Mourning Dove

Status Uncommon in summer, fairly common transient, uncommon in winter. Breeds. A pair from Nova Scotia is listed in Gesner's (1842) catalogue. Blakiston and Bland (1856) and Downs (1865) do not include it, whereas Jones (1879) found it "not uncommon" in autumn. Downs (1888) thought that "it appears to be becoming rather common," although it "once was rare." Evidently it became less common in the interim. When the first edition of this book was published in 1962, it rated as a rare summer resident and uncommon fall visitant. Although still uncommon in summer, it has become regular in some numbers in fall and winter. It first appears in spring, generally in late March or early April (average 31 March, earliest 12 March) but overwintering flocks may still be associated with grain-storage facilities or bird feeders into May. The bird is most common in summer in the Annapolis Valley but is found in agricultural and urban areas throughout the province. Its numbers are augmented in the fall, especially in October, and counts of 25 or more have been made during Christmas Bird Counts in the Halifax area, in Yarmouth County, Wolfville and sometimes elsewhere. Such large groups may remain in these areas through winter, subsisting at feeders or grain-storage sites.

Description Length: 30-33 cm. A long-tailed, small-headed, pigeon-like bird. Adult male: Back olive-brown; a small black dot on the sides of the head below the ear; four middle tail feathers are black to the tip, the outer ones mostly broadly tipped with white. Breast faintly purplish pink; sides of neck showing iridescence; head pale fawn with bluish crown. Bill blackish gray, feet reddish gray. Adult female: Similar but shows less iridescence. Immature: Much like female but shows even less iridescence.

Breeding Nest: A rude, flat affair put together loosely with small twigs, placed on a horizontal branch at low heights. Eggs: 2; white. Although its breeding was suspected for many years, breeding was first confirmed on 12 July 1964, when Cyril Coldwell discovered two weakly flying fledglings at Gaspereau, Kings County. The first reported nest was found by Eva Urban on her property at Avonport, Kings County, on 16 June 1979. Since then, nesting has been more widely noted.

Range Breeds from southeastern Alaska, middle British Columbia, across southern Canada to Nova Scotia, south to the West Indies and Mexico. Winters from extreme southern Canada to Panama.

Remarks Its name is derived from the sad and mournful call of the male: coo-coo-coo-coo, uttered softly and heard most frequently during mating season. In general appearance the Mourning Dove resembles the now-extinct Passenger Pigeon, but it is considerably smaller. When flying, its rapid wing-beats produce a whistling sound like that made by the Common Goldeneye. In some states of the United States and in certain restricted management areas in British Columbia, it is hunted in open season as a game bird. But in other states and throughout the rest of Canada, it is classified as a "song bird," receiving protection.

It is a ground-feeder whose fare in late fall and winter consists largely, if not wholly, of waste grain, weed seeds and what it may gather at bird feeders.