Mourning Dove

The Mourning Dove is a small, but fat bird that lives all throughout North America. These birds are beige in color with long pointed wings and rounded tails. These birds are about 4.2 ounces and range from 8.9-14 inches long. The males and females are the same appearances in all seasons. These birds although called doves, which people think of as kind and friendly, are truly very aggressive and territorial. Mutual preening is an action they tend to take part in to strengthen their bond, relieve stress, and help one another remove parasites that the other bird cannot reach by itself. Mourning Doves are live in open country, scattered trees, and woodland edges. They often nest in trees and live in woodlots during the winter. 99 percent of their diet is seeds and the other one percent consists of grasses, weeds, herbs, and very rarely berries and even snails. They are of least concern even though they are often hunted by humans.