Mourning Dove

1/1000s at f8.0 ISO:800, Canon Mark IV 1D w/800mm, x1.4 coverter


The Mourning Dove is one of the most abundant and widespread of all North American birds. It is also the leading game bird, with up to 70 million birds shot annually in the U.S., both for sport and for meat. Its ability to sustain such pressure stems from its prolific breeding: in warm areas, one pair may raise up to six broods a year The Mourning Dove occupies a wide variety of open and semi-open habitats, such as urban areas, farms, prairie, grassland, and lightly wooded areas. It avoids swamps and thick forest. The species has adapted well to areas altered by humans. It commonly nests in trees in cities or near farmsteads. Most nests are in trees, both deciduous and coniferous. The female dove builds the nest. The clutch size is almost always two eggs. Both sexes incubate, the male from morning to afternoon, and the female the rest of the day and at night. Incubation takes two weeks. Both parents feed the squabs pigeon\'s milk (dove\'s milk) for the first 3 to 4 days of life. Thereafter, seeds gradually augment the crop milk. Fledging takes place in about 11 to 15 days. They stay nearby to be fed by their father for up to two weeks after fledging
Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch, Gilbert, AZ
 
10/04/2012