Have you ever noticed a sleek, gentle gray bird with a mournful coo, pecking around your yard? That's likely a mourning dove, one of the most widespread and familiar birds in North America. While their soothing calls are a welcome sound, understanding their diet is crucial for anyone interested in attracting these birds to their garden, or simply coexisting peacefully with local wildlife. Providing appropriate food sources, or avoiding harmful ones, can make a significant difference in their health and well-being.
Knowing what mourning doves eat isn't just about satisfying curiosity; it's about responsible interaction with the environment. By understanding their dietary needs, we can create bird-friendly habitats, offer suitable supplemental food if needed, and avoid inadvertently poisoning them with substances they might mistake for food. This knowledge helps us become better stewards of our shared spaces and supports the ecological balance of our surroundings.
What exactly do mourning doves eat, and how can I best support their diet?
Do mourning doves only eat seeds?
While mourning doves primarily eat seeds, their diet isn't exclusively limited to them. Seeds make up the vast majority of their food intake, but they will occasionally consume other items, particularly small grains and waste grain.
Mourning doves are granivores, meaning seeds are their preferred and most common food source. They forage on the ground, searching for fallen seeds of grasses, weeds, cultivated grains like corn and wheat (especially waste grain left after harvest), and even pine seeds. Their diet varies slightly depending on the time of year and location, reflecting the availability of different seed types.
Although seeds are their staple, mourning doves will sometimes eat snails, depending on environmental conditions and food availability. The grit found in snails may help with digestion. However, snails are not a significant or consistent part of their diet, so to attract more doves, seed-based birdseed is best.
What types of seeds do mourning doves prefer?
Mourning doves are primarily ground feeders with a strong preference for small seeds. Their favorite seeds include sunflower, safflower, millet, milo (sorghum), corn, and various weed seeds. These doves have a particular fondness for cultivated grains and readily consume them when available.
Mourning doves have evolved with specific adaptations for seed consumption. Their slender bills are perfectly suited for picking up small seeds from the ground, and their crops (a pouch-like part of the digestive tract) allow them to store large quantities of seeds for later digestion. This efficient feeding strategy allows them to thrive in various habitats, from open fields and grasslands to suburban areas and even urban parks. While mourning doves have clear preferences, they are opportunistic feeders and will consume other food sources when seeds are scarce. This might include small fruits, berries, snails, or even insects, though these make up a much smaller portion of their overall diet. Providing a variety of small seeds in bird feeders, especially those they favor like millet and sunflower, is a great way to attract these graceful birds to your yard.Do mourning doves eat insects or other invertebrates?
Mourning doves primarily eat seeds, making them granivores. While their diet consists almost entirely of seeds, they very rarely consume insects or other invertebrates, and only then usually by young doves or accidentally ingested.
Mourning doves prefer seeds from grasses, grains, and weeds. Common food sources include sunflower seeds, corn, wheat, ragweed, and various berries. They forage on the ground, searching for fallen seeds and grains. Their strong gizzards help them to grind up the hard outer layers of seeds for digestion. Although insects and invertebrates are not a significant part of their diet, very young mourning doves may occasionally consume small insects. This is more likely when they are still being fed by their parents, who may inadvertently offer them insects along with regurgitated seed "milk." However, as adults, insects and invertebrates play virtually no role in their nutritional intake. Any insects found in a mourning dove's crop were likely consumed incidentally while gathering seeds.Do young mourning doves eat the same food as adults?
No, young mourning doves, also known as fledglings, do not eat the same food as adult mourning doves. They are initially fed "crop milk" by their parents, a regurgitated secretion from the lining of the adult dove's crop.
Crop milk is a highly nutritious, yellowish-white substance rich in proteins and fats. Both the male and female parent doves produce crop milk and feed it to their young for the first few days of their lives. This specialized diet provides the essential nutrients needed for rapid growth and development. As the young doves mature, the parents gradually introduce them to a diet of partially digested seeds alongside the crop milk. This transition allows the fledglings' digestive systems to adapt to solid food.
