Not long ago Mourning Doves were considered fairly rare in the province but over the last fifteen years, Mourning Doves have shown such a steady increase in their population that they are now a common bird of the countryside. Even inside cities and towns, there is a good chance of a Mourning Dove visiting your yard or feeder.

These large birds are easy to recognize as they show the typical dove-like features such as a small head on a plump body which is supported by very short legs. In flight, the body appears streamlined and the wings taper to a point - features that also suggest a Merlin. They can be told from other members of this family by their overall light brown colour and long wedge shaped tail. Closer inspection will reveal that every Mourning Dove sports a small black beauty spot on each side of its face. Males and females look almost identical but in late winter, if you look carefully, you may notice that some birds develop a light pink wash over their chests. The pink wash is part of the breeding plumage of the male Mourning Dove and is the best way to tell the difference between the two sexes.

Late March is also the time to start to listen for the soft drawn out cooing of the Mourning Dove. Once you hear their sad sounding song, you will know why they were named Mourning Dove.' Sometimes people mistake the cooing call of the Mourning Dove for the hooting of an owl, and the Barred Owl is very well known for its daytime hooting. You will not be fooled if you remember that the cooing of the dove is soft, but the hootings of owls tend to be much more robust. Another Mourning Dove sound to listen for is a distinctive high pitched whistling produced by their rapid and powerful wingbeats.

When Mourning Doves first visit a new yard, they are rather skittish and tend to fly away easily, however, an offering of bird seed is likely to draw them back. Approximately ninety-eight percent of the Mourning Dove's diet is composed of seeds. They are great birds to have around as they eat enormous amounts of weed seeds. You may also observe that they will appear to be interested in your driveway. Mourning Doves often check out driveways while searching for tiny angular pebbles called grit which they swallow to help them chew their food.