Mourning Doves make such a beautiful sound but they make such a big mess...I think that is why most people dislike them... They seem to be very easily scared away when they hear a little noise and when they do this, everything flys away....I keep safflower on the tray which the mourning doves like but I am trying to attract the cardinals here..But no such luck yet... I have an abundance of peanuts on the tray which everyone says the birds love...but not my birds...I am at the point of not adding peanuts to the mix anymore....except the ones in the shell. Of course I can't stop feeding those because we had bought a 50 pound bag and believe me that is way too much.... I wish I could of found a neighbor or two to share them with....How about you... do you like them or dislike the mourning dove? These pictures were taken through the window glass...
Your mourning doves look a bit like our collared doves Sherry. I think they are beautiful even if they do make a mess all over the place when they're feeding. Trouble is our sparrowhawks think of our doves as their staple diet!!
The Collared Dove is a similar species but a bit larger and heavier than the Mourning Dove. I have dozens of Mourning Dove in the backyard, they are ground feeders (when there is no snow) and do a good job of cleaning up after the grackles and squirrels have been at the bird feeders, I very seldom see them actually at the feeders. I love to hear them early in the morning, warm weather just wouldn't be the same without that call.
I love the melancholy sound these doves make. It's the first bird call I remember hearing as a child. The only thing I hate about them is the flimsy nest they make. They are the worst nest makers in the bird world. Eggs and babies are always falling out of them. Collared doves on the other hand are an invasive and somewhat hated species here. Sometimes what birds don't like in seeds and nuts they come to like as food gets scarcer. Here they eat just about anything from meat scraps to jelly. I put out old frozen strawberries for them and they just love them.
I now have about 6 Mourning Doves that come and clean up after the Blue Jays are done. They do a great job! I have never actually seen them at the feeder. Sherry - this is the first year I have managed to get Cardinal's to my feeder. At first there were only 2, but sometimes now I see as many as 12. I think the Cardinal's are my favorite.
They are really pretty. We haven't got them here, but I generally like doves. Especially the breast pieces.
DROOPY! YOU LITTLE DEVIL I like the doves, we have a lot of them. Our neighbors feed them. I don't because I have a cat and it feels like entrapment to put out birdseed! Deanna :-D
Same problem here, Eileen. I sat on my deck and watched a Peregrine falcon get a dove at my birdfeeder. It was amazing to watch (the falcon must have been stalking from nearby trees for quite some time), and it was over in seconds. Here in Wisconsin, they've made the morning doves a game bird and they can now be hunted...not much sport, as you can walk right up to them before they fly off!
We have that dove hunting here also.. Ours arent tame like that . However we dont hunt. We have cow meat.
We have quite a few doves that clean up under the feeders. Once in awhile a hawk swoops in and carries one off. I like to see almost any bird in the back yard feeding. My husband just complained about how cold it was tonight as he was out filling feeders.
I don't bother with ground feeders, the mourning doves clean up what the others scatter & they seem perfectly happy 'bout that. But, it's hard to get past your setup for bird feeders, it's wonderful!!!
We have kept out food in our feeder. Even with the snow, doves have just come to our feeder in the last week. I like to watch them as last year and I think maybe this year there seems to be 1 lonesome dove. We also have the woodpeckers that come to the suet I have out.
