Saturday, April 12, 2014

Year-round Mourning Doves

 Since last Spring a growing flock of Mourning Doves has settled into a northern lifestyle in Goulds. By all accounts, they bred here and stayed throughout the winter. Maybe this is a new trend for this species.
 A single pair of Mourning Doves can have as many as six broods during a season. However, they typically breed in warmer climates than Newfoundland. Over the years, I have come across Mourning Dove eggs right out in the open. They don't seem to be too particular about where they lay them.
 In addition to the Goulds flock, I have seen Mourning Dove along the roadside in Flatrock, in Cape Broyle and Renews.
As the Mourning Dove is a game bird in other areas of North America, they will do well to stay here. It is interesting to note the variation in color that doesn't seem to have anything to do with season. The first two images in this series show two doves photographed in March. One has a distinct rosy color while the other is more tan.
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4 comments:

  1. UnknownJuly 21, 2019 at 7:00 AM

    While on vacation in places in the Caribbean, I would love to here the coos of a particular bird. Not knowing what was making this haunting sound, I wondered what kind of bird coos. Doves coo I thought. Could it be a mourning dove, since it sounds like it is weeping?
    Since then, over the past few years I have noticed the same sorrowful sounds here at home in Bonavista Newfoundland. Walking out if my house just now I noticed the distinctive sound again, and I thought I have to get to the bottom of this, so I began researching it. My hunch seems to be correct. Mourning doves are found in Newfoundland, and after looking at the pictures, I thought, hey I've seen those guys before. I can't remember seeing or hearing them growing up, but definitely in the not too distant past.
    I figured I'd write this post just to inform you that they can be found on the Bonavista Peninsula as well.

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  2. AnonymousNovember 29, 2022 at 1:22 PM

    Currently have a mourning dove at my feeder in Grand Falls-Windsor

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  3. Lisa de LeonNovember 30, 2022 at 7:36 AM

    How nice.

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  4. AnonymousApril 29, 2023 at 5:49 PM

    We have had mourning doves in our backyard (in Paradise) for a few years now. Started with just two but now we've seen as many as 8+ at the feeder at one time. They're here year round

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