The transition from crop milk to seeds is a gradual process that takes place over about a week or two. Eventually, the young doves will be fully weaned onto a diet of seeds, similar to that of adult mourning doves. Adult mourning doves primarily consume seeds, including those from grasses, grains, weeds, and cultivated crops. They may also occasionally eat snails or insects, but seeds make up the vast majority of their diet.
How does the season affect what mourning doves eat?
The season significantly influences the mourning dove's diet, primarily due to changes in food availability. During warmer months, they consume a broader variety of seeds, grains, and insects, while in colder months, their diet shifts to rely more heavily on readily available seeds and waste grains found on the ground, as insects and some plant seeds become scarce.
During the spring and summer breeding seasons, mourning doves benefit from a greater abundance of weed seeds, grasses, and cultivated grains like corn, wheat, and sunflower. Insects, while not a primary food source, also become more accessible and contribute to their protein intake, which is especially important for nesting females and growing fledglings. They might also occasionally consume snails during wetter periods. This variety allows them to meet their nutritional needs more easily and provide adequate sustenance for their young. As autumn approaches and temperatures drop, many plants stop producing seeds, and insects become less active or die off. Mourning doves adapt by focusing on seeds that are still accessible, often those that have fallen to the ground or remain on hardy plant species. Waste grains left over from harvesting become an important food source. They may congregate in larger flocks in areas with ample food to maximize their chances of finding enough to eat. In winter, the diet becomes even more restricted. The availability of food is at its lowest point. Mourning doves rely heavily on seeds from persistent weed species, spilled grains, and any supplemental feeding provided by humans. Survival during winter depends on their ability to locate these concentrated food sources and conserve energy during periods of extreme cold. The specific seeds consumed will vary based on geographic location and the availability of different plant species in that region.Can I feed mourning doves in my backyard, and what should I offer?
Yes, you can feed mourning doves in your backyard. They are primarily ground feeders and prefer seeds, especially smaller seeds like millet, sunflower seeds (especially hulled), and cracked corn. Offering these in platform feeders, ground feeders, or simply scattered on the ground will attract them.
Mourning doves are granivores, meaning their diet mainly consists of seeds. They are not equipped to handle large seeds or nuts as easily as other birds. Therefore, providing a variety of small seeds increases the likelihood of them visiting your yard. While they will occasionally eat insects, especially during nesting season when they need more protein, seeds remain their dietary staple. Avoid offering bread or other processed foods, as these provide little nutritional value and can be harmful to birds. When providing food for mourning doves, consider the cleanliness of your feeders. Regularly clean platform and ground feeders to prevent the spread of disease. Also, be mindful of predators in your area. Scattering seeds near shrubs or other protective cover will allow the doves to feed more safely. Offering a shallow dish of fresh water is also appreciated, especially during dry periods.Do mourning doves need grit or other supplements in their diet?
Mourning doves require grit as a necessary part of their diet to aid in digestion, but they do not typically need other supplements if they have access to a varied and natural food source. Grit, small particles of sand or gravel, helps them grind seeds in their gizzard, an organ that functions like a bird's version of teeth.
Mourning doves primarily eat seeds, and unlike birds that husk seeds before swallowing, doves swallow seeds whole. The grit they ingest is stored in their gizzard, where it mechanically breaks down the seed hulls, allowing the doves to extract the nutrients. Without grit, doves would struggle to digest their food efficiently, potentially leading to malnutrition. They typically obtain grit from the environment, picking it up from the ground along with seeds and other food items. While mourning doves generally don't need supplemental vitamins or minerals if their diet is diverse, providing a shallow dish of clean water is always beneficial, especially during dry periods or in areas with limited water sources. If you are providing a supplemental diet, ensure it consists of appropriate seeds and grains without added salt or preservatives. Avoid offering them bread or processed human foods, as these offer little nutritional value and can be harmful.So, there you have it! Hopefully, you now have a good idea of what keeps those gentle mourning doves happy and healthy. Thanks for reading, and we hope you'll come back soon to learn more about the fascinating world of birds!