the wee hours of the morning in Summersville WV

Cindy (not verified)

7 years ago

Morning Doves, Living Like "Snowbirds" in Sunny SoFla! #LOL We have lived her for 24years. We are in an Rural Ranch Area way west not far from The Everglades. We have doves by the dozens. I love the sound of the cooing. It is very calming and tranquil. However they are not the only Birds...We are on a migratory path for many birds of North America. As well as many water birds. Great blue Herron , Ibis, Wood Storks, many different ducks, peacocks, hawks, wild parrots. The list goes on. Different times of the year we have had entire flocks of birds land on our property, they eat the berries out of the Native trees that were here when we built. We are on acreage. So many all at once the ground looks like it's boiling. Who knows they could have been coming threw for generations. This area use to be sod farms and plotted in 1902. Old for South Florida... The birds are a plenty now, so I thought, but Old timers of the area, have mentioned there were so many birds they'd darken the sky when a flock would fly over. I worry about the Morning Doves because there are lots of ferrial cats around, and raccoons as well. And I won't even get started on the lizards, pythons, snakes, gators and iguanas taking over...

Helen (not verified)

7 years 3 months ago

I live in southeastern ky. I have an apple orchard that these doves live in. They bring joy to me listening to them everyday

Jennifer L Groff (not verified)

7 years 3 months ago

Every morning I hear the mourning dove call, here in Lancaster, PA!