Zenaida macroura
When Mourning Doves burst into flight, their wings clap above and below their bodies for the first few wing beats. These birds are swift, direct fliers, and their wings can be heard whistling through the wind. The soft cooing of Mourning Doves filters through forests and shrublands and can be heard from great distances. All members of the pigeon family (including doves), feed 'milk' to their young. Since birds lack mammary glands, this isn't true milk but a nutritious liquid produced by glands in the bird's crop. The chicks insert their bills down the adult's throat to eat the thick liquid. The common name reflects this bird's sad song; the genus name Zenaida honors Zénaïde, Princess of Naples, the wife of Charles Lucien Bonaparte (the zoologist nephew of the French emperor). |
I.D.: Sexes similar: olive-brown plumage; small head; long, white-trimmed, tapering tail; sleek body; dark, shiny patch below the ear; dull red legs; dark bill; pale-rosy underparts. Size: L 11-13 in. (28-33 cm). Range: common breeder in Glacier NP and in the Colorado Rockies; uncommon breeder in the Canadian and central U.S. Rockies. Habitat: open woodlands, forest edges, agricultural areas and riparian forests; has benefited from human-induced habitat change. Nesting: in the fork of a shrub or tree, or occasionally on the ground; female builds a fragile, shallow nest from twigs supplied by the male; pair incubates 2 eggs for 14 days. Feeding: gleans the ground and vegetation for the seeds of agricultural crops, weeds and native vegetation; visits feeders; produces crop milk for its newly hatched young. Voice: mournful, soft coooo-coooo-ah coooo-coooo-ah. Similar Species: Black-billed Cuckoo: lighter underparts; darker upperparts; shorter neck. Rock Dove: stockier; white rump; shorter tail. Band-tailed Pigeon: shorter tail; white band on the nape; plumage tends not to be olive-brown. |
