Mourning Dove

Zenaida macroura

This common dove is found in many habitats. It has a well-known, mournful call, and its wings make a distinctive whistling sound when it takes flight. Adults nourish their young by coughing up a partially digested food mixture (called pigeon milk) and feeding it to their chicks until they are ready to eat insects and seeds on their own.

Look For : A gray-brown bird with a small head, a short black bill, a long, tapered tail, and short red legs. The male has blue-gray on his cap and the back of his neck.

Length : 11-13".

Habitat : Fields, gardens, parks.

Range : Southern Canada (mainly in summer), throughout U.S.