Doves add grace and movement to many urban and suburban settings. They are a sign of a balanced and relatively safe environment.
Do Doves Mate for Life?
People often worry about when one of the birds die. These birds are perfect prey for cats because they feed mostly on the ground. Sometimes the surviving bird will attempt to incubate the eggs, or continue feeding the nestlings.
This is a difficult task for a single bird and often unsuccessful.
In due course, the surviving mate will find a new mate. Since they nest several times a season it's possible they will raise a successful brood in the same season. While it's sad to lose these birds in your yard, be comforted knowing they will mate again.
Lifespan
The average lifespan of first year birds is 1 - 1.5 years. First year birds have a mortality rate of 60 - 75 percent and adults have a mortality rate of 50 - 60 percent. For any songbird the first year of survival is the most difficult. If these birds survive their first year they can live on average 4 - 5 years.
Predators include: hawks, snakes, squirrels, cats and hunters.
From The Mourning Doves Coo Begins Season Of Nesting and Feeding at: http://www.wild-bird-watching.com/Doves.html
People often worry about when one of the birds die. These birds are perfect prey for cats because they feed mostly on the ground. Sometimes the surviving bird will attempt to incubate the eggs, or continue feeding the nestlings.
This is a difficult task for a single bird and often unsuccessful.
In due course, the surviving mate will find a new mate. Since they nest several times a season it's possible they will raise a successful brood in the same season. While it's sad to lose these birds in your yard, be comforted knowing they will mate again.
Lifespan
The average lifespan of first year birds is 1 - 1.5 years. First year birds have a mortality rate of 60 - 75 percent and adults have a mortality rate of 50 - 60 percent. For any songbird the first year of survival is the most difficult. If these birds survive their first year they can live on average 4 - 5 years.
Predators include: hawks, snakes, squirrels, cats and hunters.
From The Mourning Doves Coo Begins Season Of Nesting and Feeding at: http://www.wild-bird-watching.com/Doves.html
The mourning dove is a member of the dove family. The bird is also called the turtle dove or the American mourning dove or rain dove, and formerly was known as the Carolina pigeon or Carolina turtledove. Wikipedia Scientific name: Zenaida macroura Higher classification: Zenaida doves.
It is one of the most abundant and widespread of all North American birds. It is also the leading gamebird, with more than 20 million birds (up to 70 million in some years) shot annually in the U.S., both for sport and for meat. Its ability to sustain its population under such pressure stems from its prolific breeding: in warm areas, one pair may raise up to six broods a year. The wings can make an unusual whistling sound upon take-off and landing, a form of sonation. The bird is a strong flier, capable of speeds up to 88 km/h (55 mph)." Wiki
It is one of the most abundant and widespread of all North American birds. It is also the leading gamebird, with more than 20 million birds (up to 70 million in some years) shot annually in the U.S., both for sport and for meat. Its ability to sustain its population under such pressure stems from its prolific breeding: in warm areas, one pair may raise up to six broods a year. The wings can make an unusual whistling sound upon take-off and landing, a form of sonation. The bird is a strong flier, capable of speeds up to 88 km/h (55 mph)." Wiki
Decaocto the Mindful Dove. Decaocto was pushed to her limit, she broke down crying. The headmaster had told her to wash the dishes again, but she had already washed them three times. "Please!, I am hungry" she sobbed, but Pasquino, headmaster and chief cook, repeated, "No food til I say so!, Get back to work!" She prayed and prayed and an angel appeared in a large spoon she was washing and said, "Now fly!, Go to the America's, where you can be free for a while." and Deca looked back at the spoon and now saw a reflection of herself, a dove, with a bluish black ring on the back of her neck to symbolize the dish towel she kept around her neck. And flew she did, but it was not an easy trip as she was captured, then sold as a turtle dove to a pet supplier in the Bahamas. But fate was on her side as the clerk got angry and released them demanding his money back. "But America is still far!, What do I do? " Deca prayed, and then a storm brewed into a large hurricane and picked her up and carried her to Florida. Now Decaocto is free, but faces new threats as she tries to establish her family here. She now watches mindfully from the rooftops, and the ring on her neck reminds her why she is a dove. Blue Collared, "Eurasian Dove"