My soft-hearted wife calls them Doves.
Which they are... but I still call them pigeons.
See, there is one sitting in the garage. They like to do this. I don't know why.
I did some research on them.
The Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) is a member of the dove family, Columbidae.
The bird is also called the American Mourning Dove, and formerly was known as the Carolina Pigeon or Carolina Turtledove....~ Mourning Doves are prolific breeders. In warmer areas, these birds may raise up to six broods in a season. This fast breeding is essential for the survival of the species as mortality is high.
Each year, mortality can reach 58% a year for adults and 69% for the young.
The Mourning Dove is monogamous and forms strong pair bonds. Pairs typically reconvene in the same area the following breeding season, or sometimes may remain together throughout the winter. However, lone doves will find new partners if necessary.
yes yes... isn't it cute that they are monogamous, and they come back to the same place each year... yeah, cute... those prolifc breeders that they are.
12 comments:
I always loved hearing the morning doves all along the morning paper route I had as a kid.
we used to have them behind one of the restaurants i managed. They never seemed to multiply, yet I never seemed to see the same bird twice....enter 3rd world country illegal immigrant kitchen workers....guess what was for dinner on a daily basis....
I have a feeder into which I put white millet to attract them. Biscuit thinks this is all for her benefit so that she can send them scattering into the air as the pleases. They won't go away. So, enjoy the cooing.
Great, you get the sweet monogamous birds, we get the noisy polygamous wild turkies!
You do know that squab is young pigeon, right? I'm guessing the wife can cook a mean bird.
Have you constructed a condo for them yet?
69% mortality for the young? I guess it's a good thing they are prolific breeders.
Somehow, last year, a pair of turtle doves showed up here. Now I have several of them. They drive the dogs crazy - but I like them. Better than the mourning doves & much more than the wild pigeons of the feedlot.
They come to the monogamy haven.
ps...the recipe is a brilliant touch.
They might be hanging out in the garage because they need grit to digest the seed they eat--if there's a little bit of sand on your garage floor, they'll love it.
They need to be prolific breeders if they spend their time perched in a driveway.
Freakin' Doves return to our upper deck every year to nest in the potted plants.
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