I have had mourning doves around my home for a number of years. I actually was mean to them at one time. Yes, mean old Audrey didn't want them nesting just above her back door. Don't get me wrong. I don't hate doves, just their nesting habits. They make the poorest built nest I have ever seen. It is just a few sticks and maybe some paper scraps put together so loosely that you can look up through it from the bottom. At least half of what the doves attempt to put in the nest ends up on the floor of my patio right where I step out my back door.
This year the doves fooled me. They built in the corner of my patios, atop the pergola, sheilded from wind and rain by an overhang and the walls of the building. I didn't know they were there for sometime because our weather had been so bad I hadn't been out on the patio. Then, one nice day I was out sweeping it off and happened to look up in that corner. There sat a dove in a nest. She got scared when I went out and in a flurry of beating wings flew off. But, the nest wasn't empty. Sticking above the edge was a little head. Of course I'm not mean enough to do anything to that little dove. I even put out some little pieces of dry bread where mom could get to them.
A few days later the nest was empty. I figured it was time for baby to learn to fly and they had left the nest. Imagine my surprise when 2 days ago there was a dove sitting on the nest again. Once again she flew off quickly. I looked up through the bottom of the nest and sure enough there were 2 eggs. Here we go again.
I was more curious now, about the nesting of doves, so did some research. Oh my, was I surprised to read that a dove might use the SAME nest for up to 5 sets of eggs in one season. But they are just as likely to abandon a nest, eggs and all, if they feel it is in an endangered area. Usually they raise 2-3 sets of young in a season.
Something else that surprised me is that male and female doves look exactly alike, and take turns sitting on the nest in shifts, so we never know whether mom or dad is on duty. The eggs are incubated 14-15 days and the fledglings leave the nest in 12-14 days. Doves mate for life, but should something happen to one of them, eventually the survivor will find a new mate.
Doves (and pidgeons) produce a food called pidgeon milk. It is not really a milk but both father and mother produce the food for the baby doves to eat. The babies stick their heads into the adults mouth to feed. The lifespan of doves in usually no more that a couple of years, but those that live will come back to the familiar nesting place again and again, or their young will return to use the spot where they began life.
Looks like I'm in for a long run. In the meantime I rather enjoy the cooing. I guess I can clean up the mess......providing they keep to the corner and not over my door.
Read the Haiku I wrote about doves here:
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976966098
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Comments: 18
I couldn't tell by looking which was which, male or female, but as soon as I walked up to peek, I knew. One would take off upon my appearance, the other would just sit there and listen to me babble to it.
And yes, as soon as one batch is gone, they start another, all summer long.
I know this pair was there for at least 3-4 years, or at least the one that would let me talk to it... Must have been a long-lived one.
I love to listen to them. But they are hell in the garden. We plant the beans, they eat the beans, we plant the beans, they eat the beans... etc. We had to start shooting at them (not them, AT) with the BB gun and never did get a full row of beans last year.
Billy (dog) is good at keeping the rabbits out... but doesn't pay much attention to the doves. This year we have an outdoor cat - maybe that will solve the problem!!!!
Have a great day sweetie.
This was really very interesting. Thank you.