Mourning Dove » DFW Urban Wildlife

Mourning Dove – Hanging Basket

Nov 072011

This Mourning Dove nest was discovered with two eggs in it over the 4th of July holiday. The nest is located in a hanging basket on the balcony of the photographer’s apartment.

The original pair of eggs hatched and the brood was successfully raised, with the young doves leaving the nest around the beginning of August. A second set of eggs were laid around the August 4th, and hatched on August the 22nd.

The photographer speculates that these doves may be a pair she watched earlier in the summer nesting on a drain pipe near the roof of the building across from her apartment. That nest fell from the drain pipe shortly after the first brood raised there left the nest. If this is the case, then that would make three broods (6 squabs) raised by this pair of doves this season.

Mourning Dove – Just Getting Started

Birds, Mourning Dove 2 Responses »

Oct 132011

This observations is of a pair of recently fledged Mourning Doves in the parking lot of a Carrollton library.

Mourning Dove – Nest Watching

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Sep 152011

This observations documents the nesting activities of a pair of Mourning Doves from late spring through mid-summer.

Over the course of the summer this pair of doves went on to raise a third and then fourth brood. Midway through their third brood the house they were nesting on was sold and the new owners moved in. After the third brood fledged the new owners removed the nest in preparation for having the house repainted. Within days the doves had rebuilt the nest. Over the course of two weeks the nest was taken down and rebuilt many times over. The doves were relentless about wanting to nest in the same spot and in the end they won out. A fourth brood was successfully hatched and raised before the doves ceded their claim on the porch.

Mourning Dove – Fledglings

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Sep 092011

After fledging, juvenile Mourning Doves will often gather together in small groups. Here three likely unrelated juveniles sit atop a construction trailer.

Mourning Dove – Nest Location

Birds, Mourning Dove No Responses »

Aug 152011

This is an observation of what seems to be a particularly bad choice for a nesting site. The Mourning Dove in this observation has nested in a bush just outside a busy elementary school.

This observation is interesting for a number of reasons. First is the location of the nest. The nest is located in the pick up and drop off area of the school; a very high traffic area. Second is the nest position. The nest is approximately 3/4 of the way up the bush, and while reasonably well concealed, is only at a height of 4ft/1.2m off the ground. Finally, this nest is at least two years old and was not built by the currently sitting dove. Very little, if any, modification to the original nest was done.