The annual winter flock of Mourning Doves is back visiting my feeders every morning and evening. So far I’ve counted 13 birds.
Some people think Mourning Doves eat to much seed at the feeders, but I’ve never had a problem with them (I’ll take them over grackles and starlings anytime!). And while they may nudge other birds if they can get away with it, they aren’t bullies.
Unlike some of our other backyard bird friends who prefer cover, Mourning Doves actually avoid dense ground cover, so they are easy to spot.
Mourning Doves have powder down in their feathers that gives them special waterproofing. It also explains why if one hits your window it leaves an imprint of wings and body. Once in awhile a bird will hit my office window if a hawk swoops down at the feeders, but thankfully my feeders are too close to the window for a bird to reach any decent speed to cause harm (and yes I do have special bird strike decals on all of my windows).
Here are a few fun facts about Mourning Doves from the All About Birds website: “Mourning Doves tend to feed busily on the ground, swallowing seeds and storing them in an enlargement of the esophagus called the crop. Once they’ve filled it (the record is 17,200 bluegrass seeds in a single crop!), they can fly to a safe perch to digest the meal. The oldest known Mourning Dove was a male, and at least 30 years, 4 months old when he was shot in Florida in 1998. He had been banded in Georgia in 1968.”