The Mourning Dove in Wisconsin

Quick Facts

• Scientific Name: Zenaida macroura. (There are two subspecies of mourning dove that reside in Wisconsin, carolinensis and marginella.)
• Foods: Weed seeds and waste grains.
• Habitat: Mourning doves are habitat generalists and prefer woodlots and edge components over interior forests.
• Productivity: Mourning doves are very prolific birds. The nesting season runs from April to September; peak nesting is May through August. Each pair produces multiple broods each year.
• Abundance: Mourning doves are one of the most abundant and widely distributed birds in North America and Wisconsin. The breeding range extends from central Canada in the north to southern Mexico in the south and encompasses all of the lower 48 states. Banding and harvest data from the USFWS indicate that 4-5 million doves migrate from Wisconsin each fall.
• Hunt management: Hunting is monitored and managed by professional wildlife biologists from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and state wildlife agencies.
• Effects of hunting: Continent-wide hunting mortality is estimated at 10-15% of the fall population annually. This mortality is believed to be below the level which would significantly decrease long-term dove abundance or hinder expansion of geographic area. The mourning dove population in Wisconsin can sustain hunting without limiting the population.

  

  Fig. 1. Breeding and wintering ranges of the mourning dove (adapted from Mirarchi and Baskett 1994).

  Identification

  The mourning dove is a member of the family of birds called Columbidae. Male and female mourning doves look very similar with grayish-brown backs, buff-colored undersides, black spots on the wings and behind the eye, and white feathers in the tail, which show during flight. Juveniles can be distinguished from adults by light buffing on the tips of the primary feathers which persist until the first molt. Young are indistinguishable from adults by the age of 3 months.

  Population

  

  Fig. 2. Wisconsin mourning dove population trends (1966-98) based on number of mourning doves heard per route. Adapted from USGS Breeding Bird Survey results.

  Mourning doves are abundant throughout Wisconsin, and are most numerous south of a line from Green Bay to Eau Claire. Conservative population estimates place the number of mourning doves migrating from Wisconsin in the fall at 4-5 million. According to data collected by the North American Breeding Bird Survey (Fig. 2), the Wisconsin dove population has shown an increase over the past 33 years (USFWS 1999). The trend over the past 10 years shows a slight decrease (USFWS 1999). The index derived from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service Call Count Survey (Fig. 3), shows a decline in number of doves heard over the last 10 years in Wisconsin and in the Eastern Management Unit (USFWS 1999). However, over the long-term, the Call Count Survey results indicate no change in the Wisconsin dove population over the last 34 years (USFWS 1999).

  

  Fig. 3. Wisconsin breeding mourning dove index based on mourning doves heard (1966-99). Adapted from USFWS Call Count Survey results.

  Note that the Breeding Bird Survey data are actual count data and the Call Count Survey data are an index so the results are not directly comparable. The information is provided to demonstrate two of the several indices used to monitor mourning dove populations. All provide useful information when assessing the status of the mourning dove in Wisconsin.

  Habitat Requirements

  Mourning doves are highly adaptable to a variety of habitats including coniferous forests, deciduous forests, residential, urban, and agricultural landscapes. Habitat needs include trees for nesting and roosting, a food source and a source of water. Habitat in Wisconsin has likely expanded with agricultural expansion since settlement.

  Reproduction

  The mourning dove reproductive cycle in the Midwest begins in late April or early May, when egg laying begins and continues until early September when fledging ends. Doves build scant nests of twigs and grass usually placed in trees or shrubs 10 to 30 feet above ground. In wooded areas, elms and maples are preferred. In more open areas, coniferous shelterbelts and windbreaks are preferred for nesting.

  Mourning doves lay two white eggs per clutch and raise between two and five clutches per year. Both parents take part in incubation and brood-rearing activities. Young doves, or squabs, hatch featherless and grow rapidly, increasing their weight by 14 times within 15 days of age. Young can survive on their own 5 to 9 days after leaving the nest and most leave the nest area within 2 to 3 weeks of fledging.

  Previous investigations show nest success is variable and averages 53% in the Eastern Management Unit. Past research indicates that mourning dove productivity is above the level needed to maintain the population in the Eastern Management Unit.

  Mortality

  The natural mortality rate for mourning doves is high; approximately 6 out of 10 birds do not survive from one year to the next. Research indicates that mourning dove mortality is caused by a variety of factors including predators, disease, accidents, hunting and weather extremes.

  Food Habits

  Ninety-nine percent of the mourning dove diet is comprised of weed seeds and grains. Preferred weed seeds include pigweed, foxtails, wild sunflower, and ragweed. Preferred grains include corn, sorghum and millet. Insects make up a very small proportion of the dove diet. Doves move an average of 2-8 miles for food.

  Migration Patterns

  Two different segments of the migratory dove population use Wisconsin. One segment is composed of doves that breed in the state. In fall, these doves leave Wisconsin following one of two migration routes. One route leads to wintering grounds in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, and the other to Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. The second segment of the mourning dove population that uses Wisconsin is made up of migrants from other states and Canada. Some of these doves winter in Wisconsin, the remainder pass through to more southerly wintering areas.

  Hunting

  Mourning doves are currently hunted in 39 states. In the Midwest, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and all states south have mourning dove hunting seasons.

  Mourning doves have been hunted for many years throughout the United States and they continue to be one of the most abundant birds in North America. Nationwide, approximately 41 million doves are harvested annually. Other sources of mortality are 4-5 times higher than hunting mortality. Long-term banding studies indicate that 8-15% of dove mortality in the Eastern Management Unit is the result of hunting.

  Studies in Ohio concluded that urban mourning doves are far less vulnerable to hunting than rural doves, indicating that dove numbers at backyard feeders will not be reduced due to rural hunting pressure. Other research has demonstrated that September hunting does not negatively impact the number of young doves added to the population.

  The Department of Natural Resources does not expect that mourning dove hunting will result in an increase in the number of licenses sold. Nor is it expected that the dove harvest will be at the level seen in some states to the south. Using a rough estimate that approximately 20,000-30,000 people may choose to hunt doves and an average harvest of 5 doves per hunter, the resulting harvest prediction is 100,000-150,000 doves from the fall population.

  The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources supports limited, regulated hunting of mourning doves. Sustainable hunting is one of many public uses of our natural resources managed by the department. Wisconsin has a long tradition of responsible, regulated hunting for a wide range of wildlife species. Hunters are required by law to use all game harvested, and may not shoot animals for sport. Hunting laws prohibit unsafe shooting practices.

  Legal Authority

  Sec. 29.014, Stats. gives the department rule-making authority to establish and maintain open and closed seasons for fish and game, which includes all varieties of wild mammals or birds according to sec. 29.001(33), Stats.

  The Process to Establish a Season

  The Conservation Congress placed an advisory question on the spring 1999 fish and wildlife hearing questionnaire asking whether people supported a mourning dove season in Wisconsin. The result was more than 2-1 in favor of a season.

  After reviewing the results of the spring 1999 Conservation Congress question and discussing a mourning dove season internally, the department asked the Natural Resources Board for permission to hold a public hearing on a proposed mourning dove season. The Natural Resources Board approved, so the proposed season received a public hearing at the spring 2000 fish and wildlife hearings held in each county on April 10, 2000. The vote was in favor of creating a dove season.

  The department took into consideration the results of the public hearing along with other forms of public input and made a recommendation to the Natural Resources Board in May of 2000 regarding whether the proposed season should be approved and forwarded to the legislature for their approval. The department recommended approval of the season to the Natural Resources Board. The season was approved by the Natural Resources Board by a 5-2 vote. The season proposal was then forwarded to the legislature for a 30-day review period.

  The respective legislative committees in the assembly and senate had the ability to allow the 30-day period to pass without comment -in which case the proposed rule is approved - or take a variety of actions to request changes to the rule prior to approval or to prevent the rule from taking effect. The legislative committees passed the proposed rule and a dove season was created.

  Suggested Reading

  Ecology and management of the mourning dove. Baskett, T.S., M. W. Sayre, R. E. Tomlinson, and R. E. Mirarchi, Editors. 1993. Stackpole Books. Harrisburg, PA.

  Mourning dove breeding population status, 1999. USFWS. Laurel MD.

  Mourning dove. In The birds of North America, No. 117. A. Poole and F. Gill, Editors. Philadelphia: The Academy of Natural Sciences; Washington, D.C.: The American Ornithologist's Union.

   Compiled by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

  For information about this topic, contact: Migratory Game Bird Ecologist.

  Questions for Wildlife Management

  Last Revised: Thursday May 22 2008